If you’re not in the market for what David Ayer is forcefully selling in batty January thriller The Beekeeper at the point when someone says to the titular character, “To bee or not to bee, that is the bloody question,” then you might as well just give up and walk out. By this stage, late in the film, Ayer and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer have given us just about enough bee puns, bone cracks and bizarre cameos from British actors to give those in the right headspace (read: drunk) a solid, low-stakes, medium-reward new year’s effort. I can’t imagine a devoted Beekeeper hive emerging any time soon (it’s far too derivative and far too rough around the edges), but there’s enough energy and well-pitched silliness to have audiences, ahem, swarming to cinemas this weekend.
The film is set up as a Jason Statham version of John Wick, even though the actor is already part of multiple franchises. This can be distracting, but compared to other desperate copycats, it stands out as a more convincing option. Statham is well-suited for this role and knows how to handle the material. The opening scene may give the impression that the film will be more serious than others, as Statham’s character is a beekeeper working on land owned by a retired teacher, played by Phylicia Rashad. However, she falls victim to a scam and ultimately takes her own life. This motivates Statham’s character to take on the corrupt system responsible for her downfall.
The motivator is quite effective, but Ayer rushes through it quickly, giving off a sense of boredom while filming the scene. It’s a shame because more focus on Rashad and her relationship with Statham would have been beneficial. The introduction of her FBI agent daughter (played by Emmy Raver-Lampman, who is not very convincing) leads to some hilariously bad dialogue delivered with a serious tone (“Stealing from an elderly person is just as bad, if not worse, than stealing from a child!”). There are also several confusing lines involving bees (“When someone harms an older person, they are often left to face the hornets alone!”). In screenwriter Kurt Wimmer’s story, a beekeeper is not only a beekeeper but also a trained assassin, part of a hive that protects the queen bee. This means that the FBI agents on his trail must do their research on beekeeping to solve the case.
Similar to many other movies, it follows a structure resembling that of a video game, leading up to the ultimate boss fight. Despite being set in the US, it was actually filmed in the UK, and the road stops feature Minnie Driver, Jeremy Irons, and Jemma Redgrave, who are all underused and don’t seem to be enjoying themselves as much as Josh Hutcherson’s obnoxious character. In a bizarre and ambitious twist, the protagonist discovers that the honey he is seeking leads all the way to the White House. The director, Wimmer, attempts to make a vague commentary on the blurred line between political and corporate corruption. However, he doesn’t seem to take this too seriously, as shown by the action-packed finale and open-ended conclusion.
Statham continues to impress with his skills (one can’t help but wonder if he’s had enough training to become a dangerously skilled assassin in real life). However, it’s all more of the same. His recent non-franchise films have shown his potential for greatness when given a bit more levity (Operation Fortune) or a darker tone (Wrath of Man). It would be satisfying to see him take on something slightly out of the ordinary next. He and Ayer make a good team, as Ayer’s strengths lie in smaller, grittier projects where he has more creative freedom (his Suicide Squad, while visually stunning, could have been a disaster). There’s something alluring about his gritty, late-night style and The Beekeeper largely succeeds because of it. Be ready for a potential sequel.
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The movie “The Beekeeper” will be released in cinemas in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States on January 12th.
Source: theguardian.com
