By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
If you liked
Jason Statham in last year's thriller "The Beekeeper," you'll love him in his latest movie
"A Working Man," directed by
David Ayer ("The Beekeeper") and co-written by Ayer and
Sylvester Stallone (TV's "Tulsa King").
While "A Working Man," which is based on
Chuck Dixon's 2014 novel, "Levon's Trade," follows a familiar, formulaic path, it still delivers a thrilling, high-energy experience that channels the essence of those classic 1980s action films.
It seems every time Statham's character attempts to lay low and mind his own business, he's inevitably pulled back into some sort of deadly chaos, and it never ends well for the bad guys involved.
This time is no different in "A Working Man." Statham plays Levon Cade, a former Royal Marines commando who is genuinely trying to lead a peaceful life as a blue-collar construction worker in Chicago and a devoted single father to his young daughter, Merry (Isla Gie, TV's "Mammals").
Everyone on the job site admires Levon. His co-workers bring him food, share their personal stories, and even his boss, Joe Garcia (the always excellent Michael Pena, "Unstoppable"), treats him like family. With so much love surrounding him, it's no surprise when Joe's vibrant and lovely teen daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas, "Prom Dates") is kidnapped by human traffickers, that Levon, ever the protector, promises Joe and his wife Carla Noemi Gonzalez (TV's "Undercover Holiday") that he will track down the scum responsible and bring Jenny home. And we all know Levon will deliver because he has a very special set of skills too. What is exciting is watching him set the wheels in motion to make it happen.
This means Levon must rely on his former military friend, Gunny Lefferty (David Harbour, TV's "Creature Commandos"), who is blind and lives in seclusion in a remote, wooded area and has an arsenal of weapons you wouldn't believe.
From there, Levon is off to get his hands dirty and bloody as he pursues prominent Russian mobsters like Wolo Kolisnyk (Jason Flemyng, TV's "Prime Target") and other unsavory types that are connected to this wide circle of crime such as Dimi Kolisnyk (Maximilian Osinski, TV's "Ted Lasso"), Dougie (Cokey Falkow, "The Expendables 4") and a big biker dude named Dutch (Chidi Ajufo, "The Book of Clarence"), among others.
"A Working Man" earns its R rating with relentless action, intense gun violence, and brutally graphic fight scenes that come at you fast and furiously. But then again, would you expect anything less from a Jason Statham film? Levon takes his fair share of hits in this one, but trust me, you should see the other guys.
If you’re in the mood for a no-holds-barred action flick with a gritty, emotional core, "A Working Man" has you covered.
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
"A WORKING MAN"
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.
