HOLLYWOOD—I hate to say it, but you know what you’re going to get when you watch a Jason Statham film. I knew what to expect with the action-flick, “The Beekeeper” and I must say I was thoroughly entertained with the movie. I love a good action-flick and this movie gave me all of that and so much more. Is it silly? Absolutely. Is the plot plausible? Not at all, but you buy into it because the movie starts with a bang and ends with a bang.
Statham portrays Adam Clay (Statham), a beekeeper who rents out the barn from retired schoolteacher Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad). Look let’s not go over the logistics, but the trailer makes it crystal clear that Rashad’s character doesn’t make it far in the movie, which is the driving force of the narrative. When Parker falls victim to a phishing scam that causes her to lose a bevy of funds, bad things happen.
This leads to Clay, who has a mysterious past, and a distinct set of skills where he can dispatch a group of mercenaries and not blink an eye. We all saw the teaser of what he does to that crew of millennials behind the computer screen before lighting the place ablaze, while delivering a unique set of fighting skills and some nifty attacks that you will indeed talk about while sitting in the theater.
Parker’s sudden demise places Clay in the crosshairs with her daughter, FBI agent Verona Parker (Emmy Raver-Lampman). Do not even ask, but I thought the same thing, if Eloise’s daughter is a FBI agent, how did she so easily fall to a phishing scam? That is the problem with a scam they become so sophisticated that even the wisest can fall for it, and we’re not just referring to the elderly.
That is where the sore spot hits for me, because this is a trend that happens more often than people imagine and as a result, it is a learning tool to not fall for unexpected calls from strangers and never click on any links or emails that you are unaware of because once you click it’s too late. I have to highlight that Statham is not the only star power in this flick. There are some notable names here; we have Jeremy Irons, Josh Hutcherson and Minnie Driver. I will admit my shock seeing Diver in the movie, in a small, but notable role. Irons I felt could have been utilized more as a former CIA agent who has access to some powerful people to get information on those who don’t want to be found.
Irons is acting talent and I just wanted the character to be utilized a bit more. Hutcherson is becoming an enigma as an actor, who is showing a ton of versatility. I mean we just saw him in “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” where he portrayed the hero, and in this flick, he portrays Derek Danforth, a spoiled, millennial who thinks the world revolves around him. Not to mention he is our bad guy. That did annoy me, but I also loved the finger being placed on the pulse of highlighting some of the issues with millennials, even though I might fall into that category. I think there is a difference between those born in the early 80s and those near the end or close to the 90s.
The action, the action, the action, it is top-notch. The action is speckled throughout the ENTIRE FLICK and it delivers. Statham is great with the one-on-one combat scenes. The gunfire is explosive especially as we reach the big climax, and if you want explosions and unbelievable stunts you can’t believe “The Beekeeper” gives you that and so much more.
I will admit I did want to see more bees considering this was a flick titled, “The Beekeeper.” I wanted to see Clay actually utilize those bees to dispatch of a few baddies. As long as you go into this movie expecting silly dialogue, delusional narratives and things that shouldn’t truly happen, you won’t be disappointed with this flick.
