Jason Statham, Cooler Than Thou
Over at Vulture, Mark Graham writes:
In the ten years since Jason Statham first broke out of the world of modeling and into film as an East End gangster in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, he’s established himself as one of the world’s most unrepentantly awesome B-movie action heroes.
I agree! In fact, I’ve been so intrigued by his stardom that I recently spent some time watching nearly all of Statham’s films for a piece looking at the actor’s appeal and how it’s evolved from previous B-movie action icons. Needless to say, I’m pretty stoked to see Crank: High Voltage.
Peter…I agree but I think he has been under/mis-used. Luc Besson’s idea of an action movie is a tad too empty-headed for me – Statham is the realest thing by a long shot in those Transporter movies, and I find the offset (between actor and movie) kind of frustrating. (I like my action movies to observe at least some of the laws of physics.) Crank, on the other hand, cranked, and The Bank Job showed how Statham can be well cast in slightly quieter surroundings. He and Clive Owen are like two sides of the same (good) idea.
— Matt Feeney · Apr 17, 01:20 AM · #