Review: ‘The Beekeeper’ is mindless action at its finest

There is plenty to critique about the Hollywood machine producing endless cycles of sequels and remakes, failing to finance movies that appeal to audience’s intelligence or refusing to take a chance on a unique idea because there’s no data to prove it will perform well. Yet, sometimes, you also have to give them credit for recognizing the value of mindless entertainment. There’s no shame in going to the theatre to escape the everyday grind and watch a film that requires no work on the part of the viewer. This year’s newest action picture, The Beekeeper, just wants you to sit back and enjoy the over-the-top retribution.

Adam Clay (Jason Statham) is a beekeeper, renting land on an older woman’s (Phylicia Rashad) property to tend to his hives and harvest their honey. When she falls prey to an internet scam, resulting in financial ruin, Clay takes her pain personally. He immediately begins to follow the money, tracking the transaction to one of many shady call centres before finally uncovering the identity of the villain pulling the strings. This is all possible because Clay is a retired operative for a covert government agency and he’s not about to let anyone stand in his way of avenging a kind, old lady — not even her daughter (Emmy Raver-Lampman), who also happens to be an FBI agent assigned to stop his killing spree.

This feels like an ‘80s action movie, complete with high-intensity action sequences in which the hero is substantially outnumbered and outgunned, and corny dialogue that elicits laughter because it’s so predictable. That said, one of the more entertaining elements of the early part of the film is waiting for one of the characters to actually say the movie’s title as they dance around it multiple times — but once they say it, they never stop, which is its own reward along with the many bee puns. Also, audiences can expect to learn a lot of interesting facts about bees and their social behaviour as all of Clay’s actions answer the question, “What would a bee do?”, turning a guide to beekeeping into an assassin’s playbook.

Statham knows exactly what he’s doing in this movie, delivering every sparing line with grit and quiet determination. His motivation and mission are clear, as is his resolve and ability to complete the task. However, he doesn’t treat all obstacles alike, only injuring law enforcement while slaughtering hired muscle and mercenaries. Statham hasn’t lost his touch and it’s a pleasure to watch him impossibly dispatch so many trained professionals, often at once. After all, who isn’t cheering for the guy standing up for society’s most vulnerable. That said, Josh Hutcherson and Jeremy Irons are the perfect opponents at the top of the pyramid, one a spoiled, self-indulgent delinquent and the other a fixer at his wit’s end. And the relationship between Raver-Lampman and her partner, played by Bobby Naderi, brings some additional levity to the narrative.

Director: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman and Josh Hutcherson