There are some actor-director collaborations that just work: Jason Statham and David Ayer prove that in spades (and fists) in A Working Man, their second collaboration following last year's The Beekeeper. There's something oddly satisfying watching Statham kick ass in a violence-heavy, action-packed film that also delivers high on the entertainment meter.
A Working Man follows former black ops operative Levon (Statham), who leaves his old life behind to work in tranquility as a construction worker, prioritizing his family life and young daughter. But when Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas), the teenage daughter of his boss (Michael Peña) is abducted, Levon goes back to get his hands dirty and bring her home alive.
A Working Man knows its audience, serving stellar stunt choreography that's actually creative and keeps viewers fully invested in the action — the proof was the roaring theatre with oohs and aahs after every bad guy kill. There are action movies, and then there are Jason Statham movies, with the key factor being that he never delivers a dull moment.
Statham keeps to his signature straight-face, no-bullshit mode that audiences have come to expect. He wields his persona like a well-worn tool, delivering on his particular brand of justice. The script is well-crafted, except for some overly cheesy lines like, "You're not a cop, you're a working man," but it did get the crowd roaring with applause. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote the script with Ayer, adapting it from Chuck Dixon's 2014 novel Levon's Trade, the first of 12 testosterone-drenched books. I have a feeling this might just be the beginning of a franchise; at least expect a sequel.
Particular highlights include the production design, the cinematography and the choreography. The film is packed with several stand-out visual set pieces — a swimming pool interrogation in a luxe house and a fight scene at a biker bar are still etched in my brain.
Even the women, who are often relegated to eye candy in testosterone-heavy action flicks like these, are given a bit more dimension, particularly Rivas, who plays the damsel in distress but doesn't surrender to the role. Instead, she's given her own heavy-duty action as a heroic teenager.
Michael Peña, however, doesn't get much scene time and is under-used throughout, similar to the hilarious David Harbour, who always offers a welcoming presence and while more screen time was teased, nothing came of it.
To keep the entertainment factor high, Ayer and Stallone create fun villains, with stellar costumes to match. Although they're caricatures, it only adds to the comedic undertones of the film.
We won't be seeing A Working Man come awards season, but it delivers on the thrills and stands as a credible guilty pleasure. Ayer brings his signature gritty, neon-lit back alley aesthetics to the film, with Statham's one-man crew packing the punches for a satisfying ride.