Parker (C+ or 2/4 stars)
'Parker' (an action flick directed by Taylor Hackford, An Officer & a Gentleman, Dolores Claiborne, Ray) opens well, detailing the intense 5-man heist of $1 million from Ohio's State Fair. Parker (Jason Statham) is the leader of this pack. His team includes muscle guys Melander, Carlson, Ross, & Hartman (Michael Chiklis, Wendell Pierce, Clifton Collins Jr., Michah Hauptman). The job is successful but, during the excitable car ride away from the heist, the 4 other thugs turn on Parker. After being shot & jumping from the fast-moving car, he's left for dead in a swamp ditch. But ... Parker does not die {duh}.
With help from his old mentor (good 'ole Nick Nolte) & his devoted girlfriend, Claire (Emma Booth), he starts planning his revenge with a trip to West Palm Beach, where the rest of the gang is plotting their next big score (at a jewelry convention). While there, Parker meets & hooks up with Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a desperate & ambitious realtor who takes a liking to Parker (though, the feelings may not be mutual) & wants a cut of whatever Parker may be getting. After all, revenge is #1 priority for Parker but, of course, a little $$ from the score wouldn't hurt, either. Bloody action ensues.
'Parker' basically delivers what you expect from a Jason Statham action thriller. In story/execution, it falls into a similar category as his prior cinematic endeavors. In other words, I don't see him drawing many new fans with this flick, he'll just satisfy his current ones. There's nothing unique or surprising about Parker's storyline: a linear revenge/heist film that hits all the usual beats that you'd expect; and features quite a few violent confrontations en route to a standard climax & resolution.
Jason Statham gets by due to the je nais se quoi aura that he holds, even if his Parker doesn't have a particularly engaging personality. Jennifer Lopez has her strengths as a performer/actress. But the character of Leslie has almost zero reason to be in the film beyond providing a tiny bit of sex appeal (a gratuitous bikini underwear shot), some comedic relief, & a potential draw for viewers who aren't Statham fanatics. We're given the barebones of her character traits, but the character itself isn't well developed. Furthermore, her potential romance with Statham is cut short because Parker loves Claire. And so, the film would have benefited from either taking Lopez out completely, or making her more pivotal to the story. As is, she just kind of ... exists ... in the story; making it uneven.
There are tonal inconsistencies throughout the film & it struggles to maintain momentum. Like any flawed movie, 'Parker' includes superfluous narrative exposition - some of which is necessary & some of which really needed to be reduced. Too much talking in an action movie is not a good thing; especially when the action scenes in 'Parker' are as crisp, blunt, brutal, bloody & engaging as they are. We get to see Parker be a bloody mess; not once, but twice. You don't often see that in the film's "hero". I mean, he may be a smart & skilled fighter, but he's not a superhero. I like that.
You know, Parker - as a character - is not the most likeable of fellows. He IS a bad guy, so to speak. But the Statham persona + the film's telling us that "we should be rooting for him" make us accept his behaviors. So, I did not hate this film. I loved the Palm Beach locales. Since I have family there, it was fun pointing out all the familiar places. And my brother Adam took a prop from a bathroom scene that was filmed at his high school {love that}. I find it humorous that Patti LuPone was in this, and playing Lopez' Latina mama, no less. The performances are fine. The movie wraps up well enough. There's just nothing to go gaga for.
With help from his old mentor (good 'ole Nick Nolte) & his devoted girlfriend, Claire (Emma Booth), he starts planning his revenge with a trip to West Palm Beach, where the rest of the gang is plotting their next big score (at a jewelry convention). While there, Parker meets & hooks up with Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a desperate & ambitious realtor who takes a liking to Parker (though, the feelings may not be mutual) & wants a cut of whatever Parker may be getting. After all, revenge is #1 priority for Parker but, of course, a little $$ from the score wouldn't hurt, either. Bloody action ensues.
'Parker' basically delivers what you expect from a Jason Statham action thriller. In story/execution, it falls into a similar category as his prior cinematic endeavors. In other words, I don't see him drawing many new fans with this flick, he'll just satisfy his current ones. There's nothing unique or surprising about Parker's storyline: a linear revenge/heist film that hits all the usual beats that you'd expect; and features quite a few violent confrontations en route to a standard climax & resolution.
Jason Statham gets by due to the je nais se quoi aura that he holds, even if his Parker doesn't have a particularly engaging personality. Jennifer Lopez has her strengths as a performer/actress. But the character of Leslie has almost zero reason to be in the film beyond providing a tiny bit of sex appeal (a gratuitous bikini underwear shot), some comedic relief, & a potential draw for viewers who aren't Statham fanatics. We're given the barebones of her character traits, but the character itself isn't well developed. Furthermore, her potential romance with Statham is cut short because Parker loves Claire. And so, the film would have benefited from either taking Lopez out completely, or making her more pivotal to the story. As is, she just kind of ... exists ... in the story; making it uneven.
There are tonal inconsistencies throughout the film & it struggles to maintain momentum. Like any flawed movie, 'Parker' includes superfluous narrative exposition - some of which is necessary & some of which really needed to be reduced. Too much talking in an action movie is not a good thing; especially when the action scenes in 'Parker' are as crisp, blunt, brutal, bloody & engaging as they are. We get to see Parker be a bloody mess; not once, but twice. You don't often see that in the film's "hero". I mean, he may be a smart & skilled fighter, but he's not a superhero. I like that.
You know, Parker - as a character - is not the most likeable of fellows. He IS a bad guy, so to speak. But the Statham persona + the film's telling us that "we should be rooting for him" make us accept his behaviors. So, I did not hate this film. I loved the Palm Beach locales. Since I have family there, it was fun pointing out all the familiar places. And my brother Adam took a prop from a bathroom scene that was filmed at his high school {love that}. I find it humorous that Patti LuPone was in this, and playing Lopez' Latina mama, no less. The performances are fine. The movie wraps up well enough. There's just nothing to go gaga for.