A Jason Statham film presages a violent thriller, hopefully with scriptwriting nous and a solid cast. Choreographed battle scenes are a given. I’m reminded of Steven Seagal or, God help us, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Statham’s recent vehicles have been ho-hum but The Beekeeper represents a welcome return to form, a kinetic thriller that is not nonsensical and that permits quite some nuance with dialogue and supporting characters. Statham plays a solipsistic beekeeper in the United States, one who is triggered into a nation-shattering vengeance quest when his sole friend is stripped clean by Internet scammers. The script is unfussy and the plot quickly accelerates into a long, drawn out finale that is pleasingly symmetrical and perhaps even weighted with some emotion. The Beekeeper is the kind of thriller one used to watch, something to evoke anticipation and amuse an hour and a half, and as such, was most welcome to this viewer.
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