Known for his determined, fierce characters and astounding collaborations with filmmaker Guy Ritchie, the talented, undeniably charismatic actor, and skillful martial artist Jason Statham has established himself as one of the best action heroes in cinema, bringing to life a handful of iconic cinematic personalities that often fall into the tough and intimidating types, as seen in several blockbuster action franchises like Fast and Furious and Crank.
Through the years, Statham has starred in a couple of memorable Hollywood movies, with his latest being The Beekeeper. Although audiences probably have an idea of which are the best in his incredible body of work, they may find themselves wondering which of his films are still great watches the second time around. From Death Race to The Italian Job, we look back at the most rewatchable Jason Statham movies.
10 ‘Death Race’ (2008)
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Paul W. S. Anderson‘s compelling science fiction Death Race is a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000, which is in turn adapted from Ib Melchior’s short story The Racer. The story follows ex-convict Jansen Ames, played by none other than Statham, as he is forced to compete in a post-industrial world’s most popular sport, which consists of a car race in which criminals must brutalize and kill one another on the destructive road to victory.
Death Race is not at the top of its game, but it is nonetheless an entertaining movie that the average moviegoer may easily find themselves enjoying. Thanks to the great central performance, quick pacing involving fast cars, and gripping, at times even explosive narrative, W. S. Anderson’s action-packed movie is also one of the most memorable and rewatchable in Statham’s career, even if it falls short of expectations.
Death Race
- Release Date
- August 22, 2008
- Runtime
- 89
9 ‘The Beekeeper’ (2024)
Director: David Ayer
Statham’s latest effort may not be his best, but it is still a solid popcorn movie that action thriller enthusiasts may want to check out. The Beekeeper centers around former “Beekeeper” Adam Clay, who sets out on a mission after his kind landlady dies by suicide after falling victim to a phishing scam that stole all her charity’s funds. What these scammers don’t know is that Clay is an agent in a classified program and a overall a huge threat.
It’s not for no reason that this revenge 2024 revenge film ended up grossing over $152,720,535. While far from a masterpiece in the genre (its cliché one-liners are to blame), The Beekeeper is still one of the most exciting action movies to come out this year so far. While not a groundbreaking feature by any means (its screenplay is fairly similar to other films in which the action star partakes), this Jason Statham film is highly rewatchable for its action sequences.
8 ‘The Transporter’ (2002)
Directors: Corey Yuen, Louis Leterrier
Louis Leterrier and Corey Yeun‘s The Transporter follows an ex-special Forces operator named Frank Martin who lives a quiet life in the stunning French Mediterranean and “transports” packages for unknown clients from one place to another. Things get complicated when he is tasked with kidnapping the daughter of a lethal crime lord from China who is smuggling his compatriots into France.
The first installment of The Transporter franchise is a Jason Statham project that many audience members find themselves reaching towards for a second timearound, and it’s not difficult to understand why. From the action scenes to the entertaining premise, The Transporter is a solid action film made in the same vein as martial arts movies from the 2000s, that fully cemented Statham as an action star.
7 ‘Crank’ (2006)
Directors: Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine
While both Crank and Crank: High Voltage are highly rewatchable Jason Statham films due to their long and memorable action sequences, the first is arguably the more poignant one in the duology. Crank introduces audiences to professional assassin Chev Chelios as he learns that his rival has injected him with a deadly poison that will be the death of him if his heart rate drops.
Crank‘s premise is simplistic and creative, easily persuading audiences to sit through this thrilling, hilarious, and grim film which is anchored by Statham’s solid performance. It might not be the best picture in its genre, but it holds up quite well and endures an amusing, over-the-top effort that offers audiences one of the star’s most notable on-screen characters. Due to the similarities with Michael Bay’s work, fans of the filmmaker may want to check out this “Bayhem-like” film.
Crank
- Release Date
- August 31, 2006
- Runtime
- 83
6 ‘Wrath of Man’ (2021)
Director: Guy Ritchie
In Statham’s second latest Guy Ritchie collaboration (only before Operation Fortune), the action star plays the cold and mysterious — a shocker when it comes to the characters Statham portrays — security guard for a Los Angeles truck company who surprises his co-workers with his skills during a heist. Naturally, his colleagues are left wondering who he is and where he came from. H’s true motives are slowly revealed as the film progresses.
Wrath of Man is not Guy Ritchie’s best project to date. However, it succeeds in providing audiences with what they expected: another eventful, gritty, and highly rewatchable action feature with Statham in the lead. Anyone who is enthusiastic about Ritchie’s collabs with the iconic action star is very likely to enjoy this popcorn flick that proves Statham is still at the top of his game.
5 ‘Furious 7’ (2015)
Director: James Wan
The emotional but action-packed Furious 7 is quite possibly the best film in the franchise in which Statham appears. The plot sees Deckard Shaw (Statham) attempting to seek revenge against Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family for his brother (Luke Evans). No doubt, the sequel to Fast & Furious 6 is a turning point for the beloved saga, as it was deeply affected by Paul Walker‘s passing during the time of its production.
Statham shines as Furious 7′s antagonist, delivering a solid performance that audiences love revisiting. Even if one is not a die-hard Fast and Furious fan, it is hard to remain indifferent to James Wan‘s movie for various reasons. Be it its over-the-top action scenes or the drama that the story encompasses which ultimately elevates it to higher ground, Furious 7 is a must for anyone into action and cars.
Furious 7
- Release Date
- April 3, 2015
- Runtime
- 137 minutes
4 ‘The Italian Job’ (2003)
Director: F. Gary Gray
The heist action movie The Italian Job features a talented ensemble cast including MarkWahlberg, CharlizeTheron, EdwardNorton, and Statham among other well-known faces, and is inspired by the 1969 British movie, though technically an original story. F. Gary Gray‘s feature follows a crew of thieves who plan to steal gold from a former associate who double-crossed them.
Anyone who is into absorbing heist films will very likely enjoy the gripping premise and mindless fun that The Italian Job provides. After more than 20 years, it holds up today by offering audiences a truly entertaining narrative, which includes some memorable chase scenes that make up for its clichéd moments. Statham is as good as ever as Handsome Rob and certainly contributes to the film’s high rewatch value.
The Italian Job (1969)
- Release Date
- September 3, 1969
- Cast
- Michael Caine , Noel Coward , Benny Hill , Raf Vallone , Tony Beckley , Rossano Brazzi , Margaret Blye , Irene Handl
- Runtime
- 99 Minutes
3 ‘Spy’ (2015)
Director: Paul Feig
As the title suggests, Paul Feig‘s humorous movie is a spy action comedy. Starring Melissa McCarthy in the lead role, it follows a 40-year-old desk-bound CIA analyst who volunteers to go undercover by infiltrating the world of a deadly arms dealer to prevent a global disaster. Statham steps into the picture as the self-confident CIA agent Rick Ford, who thinks he’s one of the best in the field.
Statham’s comedic performance in Spy is nothing short of hilarious and arguably the best part of the film, so it’s not difficult to grasp why viewers may find themselves replaying the movie time and time again. Although Feig’s movie is not an innovative picture, it is a diverting and gender-swapped, clever parody of the beloved James Bond movies, with striking cinematography to match.
Spy
- Release Date
- June 15, 2015
- Runtime
- 120 Minutes
2 ‘Snatch’ (2000)
Director: Guy Ritchie
The next Guy Ritchie film on the list is Snatch, a captivating crime comedy with an ensemble cast including Statham, BradPitt, and Benicio del Toro. The plot centers around a group of men, ranging from boxing promoters, a Russian gangster, amateur robbers, Jewish jewelers, and violent bookmakers who attempt to track down a stolen diamond.
Stylish and fun are words to describe Ritchie’s gangster flick, which certainly ranks high among Statham’s best and most rewatchable. The filmmaker’s vision and the immaculate, highly entertaining story are part of what makes the incredible Snatch so appealing. All this added to the incredible action, great humor, and smart dialogue simply heightens the must-see Snatch to higher dimensions. Statham is nothing short of fantastic in his role as Turkish, the narrator of the film.
Snatch
- Release Date
- September 1, 2000
- Runtime
- 103
1 ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ (1998)
Director: Guy Ritchie
The best Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham collab has to be their first: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, yet another epic action crime comedy that will have audiences on the edge of their seats. The story follows Nick Moran‘s Eddy who persuades three of his pals to pool money for a poker game against a local mobster. After losing, he gives him a week to pay back what he owes.
Statham’s bloody, fast-paced feature film debut remains one of the best works of his career so far and Ritchie’s awesome but unusual screenplay earned the filmmaker widespread attention, launching his career even further. In addition to being a commercial success, earning $28 million at the box office against a $1.35 million budget, the undeniably fun and suspenseful Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was also really well received critically.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
- Release Date
- August 28, 1998
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
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