The truth is universally recognized, that even the most basic diet diet should have some cinema -unwanted foods that are thrown there always and then. Don't get me wrong - it would be nice if every action blockbuster climbed to the same heights of "Mad Max: Fury Road" or if every popcorn can channel the relentless efficiency of Tony Scott. But we do not live in that ideal world and, honestly, it will probably be a little boring if we did. Don't make a mistake: at a time when we can't afford to be picky about what the audience brings to the theaters, there is Definitely An empty calorie entertainment room.
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In this wild imperfect steps of the "working man" ecosystem, the next collaboration between the Starvalist Jason Statam and director David Ayer, the couple who last brought us Funny joys of B-movie on "beekeeping". This time around, they teamed up for another witty, shooting thriller in the same faith. Here, the English action hero plays another blue-jaque, ex-military type, hiding his special set of skills while thinking about his own business and working unnoticeable work in the day day (now a construction worker than, you know, beekeeper) ... That is, as long as the bad guys do not mess. Of course, no one will confuse Statam for chameleon, but there is Something charming for Hollywood to pretend that one of the most recognizable performers in the world is actually the embodiment of every person. The pleasure of the crowd understands every narrative rhythm that should hit, in fact, that it becomes clear as soon as it starts things with funny excessive stylized open credit sequence, such as Rah-Rah Patriotic Picture: From impersonal soldiers bleeding in the fighting fields, to multiple-stroke, I have been striking. is very subtle, you see.
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However, despite all this stupid potential, a "working man" cannot be established as a cinema crown against unwanted food. Where the "beekeeper" benefited from a funny over-run premise and an increased tone to match, this last "Statam" vehicle struggles to strongly regain the same magic and eventually gives much less spectacular results than it hoped. Based on the novel by the author Jacques Dixon "Levon Trade", the adaptation takes the wake -up bones of the working class and filtered it through the lenses of the blunt tendencies of Ayer and Stetam. This leads to a conspiracy that is somehow clear and unnecessarily convoluted at once, an action that is unexpectedly more limited than it should be (until fireworks go out in the last act, at least), and the overall approach aimed at "Johnon Wick" ... but it can't even reach the "transporter".
A working man is a pale imitation of better movies we have seen before
If you have seen even a Jason Statam movie, you will only need an assumption of how the "working man" premise is going. First we come across an unpretentious building supervisor Levon Cade, as he gives exciting speech on workplace safety (of all things) while in place of building a place. Henpek's chief, OEO Garcia (an unbeaten insufficiently used Michael Peña), is busy maintaining this business alive, while his talented and entertaining Teen -besis teenage daughter Enen (Ariana Rivas) is trying to achieve several means of her father to go to her father. Levon, who we learn is a widow with PTSD, who fights against his father -in -law over his young daughter Mary (Isla GI), is carrying all this with a soft smile. But this is simply too innocent to last, and the brazen kidnapping of ENENEN that follows soon destroys the dynamics of the idyllic family. After rejecting the call for approximately a minute and a half, all Levon's needs is a heart -to -heart conversation with the old wheelchair. to go full jackack Ricer to human traffickers Enough unhappy to find on his way.
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At one level, the very existence of the "Johnon Wick" franchise makes it unjustly anything The action film with the accident to make his debut, but "Working Man" is not favored with his rather shameless attempt to follow in the rates of early walking. Some compulsory recalls and high-tech gadgets (strangely felt contrary to the film's own sensibilities of the film) leading our anti-hero to a constant beating crusade in the criminal underground embedded in Chicago. Is never clear how Levon actually follows ENEN's steps toward True The alley where he was taken or how he chooses, but this trace of clues leads him from one big bad thing in another. Even before the absurdly stereotypical Russian villains appear as a mysterious "brotherhood" that pulls the strings, the plot most like a series of nesting dolls, where one obvious head of the crowd brutally penetrated the relentless search of Levon for revenge ... And when the film finally develops any visual style to talk about, it only manifests itself as the same picturesque club sets that "Johnon Wick" pulls so much effort.
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However, the similar myth of Levon Cade Bugiman, which the script is trying to produce so much (from credited co-writers David Ayer and, yes, Sylvester Stallone), rarely corresponds to the ease with which we see that this alleged base suffocates its enemies. Everything comes only a a little Too easy for our protagonist, many cheerleaders feel only a a little Too much way, and the end result is a cheerful adventure with a final act that comes as little and too late.
Working man was supposed to be 25% stupidity and 50% lighter
This does not mean that there will be no enjoyment of having a "working man". Cinematographer John White carries mainly manual perspective behind the camera, maintaining the action sufficiently readable when the strokes and bullets are flying. Although we do not get enough of him, David Harbor's short support as a blinded military veterinarian is cut with Levon's home sub -sort of his daughter Mary in surprisingly touching ways. And looking, probably, some of the most incompetent and brightest pigeons to ever grace the silver screen for years-a member of Koki Folkov's biker gang, Daggi (who looks like Tim Blake Nelson), the Omet Pair. It can also be named "Russian Arrestic Summer")-provides many needed traits. As a whole, the film was probably supposed to be 25% stupidity and 50% more ridiculous than it actually is. However, there is no denial of the unmistakable sincerity in its core (and drop the mouse needle that earns) that earns) that earns Just Quite good will to get, as well as Gonzo's final act, which finally finds the right tone he was looking for all the time.
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But watching Asoneyson Stetam used the life of criminals from mustaches that occur with random tools available to him, can only take things so far, as it turns out. The use of Levon's picnic and traders and knives quickly becomes the only moments when a "working man" actually remembers his working -class roots. Stetam can conquer hearts and minds as the most convincing girl dad in the recent history of the cinema, ready to bother and brutalize their way through the ranks of a wicked organization that cover the globe. But anyone who hopes that even a marginally interesting thematic point under the hood will be disappointed. Compared to "what you see is what you get a" working drama of "working man", I actually found myself doing the coke "What if Hunter Biden and Hillary Clinton were secretly responsible for everything bad" beekeeper ".
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True to his source of material, which covers 10 total books (and novella, for good measure), "Working Man" includes a thrown moment late in its 116 -minute time set by the scene for any number of extensions to be followed. It is too early to say whether it feels like a threat or promise, as I still advocate for this annual partnership for Ayer/Statam to reach its full potential. There is a place for action films with no brain, like this in cinemas, and there will always be. But I hope, doesn't ask Also Much for the one who justifies the average time of Moviegoer and the hard -earned money. Lunch guy like Levon Cade can surely appreciate the irony of it.
/Movie rating: 5 out of 10
"Working Man" hits theaters on March 28, 2025.
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