This weekend, Jason Statham returns to the big screen in the action thriller, Shelter, directed by Ric Roman Waugh from a screenplay by Ward Parry. Statham has become like comfort food for many moviegoers as they know what they’re going to get from the action star. A serviceable action film, usually released in January, and the typical Statham charisma that has been his signature. It might seem silly to dive into his five best performances ever because some might think there is a sameness to his work, but this is a challenge that deserves to be accepted, so let’s get into the best Statham has offered us so far.
Honorable Mention: Handsome Rob in The Italian Job
The Italian Job is one of the better action films to be released in the early 2000s, and that’s thanks in large part to its solid ensemble cast that Statham effortlessly blends into as Handsome Rob, the crew’s wheelman, but who is also quite the lothario with the ladies. Directed by F. Fary Gray from a screenplay by Donna Powers and Wayne Powers, The Italian Job is inspired by the 1969 British film of the same name but spins an original story. In the film, a crew of thieves hatch an elaborate plan to steal gold from a former member of their team who double-crossed them.
While bigger names surround him, such as Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, and Edward Norton, Statham steals his share of scenes as Handsome Rob and gives the film much of its levity throughout. In terms of action, it doesn’t showcase the physical skills that Statham has become known for, but The Italian Job is proof that the actor can stand out within a big ensemble, and his signature charisma does add a little something to the proceedings.
By far one of the film’s best moments sees Seth Green’s computer expert, Lyle, impersonating Statham’s Handsome Rob while he tries to romance a female to gain entry into Steve Frazelli’s (Norton) residence to install a phone tap. If anything, the allowance of the scene shows that Statham is very much in on the joke about his persona.
5. Frank Martin in The Transporter Trilogy (2002-2008)
While not some of my favorite movies of his, there is no denying that The Transporter Trilogy turned Statham into a legitimate action star and likely set the tone for his career moving forward. The first film, released in 2002, was directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen from a screenplay by Luc Nesson and Robert Mark Kamen. The films follow Statham as Frank Martin, a professional freelance courier driver who, in the first movie, finds himself in the middle of a human trafficking plot.
Each film escalates the stakes that Frank finds himself in, with 2005’s The Transporter 2 finding him protecting the son of a politician from a drug cartel, while The Transporter 3 sees him returning to France, hoping to get back into his low-key business with no problems, but, of course, problems ensue. Thanks to the direction of Leterrier (Olivier Megaton stepped in to helm the third), the first two films prove to be the best as the action is directed with enough flash to get the adrenaline going, and Statham, who has a background in martial arts and kickboxing, go to fully establish himself as an action star to be recockned with. Statham reportedly was able to do the majority of his fight choreography, and that gives the films a level of authenticity that most action movies lack.
The actor is using his signature charisma throughout the movies, and his snarky no-nonsense attitude elevates some of the more thin aspects of the film’s screenplays to make them an entertaining experience. This proves to be the best thing about Statham throughout his filmography. He’s able to make lesser material worth checking out based entirely on his persona, and that’s something a lot of other actors wish they possessed. Also, the character is so cool that he popped up in a cameo in Michael Mann’s Collateral with Tom Cruise, so he’s a universe jumper as well.
4. Chev Chelios in Crank (2006)
Kudos to Statham for making the absurdity of Crank’s plot work because it’s his 100 percent commitment that turns the film into a bonkers journey that entertains from start to finish. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, in their directorial debut, and working from a screenplay they both wrote, Crank follows British assassin Chev Chelios, who is poisoned with a synthetic drug that forces him to keep his adrenaline running to keep himself alive. As if that’s not enough to deal with, he also has to handle the task of tracking down the people who poisoned him in the first place.
Since the film itself is beautifully unhinged and kinetic in its execution, Statham matches that pitch to deliver an action movie that is a bit different from his typical efforts. To describe Crank as relentless is an understatement, but everyone involved is all in on the ridiculousness of it all and doesn’t take it too seriously, which turns into great fun for the audience. Statham gets to show off his considerable action skills in the film, but they’re knocked up a notch due to the fast-paced nature of the movie, which gives the film’s fight scenes a more frenetic energy compared to his other action endeavors.
What proves to be the most ridiculous moment in a movie full of them? Probably Chev having public sex with his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart) to keep his adrenaline pumping. It’s at that moment you can tell Statham is leaning into the film’s chaos and over-the-top antics, and that alone makes it one of his most fun outings.
3. Bacon in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Statham’s career began here courtesy of Guy Ritchie in the 1998 British crime comedy, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, a film he landed reportedly because of his history working as a market stall salesman. Also written by Ritchie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels details a heist involving a card sharp who loses a large sum of money to a crime lord during a rigged game of three-card brag. In order to pay off his debts, he calls upon the help of his friends to help him rob a small gang who are running their enterprise in the apartment next door.
If The Transporter films established Statham as an action star, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels introduced the masses to his no-nonsense tough guy persona that has become his signature. In addition, the film’s dry British humor also played to his strengths around comedy as the role of street-hustler Bacon allowed him to showcase a bit more levity when compared to some of his later roles.
Also, because of Statham’s real-life background before shooting the film, he’s able to bring some authenticity to the role that other actors would’ve lacked, and he proved early on that while he may not be a classically trained actor, he had natural charisma that was destined to serve him well throughout his career. Since this movie is so early in his tenure as an actor, it can be easy to forget how skilled Statham is at handling dark comedy, because action has become his wheelhouse, but his dry delivery here cements that he should do more of it in between breaking faces on the big screen.
2. Turkish in Snatch (2000)
Seeing what Statham could naturally do in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Ritchie set him up as the protagonist and narrator of his second film, Snatch, another British crime comedy that the director also wrote. In the film, two intertwined plots are explored, with one concerning the search for a stolen diamond, while the other focuses on Turkish (Statham) boxing promoter who finds his life crossing with a ruthless gangster named “Brick Top” Pulford (Alan Ford), who is violently sadistic to those who cross him.
Expanding on what he did in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch further proved that Statham was a natural in front of the camera with solid comedic timing. In a sea of over-the-top characters in Snatch, Statham’s Turkish proves to be one of the most grounded, which serves the movie well since he’s the narrator and the character the audience needs to look to as the plot becomes crazier with each passing moment. A pivotal aspect of Snatch that still works is the chemistry Statham shares with Stephen Graham, who portrays Tommy in the film.
Their constant bickering and trial-and-error methods of attempting to be would-be gangsters give the movie some of its best moments. Beyond the comedy, you can see Statham shaping some of the personas he’ll use in some of his future action efforts because, even though Turkish is more down-to-Earth than some of his other characters, he still brings a sense of his action-movie presence and shade of his tough-guy persona. It’s easy to see why, with the combination of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and this film, that Statham became a star to watch.
1. Rick Ford in Spy (2015)
In Spy, Statham got to combine some of his action sensibilities with his comedic chops for a perfect marriage that allowed the actor to masterfully give a wink and a nod to the persona he built his career around. Written and directed by Paul Feig, Spy follows Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy), a woman working the desk at the CIA who remotely helps out her partner, Bradley Fine (Jude Law), on missions. However, after the villainous Rayna Boyanov reveals that she knows the identities of several field agents, Susan volunteers to get out from behind the desk and out on the field since no one knows her identity, much to the dismay of Rick Ford (Statham), who thinks that she’s completely inept and out of her depth.
I’m a fan of anyone who can poke fun at themselves, and that’s what Statham does expertly throughout Spy as he engages in self-parody that generates some of the film’s biggest laughs. The brilliance of his performance is that he plays most of it very straight and is ultra serious about his work, which makes his efforts to shadow Susan throughout the movie hilarious with minimal effort. This is proof that a performer is in on the joke and knows exactly how to sell it. Rick Ford is so into himself as an agent that it borders on delusional (complete with ridiculous disguises that he thinks are brilliant but truly give him away in a crowd), but Statham knows the best way to play all of this is with the belief that Rick really thinks he is the best.
He’s wonderfully boastful and, at times, hilariously cruel to McCarthy’s Susan and her lack of real abilties but it makes the acting pair a comedic duo we didn’t know we needed. Usually, I’m not one for sequels to comedies because they rarely stand up to the original, but there feels like there is more to explore with Statham and Spy, a movie that truly showcases this is an actor that needs to make the audience laugh a little more often.
Shelter is now playing in theaters nationwide.
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