Plot: What’s it about?
You know, the older I get the more I have to say is the ability to play to your strengths. Yes, there’s something to be said for variety (and the spice of life bit) but, by and large, knowing what you’re good at is a great skill to had. Liam Neeson figured this out after he starred in Taken in 2009. Jason Statham seemed to figure this out very early in his career which began with 1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. By that I mean that Statham has, by and large, played a variation of the same character in most every film he’s been in. Hey, I’m not knocking it. It’s worked for him. Statham, a former diver for Great Britian was nearly on the Olympic team back in the early 90’s. The transition to Hollywood actor was a long and winding road, but here he is a few decades later still at it. Looking back at The Beekeeper, which brought director David Ayer and Statham together to critical praise, we once again find the duo trying to capture lighting in a bottle once again. Did they?
Levon Cade (Jason Statham) is about as blue collar as they come. He’s a former member of the Royal Marines – an elite military branch (essentially a British version of the Green Berets). When the daughter of his boss (Michael Peña) goes missing after a night of partying, Cade uses his skills to track her down. As it turns out, she’s been kidnapped (aren’t they always?) by human traffickers with connections to sex work around town (again, another cliché). Cade, along with the assistance of visually-impaired buddy (David Harbour), the duo do what Cade does best to try and track down the missing girl. Of course, things don’t go according to plan.
Had I not done a bit of research, I’d have never known that this movie had its roots in comics. Then again I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me as most things nowadays do. Add to that this was written by Sylvester Stallone (yep, that one) which might give the movie a bit more pedigree. It did not. On one hand, I didn’t find this movie “bad” by any means. It’s just…there. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense. But it’s just another installment of what we’ve seen before. So while I applaud Statham for “doing what he’s good at”, there comes a point where you have to pull the plug and quit while you’re ahead. The film has a decent cast, stars that have proven themselves time and again with some decent source material, but in an effort to replicate The Beekeeper, they’ve fallen shot. Way short.
Video: How’s it look?
By now we know what to expect with a Jason Statham movie – a perpetual 5 o’clock shadow and…that’s about it. Ok, there’s more. Being a new-to-the-format disc we can expect the usual: detail is razor sharp and every scene (when paused) looks like a still picture. Truly this is what they had in mind when you view a movie in HD. There are plenty of tricks used by the filmmakers to give the movie a very edgy look, but that aside – it’s still a stunning picture that’s sure to wow fans.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This is a film that’s made for a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The thumping, pumping and beating sets the tone and mood of the film. LFE play a big role here, the surrounds are constantly active as are the the atmospheric effects. Dialogue is on the level as well. I found that the surrounds kicked in for some added ambiance and really didn’t stop until the final credits rolled. It’s mesmerizing. Viewers will love it.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Here’s hoping you like the film and judging by the box office – most didn’t. There are no supplemental materials to be found.
The Bottom Line
This is a classic tale of “all the elements of there, so this should work.” But…it didn’t. There’s no denying the talent of the cast and director and the same duo managed to make it work with The Beekeeper but again, it was just a miss. Warner’s disc looks and sounds good, but that’s about it as there are no supplements to be found. This one is for die hard fans only.
