Here’s every Jason Statham Franchise, ranked from worst to best. Statham has had an interesting journey to movie stardom. After spending time working as a model or dancing in music videos for acts like The Shamen, he made his film debut with 1998’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. This low-budget British gangster film was directed by Guy Ritchie and it’s shock success provided the helmer and leading men Vinnie Jones and Statham with acting careers.
Statham’s first action role came with John Carpenter’s Ghosts Of Mars, but it wasn’t until the original Transporter that his action career kicked in. While the 2000s were largely devoid of new action stars in the vein of Stallone or Willis, Statham filled in that niche with a run of films like War, Death Race and Homefront. He later moved into hit franchises too, including The Expendables and his own aquatic horror saga The Meg. which will receive a sequel in 2023.
Statham has collected quite a few franchises over the years, though some are better than others. Here’s every Jason Statham franchise ranked worst to best.
5. The Mechanic
2011’s Mechanic was a remake of a 1972 Charles Bronson film and paired Statham with Ben Foster. The film was a fun, junky b-movie, but while the chemistry of its co-stars gave it a much-needed boost, its action sequences are over-edited and the story forgettable. The Jason Statham movie later a surprise sequel with 2016’s Mechanic: Resurrection. Outside of a couple of decent setpieces, it wastes a great cast – including Michelle Yeoh and Tommy Lee Jones – and is somehow even more forgettable than the original.
4. The Expendables
The Expendables was a series launched with great promise, with creator and star Sylvester Stallone attempting to unite iconic action movie heroes, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Jet Li and Statham. Sadly, none of the films have really lived up to their potential. The humor – especially in the second entry – can be groan-inducingly lame, the films rely on too many callbacks to their star’s glory days and the action is often over-edited and burdened with subpar CGI. Statham’s Christmas is often a highlight, however, and looks set to take over the series with the upcoming fourth film.
3. The Fast And The Furious
The Fast And The Furious movie saga has grown from a dopey street racing film with breakout performances for its stars to one of the most successful franchises in the world. If the series belongs to a single actor that would be Vin Diesel, with Statham very much being a co-star. His character Shaw was introduced as a Terminator-like villain, but later films – and spin-off Hobbs & Shaw – have redeemed the character. Like The Expendables, Statham is often the best thing about a given entry, though he can often get lost among the large ensemble.
2. The Transporter
Arguably Jason Statham’s most famous franchise is The Transporter, as it’s the one that made him a star. The original trilogy rests heavily on his charisma and fighting s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s as the titular driver who will deliver any package and lives by a strict set of rules – which are often broken. The second film is the best, and while they are all quite goofy and over the top, they know how to use Statham’s talents for maximum impact. Plus, The Transporter movies feature some of his best fight scenes, including the legendary greased up bus battle from the 2002 original.
1. Crank
Of all the Jason Statham Franchises, Crank is easily the wildest. The films capture the restless energy of an open world video game like Grand Theft Auto, with Statham playing a hitman who is injected with a poison that will 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 him unless he keeps his adrenaline high at all times. Throughout the two movies, this includes pulling off outrageous stunts. Crank proved Statham could pull off both comedy and action, and while the wacky humor doesn’t always land, the Crank films could only work as well as they do with Statham in the lead.
