It’s tough to argue against the idea that if you’ve seen one Jason Statham movie, you’ve seen them all. The man’s a human sledgehammer, delivering fists and glares in a formula that’s as predictable as it is satisfying.

Yet, in 2025, with cinema in a sorry state—where the Academy hypes a Russian prostitute drama as the year’s best—Statham’s latest action flick, A Working Man, feels like a breath of fresh air. Audiences, starved for the straightforward entertainment Hollywood once delivered, welcome his brand of no-frills chaos as a reprieve from pretentious Oscar bait.

Last year, Statham gave us The Beekeeper, a lean revenge tale about an ex-operative avenging a woman scammed into suicide. It was quintessential Statham: simple conflict, clear stakes, and 90 minutes of face-punching. A Working Man, directed by David Ayer (who also helmed The Beekeeper) and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, sticks to this playbook but stumbles slightly.

Statham plays Levon Cade, a former Royal Marine Commando now leading a construction crew in Chicago. He’s settled into a quiet life, working closely with the Garcia family, who run the company. The plot kicks off when Jenny, the Garcias’ teenage daughter, is kidnapped by Russian traffickers after a night of bar-hopping. The mob intends to force her into sex slavery for high-end buyers.

Cade, loyal to the family, takes it upon himself to rescue her, infiltrating the criminal underworld to track her down. The Russians quickly realize Cade isn’t your average civilian—he’s a relentless force with no fear to slow him down. What follows is a brutal, one-man crusade against a criminal empire, with Cade dismantling the mob’s hierarchy in classic Statham fashion.

The film’s biggest misstep is its runtime. Clocking in at 101 minutes—11 minutes longer than The Beekeeper—A Working Man feels padded. The pacing drags, especially in the middle, where expository scenes about the Russian mob’s structure sap momentum. Originally pitched as a gritty streaming series, the script (co-written by Stallone) carries a TV-like bloat that doesn’t suit a feature film. A tighter 90-minute cut would’ve kept the energy high and the audience locked in.

That said, the action delivers. Statham’s Cade is a caretaker-turned-avenger, mowing through bad guys with a mix of gunfire, fists, and improvised traps. The choreography is visceral, with standout sequences like a warehouse shootout that feels ripped from Ayer’s End of Watch. If you’re here to watch Statham do what he does best—shoot, stomp, and scowl—you’ll get your money’s worth. The film doesn’t overcomplicate Cade’s backstory, wisely letting his actions speak louder than words. He’s a man driven by loyalty, not a tortured soul needing pages of exposition.

The supporting cast, including the Garcia family, adds some heart, though their roles feel underdeveloped. The Russian mobsters are standard-issue villains—snarling, one-dimensional thugs—but they serve their purpose as punching bags. The script’s focus on the mob’s hierarchy creates a domino effect, where Cade’s attacks ripple through the organization, but it spends too much time on their inner workings, diluting the action.

Ayer’s direction keeps the visuals gritty, with Chicago’s industrial underbelly providing a stark backdrop, though the film lacks the polish of The Beekeeper’s sleek aesthetic. Statham’s career hasn’t changed much in 20 years. He’s the guy you pay to see kick ass for two hours, and he delivers with unwavering consistency.

A Working Man lives and dies on his charisma, masking the fact that you’ve seen this movie a dozen times under different titles. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s not trying to be. In a stronger year for cinema, this would be a forgettable B-movie. But in 2025, with Hollywood churning out self-important dramas and recycled franchises, A Working Man stands out as a rare, solid action flick.

This isn’t a film that’ll redefine the genre or earn Statham an Oscar. It’s a meat-and-potatoes thriller that knows its audience and delivers just enough to satisfy. The pacing issues and thin supporting characters hold it back, but Statham’s relentless energy carries it across the finish line. If you’re craving a straightforward action movie that doesn’t lecture or overstay its welcome (mostly), A Working Man gets the job done. In a barren cinematic landscape, that’s more than most can claim.

3/5

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