Jason Statham, on the scale of the brutality of the hero in the mind of the viewer, confidently occupies a place somewhere between Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. For a long time we have not seen worthy films with his participation, although at the dawn of Jason’s career there were successful impressive tapes. It’s a pity, but when a new picture comes out, where this charismatic guy is busy, our consciousness is firmly convinced that it’s not worth going to the cinema to the premiere.
Well, for a couple of decades, Jason really starred in many films that you can’t call otherwise than a “penny movie”. Remembering the entire creative path of the actor, nevertheless, you can find twenty works that are worth the time spent watching them. Most of these films, of course, are not soul-shattering dramas that remain in memory for years, and they are not the critics’ favorite arthouse genre, which consistently wins film festival awards. However, light entertainment cinema has every right to life. It is like a kind of relaxation when, after hard working days, we want to relax on the couch in front of the TV screen and watch not super-intelligent films of the highest category, but enthusiastically plunge into the events of the next action.
Here it is, the golden twenty films with the participation of Jason Statham. Best of all, he succeeds in the image of a charming brutal, overcoming all obstacles, vile, evil enemies who win. The action movies with him aroused such unimaginable interest among the audience that the creators of some paintings formed a franchise.
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
One of them existed even before Statham joined it and was extremely popular. As a result, after eight parts of the famous “Fast and the Furious”, an offshoot of “Hobbs and Shaw” appeared, which brought down a double blow of charming brutal power, the charming Jason Statham and the handsome Dwayne Johnson starred in it. This film may not have become as stunning as the rest of the franchise, but it managed to diversify the movie about megacars. Dynamics, spectacular fights and cool stunts, good humor were again at the highest level. In general, the picture turned out to be lively, with a well-developed scenario and a possible continuation. And now, in fact, let’s talk about the Fast and the Furious itself with the participation of Jason Statham.
Fast & Furious 6
In this part, Jason’s hero is a villain who cruelly avenges a loved one. His appearance only in the series finale makes it clear that the continuation of the vendetta is worth waiting for in the next part.
Fast and furious 7
It is believed that this particular part can be called the best in this franchise. The film is no longer about racing drivers breaking the law with impunity. This is a powerful blockbuster, striking with spectacular fight scenes that are more inherent in an action movie. It is full of action scenes and unrealistic special effects that defy all laws of physics.
A little earlier, the handsome Dwayne Johnson was introduced into the franchise. When deciding who else could strengthen the squad, Jason was preferred. A villain of a universal scale, mega-strong, cruel, insidious and almost immortal – this is exactly Deckard Shaw, whose role was played by Statham.
Fast & Furious 8
In this part, Charlize Theron and Kurt Russell were added to the star cast. However, it would be stupid to say goodbye to a valuable shot by Statham, which means that, according to the laws of the genre, irreconcilable enemies should become, if not best friends, then comrades-in-arms. However, all this is only for the sake of a common cause. Extenuating circumstances are found for all Deckard Shaw’s atrocities and new facts about his personality are revealed. We continue. next franchise.
The Expendables
The feature of The Expendables is the cast of top action movie stars of the 80s and 90s. It was expected that the maximum of the film is a slight nostalgia for the old days. However, the spectacle turned out to be very worthy, with a good dose of irony and dynamism of the plot. Jason Statham became the link between veterans (Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Lundgrem, Willis) and a more or less young change of action movie actors.
The Expendables 2
The second part brought together even more stars from a bygone era of action movies. Chuck Norris was added, and Van Damme starred as the villain. The concept of the part has not changed, in fact, as a result, the film turned out to be spectacular and generally worthy.
Expendables 3
About the third part, you can say the same thing, the only thing to add freshness to the plot was used young blood. According to the plot, the hero Stallone, in order not to risk his combat comrades-in-arms, gathers a team of young fighters.
Killer Elite
Everyone thought that this would be the most ordinary project with good actors, passing, as it happened in the last time. The result was a solid action movie about spies. Both the plot and spectacular stunts were on top. A retired mercenary is forced to rescue his old comrade. An Arab sheikh demands the elimination of the former British Air Force commandos who killed his sons. The film is based on real events.
Cellular
In this thriller, Statham plays the bad guy. According to the plot, the heroine, who was kidnapped, closes the wires in her broken cell phone to ask for help. She manages to get through to one guy. With difficulty believing in the reality of such events, the guy turns to the police.
The Transporter
Also a classic action movie starring Statham. The former commando transports special cargo, always following the rules. However, one day he changed one of the rules and opened the cargo. As it turned out, live cargo. Now you need to find and punish the members of the organization involved in human smuggling.
Now it’s time for comedies. I must say that Statham is very interesting in a comedic role. This was also noticeable in action films, where there is a lot of high-quality humor.
Spy
Melissa McCarthy plays in the film an intelligence officer who dreams of becoming a real spy, but is forced to deal with paperwork. And then one day her dream came true. Statham plays the role of her colleague, also a CIA officer.
Crank
A very interesting combination of a low-budget action movie with a good idea and a thrash comedy. A mercenary who had done his job flawlessly was framed and was to be killed by injecting a drug that slows the heart. In order not to die, the mercenary needs to get the maximum adrenaline. He finds a lot of ridiculous ways to do it. For example, having sex in front of a crowd of Chinese. Critics called this movie pornography. But Statham’s fans were delighted.
Crank: High Voltage
Having received adrenaline in the first part from sex in front of a crowd of onlookers, in the second part the main characters rushed into all serious. One of the scenes of the film became the peak of the grotesque of this crazy comedy, ridiculous and at the same time forever remaining in the history of cinema.
The Bank Job
James Statham played in two excellent films about bank robbery. In both, the main characters will have to cope with all the problems that arise during the robbery. This vintage picture with an interesting plot and excellent cast. In it, access to the safe can only be obtained with the help of a huge tunnel.
The Italian Job
And in this picture, in order to steal a collection car full of gold, gang members connect to the city’s traffic light system. Cool cast, easy plot, dynamic scenes and as a result a good entertaining movie. The task in the gang of the hero James is to skillfully cope with cars, seduce women at the right time. So we got to the recognized masterpieces of cinema, in which James Statham starred.
Collateral
In this picture, Statham plays a cameo role. The main performers were Tom Cruise (killer) and Jamie Foxx (taxi driver). An elegant man, Vincent, gets into the taxi and asks for a ride to several addresses. As it turned out, the killer, using a taxi, gets to his victims, the taxi driver Max becomes an accidental accomplice in crimes. Max finds a way to save both his own life and those whom Vincent has not yet reached.
Snatch
The film is perhaps the best of those directed by Guy Ritchie. A large diamond was stolen from a jewelry store. Authoritative mafiosi of London want to lay hands on such a big jackpot. The main character Frankie needs to make a lot of efforts to ship the diamond to his boss in America. He himself made it difficult for himself by getting into a bad story with underground fights. A chic cast of young talents, including Brad Pitt.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Here is the starting point of Statham’s path in cinema. This film was the first in the directorial career of Guy Ritchie, who loves criminal London. Card games, huge stakes and debts of the same size, deceit, big and small scams, robberies … Absolutely incoherent storylines woven into a ball that can only be unraveled by shooting each other.
Four young guys, hoping to get rich, decided to play cards with an experienced cheater, but lost. They were given a week to pay off the huge debt. The guys decide to rob the bandits, who in turn want to rob the drug lab. However, the problems of the four guys did not end there.
Statham also starred in two video clips at the age of 90: from the Erasure group – Run to the Sun and from The Shamen – Comin’ On. This is another sight, a silvery body, leopard swimming trunks, and, by the way, see for yourself, cheer up.