There was good reason to look forward to “A Working Man,” as it reunites Jason Statham with director David Ayer immediately after the pair had made the action star’s best movie in years, 2024’s “The Beekeeper.” Statham is dependably entertaining and Ayer has made some genuinely good films, including the nightmarishly tense “End of Watch.” Perhaps one day the director’s cut of “Suicide Squad” will rescue that film’s reputation.
But while “Beekeeper” was unhinged fun, eliciting cheers at Statham’s character’s creative ways of dispatching baddies, “Working Man” has different aims. And is, alas, significantly less fun.
It’s based on the Levon Cade novel series by veteran Batman and Punisher comics writer Chuck Dixon (the book in question is actually titled “Levon’s Trade: A Vigilante Justice Thriller”). The adaptation, by Statham’s “Expendables” costar and scripter Sylvester Stallone (who also wrote Statham’s “Homefront”) and Ayer, feels awfully pro forma. It hits plenty of branches as it tumbles down the cliché tree – ex-military guy trying to live quietly; nice girl getting trafficked; Russian mafia as dysfunctional family business; torture; arming-up with old military buddy; etc. – while offering precious little to distinguish it from other specimens in the lab.
“Working Man” finds Statham’s Levon indeed working – as a foreman on a Chicago construction site, employed by a nice family headed by Michael Peña’s Joe. Joe’s daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas) sees Levon beat up some thugs and they bond, Levon promising to “have her back.” Which you know is trouble in an action movie. Sure enough, she’s kidnapped, and Joe begs Levon to dust off his very particular set of skills.
Pretty ordinary stuff, and there’s nothing surprising waiting around the corner. The film does get points for not making the intended trafficking victim a helpless screamer. Her character isn’t explored, but Rivas’ Jenny refreshingly stands up for herself. Peña, reuniting with Ayer after “End of Watch” and “Fury,” has to be one of the most welcome presences on screen today. He earns the emotion in his scenes, despite a limited role.
But all that is really bells and whistles; people come to this movie, popcorn bucket in hand, to see Statham kick ass. And who can blame them? It’s exciting watching him break someone’s arm or punch them into a concussion, largely because he’s a legit martial artist IRL. He looks like he can do actual damage in a fight. Which is good, because Levon is pretty humorless, so it’s just those trailer-worthy beat-downs keeping the movie afloat.
One wishes there were more of that ass-kicking. The action is pretty heavily back-loaded and unfortunately contains more gunplay than foot-to-face delightfulness. The pace feels too loose at times, as when Levon learns Jenny has vanished, then goes to dinner at a friend’s place out of the city, letting a whole day pass before telling the family he’s on the case. “Taken,” it ain’t. There are plenty of logical problems we aren’t meant to worry our pretty little heads over, but this isn’t about clever investigation (“Reacher,” it also ain’t). Levon’s methods pretty much can be summed up as “I’m looking for this girl. But before I get anything useful from you, I’ll just kill you.” The movie endorses waterboarding and features old buddies reminiscing about the times they had, killing people for the good fight.
The dialogue is as nail-on-head as you’d expect, with perhaps the most memorable line being, “You killed your way into this; you’re going to have to kill your way out of it.” Though my favorite line has to be when the procurer of victims says to his customer as Levon marches toward them like an event horizon, “It’s going to be okay, yeah, you just, yeah.” I’m not sure why they kept that in, but it made me laugh out loud.
The pleasant surprises in the film are all below the line. Ben Greaves’ sound mixing is notable. Shawn White’s cinematography is of a higher grade than one usually sees in the genre, working with production designer Nigel Evans to generate some memorable images and textures.
The production’s star of stars, however, has to be costume designer Tiziana Corvisieri (“Cocaine Bear,” “Sing Street”). Ayer let her go off. All the villains are dressed fabulously, except the biggest bad, who resembles a restrained reference to Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer.” Levon’s douchey father-in-law looks like the DJ of Lewis Carroll’s EDM band. Russian mobsters seem like refugees from Jamiroquai. The skeezy human-trafficking customer ends up resembling Dr. Demento. I found myself looking forward to the next scumbag’s couture – and was not disappointed.
Now, that’s entertainment!
“A Working Man” is now playing in theaters.