JASON STATHAM: He's Actually Made 10 Good Films!
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
Okay, let’s be honest here: Jason Statham is one of those actors you either love, hate, or feel totally indifferent toward—and for most of my movie-watching life, I’ve landed squarely in the “meh” category.
Don’t get me wrong: the guy’s carved out a wildly successful career as a British action star. He’s been punching, kicking, shooting, and grimacing his way through Hollywood for over 25 years now. He knows what he does. He knows what his fans want. And he gives it to them every time.
No frills, no surprises, just hard-boiled, monosyllabic badassery with a shaved head and a mean right hook.
But man... most of his movies? Not great.
Let’s take a quick stroll through Statham’s resume, shall we? He got his start working with Guy Ritchie—who, in my opinion, is one of the worst and most overrated directors working today. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch? No thanks.
Those movies just feel like the cinematic equivalent of being cornered by a pub drunk who thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. And yet, Statham kept going back for more, teaming up with Ritchie for Revolver, Wrath of Man, and Operation Fortune—all of them forgettable at best, obnoxious at worst.
Then there are the Fast & Furious movies. Six of them. Six! And you know what? The series noticeably dipped in quality the moment he showed up. Coincidence? Maybe. But the timing is suspicious.
And let’s not forget The Expendables trilogy (yikes), a handful of generic one-word action titles (Chaos, Safe, War, Blitz), and godawful remakes of ‘70s classics like Death Race, The Mechanic, and Killer Elite.
He even somehow starred in one of the worst video game movies of all time—In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale—and gave voice to a gnome in the equally terrible Gnomeo & Juliet. The hits keep not coming.
Now, I will give him this: Statham is consistent. You know what you’re getting when you watch one of his movies. He’s a tough guy. He beats the crap out of people. He might deliver a smart-ass line or two. Then he beats the crap out of more people. That’s it. That’s the performance. Every single time.
And there is absolutely an audience for that—especially overseas. He’s a box office draw for a reason. But as an actor? One note. One tempo. One expression.
And yet… despite all of that, I am here to tell you something shocking: Jason Statham has actually made 10 good movies. I know! I couldn’t believe it either. But I combed through his filmography, held my nose through the rough ones, and found ten films where—either because of a great director, a smarter-than-usual script, or a rock-solid ensemble cast—he actually shines.
Some of these are movies where he’s the star and rises to the occasion. Others are ones where he plays a strong supporting role and manages not to ruin things. But they’re all good. Legitimately good.
So, in honor of his latest one-man-wrecking-crew outing A Working Man—which is a meditative exploration of the human soul (I kid, it's just him shooting people for 110 minutes)—I thought it’d be fun to celebrate the positive for once. Let’s look at the glass as half full.
Let’s give the guy some credit. Here it is:
Jason Statham: 10 Movies That Are Actually Good (In order of my preference):
John Carpenter's criminally underrated sci-fi/horror/western mashup is a misunderstood gem. With a cast led by Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Pam Grier, Joanna Cassidy, and yes, Jason Statham, it’s essentially a Martian remake of Assault on Precinct 13 with a dose of Howard Hawks thrown in for good measure. The story of possessed miners on Mars is laced with allegory about colonization and land theft, and Statham, as part of the ensemble, gives one of his most enjoyable and least self-serious performances. Tough guy with a sense of humor? Who knew!
If Jason Statham ever had a vehicle that matched his insane energy and action-star persona perfectly, it’s Crank. A totally bonkers action flick about a hitman who has to keep his adrenaline sky-high to stay alive, Crank is 90 minutes of pure chaos. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, it’s fast, funny, violent, and absolutely unhinged. Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam, and a barrage of outrageous sequences make this one of the wildest action films of the 2000s. And Statham is absolutely perfect in the role. It’s his best starring performance.
This was supposed to be a showcase for Melissa McCarthy, but Jason Statham walks away with the whole movie. As a ludicrously over-the-top, ultra-serious spy who is constantly outdone by McCarthy's unorthodox agent, Statham leans hard into self-parody and delivers one of the best comedic performances of the last decade. Paul Feig’s sharp direction and script give him the opportunity to show off comedic chops we rarely get to see. He’s hilarious. More of this, please.
A dumb, loud, ridiculous shark movie... and I had a blast with it. Statham knows exactly what kind of film he’s in, and he plays it just right. There’s a self-awareness to his performance here that adds to the fun. Giant sharks, ridiculous science, and explosions abound. It’s pure popcorn silliness, and Statham anchors it with just the right amount of smirk.
This is probably Statham’s best dramatic performance. Based on a Sylvester Stallone script (originally written for Stallone himself), Homefront gives Statham a real character to play. As a DEA agent trying to live a quiet life with his daughter, he’s surprisingly subtle and sympathetic. And when the violence kicks in, he delivers. Add a terrific villain turn from James Franco and strong support from Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth, and you've got a surprisingly solid action-drama.
Taylor Hackford directs this solid adaptation of a Donald E. Westlake novel, and Statham does a good job playing the title thief out for revenge. The film never quite reaches the level of a classic heist movie, but it has its charms. Jennifer Lopez brings some unexpected humor, and Statham plays it cool and controlled. It didn’t find an audience in theaters, but it blew up on streaming and found its fans there.
A remake of the Burt Reynolds flick Heat (not to be confused with the Michael Mann movie), Wild Card is a stylish Vegas-set action movie with a little more under the surface. Statham plays a gambling addict/bodyguard with a moral compass, and while it bombed at the box office, there’s something compelling about his performance. It’s not great, but there’s more depth here than you usually get in a Jason Statham movie. And hey, it’s better than the original.
A tight, clever thriller from director David R. Ellis, Cellular features a fun cast (Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, William H. Macy) and a simple but suspenseful premise. Statham is the villain here, and while he doesn’t stretch too far beyond the usual scowling-and-shooting role, he’s part of a solid ensemble in a slickly directed, fast-paced actioner based on a story by the legendary Larry Cohen. This one's just a good time.
A remake of a classic that actually works. No, it’s not as iconic as the 1969 original, but it’s a fun heist movie with a strong cast (Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Mos Def, Seth Green). Statham plays one of the crew and holds his own with the big names. The Mini Cooper car chases are thrilling, and the movie is a slick, entertaining ride from beginning to end.
Is this a good movie? No. Is it fun? Yes. High Voltage takes everything from Crank and turns it up to 11. It's insane, nonsensical, loud, and borderline exhausting. But you can tell Statham is having a blast, and if you enjoyed the first Crank, you owe it to yourself to see this one. Just don’t expect coherence or subtlety—your brain might melt.
So there you have it. Ten Jason Statham movies that are actually good. Some are great action flicks, a couple are shockingly funny, and a few show there might be more to the guy than just kicking and punching.
Will he ever win an Oscar? Probably not. But in the right hands, with the right script, even Jason Statham can surprise you. Sometimes the hard guy does good.
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