Film Review: ‘A Working Man’ is Another Meat and Potatoes Action Flick from David Ayer and Jason Statham

Watching an action hero kick ass in a no frills flick is a pleasing experience. In fact, action films can take advantage of that and allow an audience member to forgive a lot. As long as your hero beats or kills all the bad guys sufficiently, you walk out of the theater with a smile on your face. Director David Ayer and star Jason Statham worked the formula really well last year with The Beekeeper, so much so that a sequel is coming next year. This year, however, they’re back in a, at least on the surface, more grounded movie in A Working Man. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s still ridiculous, just on a slightly smaller scale.

A Working Man is lizard brain cinema for me. It requires no thought, actually works best without any, and just entertains on an absolute base level. The more you spend time thinking about the logic and methodology utilized in the picture, the more issues you might have. On the other hand, if you just delight in seeing Statham enact some vigilante justice, the better a time you’ll end up having with this one.

Once upon a time, Levon Cade (Statham) was a lethal soldier working in counter-terrorism on a joint force between England and the United States. Now, he’s retired from that life and works construction, opting for simplicity, especially after the loss of his wife. Levon shares custody of his young daughter with his disapproving father in law, engaging in legal battles to not lose her, all while trying to be the best dad he can be. His more consistent family these days? His boss Joe Garcia (Michael Peña), his wife Carla Garcia (Noemi Gonzalez), and their daughter Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas). Jenny especially thinks the world of him, so when she’s abducted while out at a bar with friends, Levon can’t resist Joe and Carla’s pleas to use his past to find her.

After a visit to his former comrade Gunny Lefferty (David Harbour) for approval and a pep talk, he’s off to the races. As he kills his way through goons, revealing a human trafficking ring within the Russian mob, we see Jenny giving her captors a hard time. It becomes clear that it won’t be long before Levon has an entire army after him, though the more we see him in action, the more we know that won’t be enough to stop him from finding Jenny and bringing her home.

Jason Statham is hardly stretching here, operating well within his comfort zone. This is not the kind of movie where the acting shines, though Statham is rock solid and reliable. The best performance comes from David Harbour in his small role, while Michael Peña is reliable, if under used. Noemi Gonzalez and Arianna Rivas are find, though only the latter gets anything of note to do. Supporting players here include Jason Flemyng, Isla Gie, Merab Ninidze, Maximilian Osinski, and more, with most of the villains just going absolutely over the top.

Director David Ayer and Sylvester Stallone co-write here, adapting the novel Levon’s Trade by Chuck Hogan. Once upon a time, Stallone 100% would have starred in this, so the vibe of old school Sly is here, without question. Ayer more or less follows his recent action aesthetic, while continuing to let Jason Statham do his thing. The script is a means to an end, so as long as you’re willing to forgive that, there’s fun to be had, even if it gets bloated in the middle. This is a nearly two hour film begging to be about fifteen minutes shorter.

A Working Man is not quite as much fun as The Beekeeper, but Ayer and Statham have got a good thing going. It’s an old school action flick, which is sure to please audiences who go in for that kind of cinema. High art? Not even close. Entertaining? I sure think so. If there’s a sequel on the horizon for this potential franchise, sign me up.

SCORE: ★★★