by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
A PTSD stricken former British marine is forced back into action when the daughter of his boss is kidnapped in A Working Man.
Levon Cade (Jason Statham) is a former British Marine fighting for custody of his daughter with his father-in-law. Fortunately, his boss Joe Garcia (Michael Peña) sees the good in Cade and employs him as the foreman of his family’s construction business. During a night of youthful collegiate celebration, Joe’s daughter disappears. When there are no demands for ransom, Joe asks Levon to do what the police won’t: find his daughter and bring her home. Fearing complications from returning to the world he has tried to leave for the benefit of his daughter, Levon initially refuses. When he remembers his commitment to his daughter, he understands Joe’s pain and takes on the mission.
A Working Man is written by Sylvester Stallone and David Ayer based on the book “Levon’s Trade” written by Chuck Dixon. It stars Statham and Peña along with Merab Ninidze, Arianna Rivas, Maxmillian Osinski, and David Harbour. The film is directed by David Ayer (Fury, Suicide Squad). Director David Ayer last worked with Statham on last year’s action drama, The Beekeeper. He also worked with Michael Peña on End of Watch back in 2012. Sorry, but this film does not measure up to either of these films.
Stallone and Ayer’s treatment of Dixon’s book may be a little too faithful, but at the same time not faithful enough. Statham’s character embarks upon a journey that seems to be too meandering without any apparent explanation. At some point in the movie, it becomes clear to the protagonist that Joe’s daughter Jenny has been taken for human trafficking, but instead of going after the traffickers, he engages in an unnecessary detour into the drug trade. In this world of reality television, the audience knows that the first 48 hours are the most important, but Cade wastes so much time in his search and his participation in a drug deal that everyone expects Jenny to be gone for good.
Let’s face the facts. With the precedent set in The Beekeeper, the viewers expect Jason to just start his violent assault upon the Russians to get Jenny back. It’s what the audience wants. It’s not what they get. Sure, Jason kicks butt eventually. He starts out doing what is expected, then he gets detoured and comes back to violence in the third act.
The film could benefit from some smarter dialogue. There are times when Cade seems to be channeling Tulsa King with smart and snappy comebacks that make Cade seem the badass that he is. Then there are times when he sounds like Burger King, just a dope trying to do something important. The film would be greatly served with about twenty to twenty-five minutes of editing and refocusing to make the movie more coherent and smarter.
Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, and drug content, A Working Man does not work at all. Maybe the bar was set too high with previous work. Maybe lightning can’t strike twice. But if you want to see Statham in his best work with Ayer, watch The Beekeeper. It’s all you want and nothing you don’t.
A Working Man can be seen in theaters starting March 28, 2025.
Grade: D+
