Movies, The Beekeeper – If you love action movies, chances are you have seen some of Jason ‘The Stath’ Statham’s work. He is an expert at his craft and has been doing it for some time now.
His latest film, The Beekeeper, finds him taking swift action against computer scammers – earning positive reviews and an enthusiastic reception from viewers.
The Beekeeper – The premise
Jason Statham stars as Adam Clay, an ex-field operative from one of those extrajudicial government task forces which intervene when criminal activity escalates out of control. Now living in rural America as an actual beekeeper with help from his gruffly quiet landlady (Phylicia Rashad), Adam tends to his honey hives carefully with help from her.
Clay takes matters into his own hands after Eloise, his kind-hearted landlord, dies after her charity money is stolen by an online fraud operation and sets out for revenge against those responsible. Along the way, he tracks them up the food chain until reaching all the way up to President Roosevelt in President David Ayer and Kurt Wimmer’s overactive imaginations.
Statham is an expert at crafting action movies, and The Beekeeper proves it once more. His performance effortlessly dispatches security guards, state police, SWAT teams, former Navy SEALs, Blackwater-style mercenaries and an assortment of goons without breaking a sweat; making this an action-packed thriller that proves he still has plenty to give in terms of acting talent and acting ability.
The action
Jason Statham has long been known as an exceptional action hero, and The Beekeeper is no exception. Packed with fast-paced action scenes and featuring an outstanding cast including Jeremy Irons, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Josh Hutcherson (Jeremy’s Irons is also present), this 2024 release was an instant classic!
The movie has found success both streaming and in theaters since being 2024’s inaugural box office hit. An R-rated action thriller that tells the tale of Adam Clay (Statham), an ex-operative for an unofficial government agency known as The Beekeepers (also featuring Statham as Adam Clay).
As box office bombs like The Expendables 4 and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre failed, The Beekeeper may find success reversing those numbers and recovering its budget in coming weeks. Box Office Pro predicts it could earn between $25 – 45 million at its conclusion.
The characters
As with other Jason Statham action films, this one features a gruff hero who effortlessly dispatches faceless villains with ease – yet this time there’s something different about this one – it features more than one person helping him fight his adversaries!
Josh Hutcherson of Hunger Games and Five Nights at Freddy’s fame plays Derek, a tech bro ringleader leading an organization which defrauds senior citizens through online scams. After one victim (Phylicia Rashad) commits suicide after losing millions, her heir Adam Clay (Jason Statham) takes matters into his own hands in pursuit of justice for her legacy.
David Ayer of End of Watch and Fury fame and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer have managed to bring this unlikely tale alive by using its ridiculous setting to heighten the appeal of an individual who takes matters into his own hands in search of justice. Their thriller will keep audiences on edge of their seats while raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of revenge and whether or not it can define right from wrong.
The story
After an initially slow start in theaters, The Beekeeper has found success via streaming as audiences look for something different to watch. With an estimated gross of $153 Million worldwide and surpassing that mark within just six weeks of streaming release, this film may well become another successful franchise for Jason Statham following Fast & Furious and The Expendables success.
In the memorable opening montage, close-ups of honeybees are intercut with images of six-sided buildings and an ominous octagon – creating the impression that there exists an off-the-books government agency known as The Beekeepers that Adam Clay now oversees as enforcer.
David Ayer and Kur Wimmer use this absurd plot device to play on our fascination with wild conspiracy theories. For instance, one character refers to Clay as “kicking the hornet’s nest,” a line which could either allude to George H.W. Bush or Donald Trump depending on your political preferences.