MECHANIC: RESURRECTION is out now in cinemas and the movie stars Jason Statham and Jessica Alba in the latest franchise. To celebrate the release, we have taken a look at ten of Statham’s best action-packed movies over the years – and there is certainly a lot to choose from!
We have collated our list in no particular order, so take a look at our choices below!
Snatch (2000)
SNATCH is a British crime comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter (Jason Statham) who finds himself under the thumb of a ruthless gangster (Alan Ford) who is ready and willing to have his subordinates carry out severe and sadistic acts of violence.
The film features an assortment of characters, including Irish Traveller Mickey O’Neil (Brad Pitt), referred to as a “pikey”, arms-dealer Boris “the Blade” Yurinov (Rade Šerbedžija), professional thief and gambling addict Franky “Four-Fingers” (Benicio del Toro), American gangster-jeweller Abraham Denovitz known as “Cousin Avi” (Dennis Farina), and bounty hunter Bullet-Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones). It is also distinguished by a kinetic direction and editing style, a circular plot featuring numerous ironic twists of chance and causality, and a fast pace.
The film shares themes, ideas and motifs with Ritchie’s first film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It is also filmed in the same visual style and features many of the same actors, including Jones, Statham, and Ford.
Crank: (2006)
Crank is a 2006 American action black comedy film written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor and starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart and Jose Pablo Cantillo. The plot centres on a British hitman in Los Angeles named Chev Chelios who is poisoned and must keep his adrenaline flowing constantly in order to keep himself alive. He does so by various methods including taking drugs and getting into fights, while he tries to track down the man who poisoned him. The title of the film comes from the slang word for methamphetamine.
The film was followed by a sequel, entitled High Voltage, in 2009.
The Transporter (2002)
The Transporter is a 2002 French action film directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen and written by Luc Besson, who was inspired by BMW Films’ The Hire series.
The film stars Jason Statham as Frank Martin, a driver for hire – a mercenary “transporter” who will deliver anything, anywhere – no questions asked – for the right price. It also stars Shu Qi as Lai Kwai.
It is the first film in a series also consisting of Transporter 2, Transporter 3 and The Transporter Refuelled. A television series premiered in 2012 on October 11 in Germany on RTL and on December 6 in France on M6.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card shark who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag. To pay off his debts, he and his friends decide to rob a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the flat next door. The film brought Guy Ritchie international acclaim and introduced actors Vinnie Jones, a former Wales international footballer, and Jason Statham, a former diver, to worldwide audiences. Based on a $1.35 million budget, the film had a box office gross of $28.3 million, making it a commercial success.
A television series, Lock, Stock…, followed in 2000, running for seven episodes including the pilot.
Spy (2015)
Jason Statham played an arrogant spy who thought a lot of himself, and would list off numerous over-the-top situations he found himself in and got himself out of (for instance his arm being completely ripped off and reattached by his other arm), but in reality, he was terrible at his job. Even though he makes knocking people out, look effortless, Spy gave him the chance to play up to the fact that his roles are always outlandish and completely over the top. Spy was one of the surprise hits of the summer as the movie enjoyed both critical and commercial success. The movie topped bot the US and UK box office and grossed over $233 million worldwide.
The Italian Job (2003)
The Italian Job is a 2003 American heist film directed by F. Gary Gray, written by Wayne and Donna Powers and produced by Donald DeLine. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of the 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal gold from a former associate who double-crossed them. Despite the shared title, the plot and characters of this film differ from those of its source material; Gray described the film as “an homage to the original.”[4]
Most of the film was shot on location in Venice and Los Angeles, where canals and streets, respectively, were temporarily shut down during principal photography. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, The Italian Job was theatrically released in the United States on May 30, 2003, and grossed over $176 million worldwide. A sequel, The Brazilian Job, has reportedly been in development since 2004, but has yet to be produced as of 2016.
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) returns as the Mechanic in the sequel to the 2011 action thriller. When the deceitful actions of a cunning but beautiful woman (Jessica Alba) force him to return to the life he left behind, Bishop’s life is once again in danger as he has to complete an impossible list of assassinations of the most dangerous men in the world. The film also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh and has been helmed by Dennis Gansel.
The Expendables (2010)
The Expendables is a 2010 American ensemble action film written by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, and directed by Stallone, who also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Steve Austin and Mickey Rourke. It is the first installment in The Expendables film series.
The film is about a group of elite mercenaries tasked with a mission to overthrow a Latin American dictator whom they soon discover to be a mere puppet controlled by a ruthless ex-CIA officer James Munroe. It pays tribute to the blockbuster action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Expendables received mixed reviews, praising the action scenes, but criticizing the lack of story. However, it was commercially successful, opening at number one at the box office in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and India. A sequel, The Expendables 2, was released on August 17, 2012, and another sequel, The Expendables 3, was released on August 15, 2014.
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
Crank: High Voltage is a 2009 American action black comedy film and the sequel to Crank. The film was written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor and stars Jason Statham reprising his role as Chev Chelios. The story of the film resumes shortly after the first film left off, retaining a similar over-the-top premise and adding more special effects.
The Bank Job (2008)
The Bank Job is a 2008 British crime film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, directed by Roger Donaldson. The film stars Jason Statham, based on the 1971 Baker Street robbery in central London, from which the money and valuables stolen were never recovered. The producers allege that the story was prevented from being told in 1971 because of a D-Notice government gagging request, allegedly to protect a prominent member of the British Royal Family. According to the producers, this film was intended to reveal the truth for the first time, although it includes significant elements of fiction.
The premiere was held in London on 18 February 2008, and the film was released in both the UK on 29 February 2008, and in the US on 7 March 2008. It was a critical and financial success.
Have we mentioned your favourite Jason Statham movie? Share your favourites in the comment box below.
MECHANIC: RESURRECTION is out in cinemas now.
