Sensational action hero and fan-favorite tough guy Jason Statham has been delivering exhilarating performances and stunts for over twenty years.
Sensational action hero and fan-favorite tough guy Jason Statham has been delivering exhilarating performances and stunts for over twenty years. The former diver and model made his cinematic debut in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 crime black comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, launching an enduring Hollywood career and professional relationship with the esteemed director in the process.
Statham has memorably appeared in a slew of adrenaline-pumping flicks like the Transporter trilogy, The Italian Job, Wrath of Man, and in the Fast & Furious and The Expendables franchises, and he has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars while helping reinvigorate the action genre. Statham’s next project will be in David Ayer’s upcoming action film The Beekeeper, opposite Jeremy Irons. Let’s take a look at Jason Statham’s best movies, as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
10. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw – 67%
Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson landed their very own spin-off when they headlined the 2019 buddy action comedy Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, centering on ex-DSS agent Luke Hobbs and rogue mercenary Deckard Shaw as the sworn enemies are forced to work together to stop the cybernetically enhanced criminal Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) threatening to wipe out humanity with a lethal pathogen.
The hilarious banter and winning chemistry between Statham and Johnson earned rave reviews from both audiences and critics, and the action-packed flick went on to amass a whopping $760 million worldwide.
9. Wrath of Man – 67%
Statham reunited with frequent collaborator and gifted director Guy Ritchie for the 2021 action heist thriller Wrath of Man, telling the story of mysterious cash truck security driver H as he impresses his fellow workers with his impeccable physicality and s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set after preventing a potentially deadly robbery from occurring. His crew is left questioning his origins and background and the highly-s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed marksman’s true intentions are ultimately revealed as the cold and calculating H sets out to avenge the tragic death of his son.
Despite its release being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wrath of Man went on to become a financial success and received an A- CinemaScore from audiences who enjoyed the gritty feel of the film as well as its intense action scenes and taut suspense.
8. The Expendables 2 – 67%
Hollywood’s most revered action icons were brought together once again in the 2012 big screen extravaganza The Expendables 2, with screenplay writer Sylvester Stallone enlisting the talents of stars like Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jet Li to appear in the epic movie that focuses on the eponymous mercenaries as they are tasked with getting revenge against their ruthless enemy (Jean-Claude Van Damme) after he viciously murders one of their members and threatens the safety of the world.
Statham reprised his role as knife specialist Lee Christmas, leader Barney Ross’ (Stallone) right-hand man who remains loyal and steadfast in their quest to eliminate the unhinged rival mercenary. The actor would later describe his festively-named character as “kind of a workingman’s hero… a guy you’d want to go out and have a beer with.” Statham would return to the successful franchise in its two follow-up sequels.
7. The Fate of the Furious – 67%
Vin Diesel and his merry band of car enthusiasts were back at it again with the 2017 action flick The Fate of the Furious, centering on former criminal and savvy street racer Dominic Toretto as he finds his wedded bliss and retired lifestyle completely destroyed when an enigmatic woman named Cypher (Charlize Theron) coerces Dom into turning against his crew and assisting her in a cyberterrorist attack. After the life of someone close to him is threatened, Dom has no choice but to help the criminal, alienating his loved ones and threatening the safety of humanity in the process.
Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, and the rest of the gang were back for the eighth installment, with Statham returning as Deckard Shaw and assisting Dom’s team in stopping Cipher. The Fate of the Furious was unsurprisingly a box office triumph, grossing over $1.2 billion and dazzling moviegoers with its adrenaline-fueled action sequences, charismatic performances, and ambitious storyline.
6. The Italian Job – 72%
A remake of the classic British ’60s film of the same name, the 2003 heist action film The Italian Job touts a star-studded cast led by Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, and Edward Norton, and follows a mismatched crew of thieves as they set out to rob a former associate who back-stabbed them and ran off with $35 million worth of gold bars after brutally murdering a beloved friend. Professional fixer and ultimate thief Charlie Croker (Wahlberg) makes it his mission to avenge the death of his mentor, enlisting a misfit team including expert safe-cracker Stella (Theron) and s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed wheelman Handsome Rob (Statham) to do so.
The Italian Job was positively compared to the original upon its release for its sleek action scenes and charismatic performances, with the London Evening Star writing, “It is smart, funny, wellplotted and performed and as slick as a Vaselined eel. If you have to remodel a classic for a new age, this is the way to do it.”
5. Snatch – 74%
In the 2000 crime comedy Snatch, two interconnected stories are told that take place in London’s criminal underworld, with one focusing on illegal boxing promoter Turkish (Statham) as he pushes for his violent and overbearing gangster boss Brick Top (Alan Ford) to offer bets on vicious bare-knuckle fighter Mickey (Brad Pitt), with the brawler ultimately becoming a thorn in Turkish’s side. Brick Top and his men become inadvertently swept up in the search for a stolen diamond, as fellow crime boss Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio del Toro) arrives to sell the priceless jewel, with bloody chaos naturally ensuing.
Statham’s memorable performance in Snatch helped the actor break into Hollywood and served as a major stepping stone in his enduring and decorated career. He was able to showcase both his comedic side and commanding physical prowess in the picture and would continue collaborating with director Guy Ritchie.
4. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – 75%
Jason Statham made his spectacular cinematic film debut in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 black comedy crime film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, portraying the street-smart con artist Bacon as he and his fellow friends and London criminals set out to pay off the debts of card sharp and pal Eddie (Nick Moran), who owes dangerous crime lord Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty) 500,000 pounds. The men decide to rob their neighbors (who in turn had just stolen from drug dealers), and find themselves attracting the unwanted attention of fellow criminals, resulting in a deadly showdown.
Ritchie earned widespread international acclaim when he directed the edgy and delightfully twisted flick, which was a massive hit at the box office, grossing over $28 million on a modest $1.35 million budget. The black comedy also launched Statham into the public eye, with the former diver becoming one of the big screen’s most buzzed about and intriguing new talents.
3. The Bank Job – 80%
Based on the real-life Baker Street robbery in 1971, the 2008 heist thriller The Bank Job features Statham as reformed small-time criminal Terry Leather, a financially struggling family man who finds himself being pulled back into his shady past after he’s approached by his former flame to participate in a massive bank heist. Leather discovers there’s more to the lucrative caper than he first anticipated and quickly realizes he’s in over his head and must contend with other money-hungry criminals during the dangerous robbery.
The engrossing flick was inspired by the notorious Lloyd’s Bank burglary in Baker Street, during which £1.25 million and £3 million were stolen from safety deposit boxes. The Bank Job further elevated Statham’s status as one of the industry’s most exciting and talented action stars, and it went on to be both a critical and commercial success.
2. Furious 7 – 81%
Statham joined the rip-roaring Fast & Furious franchise when he appeared as special forces solider-turned-ruthless mercenary Deckard Shaw in the 2015 smash hit Furious 7, following Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) as the racing criminals and their crew are targeted by the vengeance-seeking Shaw on behalf of his brother, while also trying to track down a dangerous hacker terrorist. The movie marked the first of multiple appearances Statham would make in the series, including the aforementioned spin-off Hobbs & Shaw opposite Dwayne Johnson.
Furious 7 marked Walker’s final film role (who tragically passed away in 2013 in a car accident), and smashed box office records, becoming the highest-grossing entry in the franchise and raking in over $1.5 billion. Both fans and critics alike consider the installment the best in the series, being lauded for its emotional tribute to Walker and for its ambitious action sequences.
1. Spy – 95%
Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham were the ultimate comedy dream team when they starred in Paul Fieg’s 2015 action farce Spy, centering on desk-bound CIA analyst Susan Cooper as she finds her mundane life and routine shaken up when she’s tasked with going undercover for her first assignment after her close friend and fellow agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) is seemingly murdered. Susan must work closely with the macho and cocky top agent Rick Ford (Statham) as the mismatched duo experience side-splitting hijinks while in pursuit of the Bulgarian arms dealer (Rose Byrne) responsible.
Statham’s performance in the fun flick was singled out by critics, with many praising the actor for embracing his light-hearted and comedic side, a refreshing detour from his normally serious roles. He earned a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy, with Entertaining Weekly noting that he “twists his action hero persona into a delightfully delusional version of the same thing.” A sequel to the hit has been discussed, with both McCarthy and Statham interested in reprising their roles.
Source: movieweb.com
