By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
January sure is off to a rousing start. At least on the movie front. We have none other than
Jason Statham to thank for that.
Statham's latest movie,
"The Beekeeper" from director David Ayer (Upcoming remake "Dirty Dozen") and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer ("Expend4bles" and "The Misfits") is a cold-blooded revenge thriller that would make both
John Wick and
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson proud.
In "The Beekeeper" Statham plays Adam Clay, a mild-mannered guy who keeps a low profile and spends his time looking after his beehive at a farmhouse he rents from a nice woman named Eloise Parker (the always wonderful Phylicia Rashad, "Creed III"). Eloise gets caught up in a high-tech phishing scam run by a young shyster named Mickey Garnett (a terrific David Witts, TV's "Legacy").
His crew of online thieves, preys on well-heeled senior citizens. The problem is that Garnett and his entire outfit of cybercriminals--which also includes the despicable and conniving business leader--Derek Danforth (a fantastic Josh Hutcherson, "Five Nights at Freddy's") messed with the wrong woman.
When Adam discovers Eloise dead in her home and her savings and checking accounts have been wiped out, he and Eloise's FBI Agent daughter Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman, TV’s “The Umbrella Academy”) are devastated.
Adam is determined to take out everyone in the seedy organization. This isn't some amateur at work either. Adam is a man with a plan and someone whose skills far exceed beekeeping.
No one knows this better than former Intelligence Agency Chief Wallace Westwyld (an excellent Jeremy Irons, "The Flash" and "The Cello"). Wallace has an agreement with Derek's mother, President Danford (Jemma Redgrave, TV's "Doctor Who") to protect Derek at all costs. Honestly, Wallace can't stand the snotty nosed punk. He hates that Derek has pulled them into a situation they may not be able to escape from. That's because Adam
isn't just a beekeeper. He belongs to a clandestine, elite group of professional assassins known as The Beekeepers. They work outside the lines and they
always get the job done.
Wallace has reason to worry. Even with all the layers of protection he has at his disposal it's not enough to stop Adam and his special set of skills.
"The Beekeeper" isn't for the squeamish. Fingers and other body parts are chopped off. Even so, if you're into hard-core, violent, action-packed thrillers and are a Jason Statham fan--and really who isn't? --then "The Beekeeper" will leave you buzzing.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"THE BEEKEEPER"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
