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Jason Statham is the bonafide action star – there are no two ways about it. Statham brings a rough and tough, no BS personality that elevates kickass action sequences. So if you’re in for a thrilling ride, here are 10 Jason Statham movies that will get your heart racing in no time.
10. The Expendables
From the legends to the rookies, The Expendables is a movie featuring an ensemble of action stars, and guess what? Statham still shines on his own. Statham plays Lee Christmas, a deadly weapon with just a knife. Statham has great chemistry with Stallone in this film and it really epitomizes the action mettle of Statham.
9. Snatch
Whenever Jason Statham has teamed up with Guy Ritchie, we have gotten gold! Snatch wanders dangerously close to Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, but it ultimately stands on its own. As a small-time boxing manager, Statham gets embroiled in the murky world of crime but it’s his wittiness that takes us by surprise. Snatch is an over-the-top series of twisted events that are both funny and dark. You get the star power of Brad Pitt, a wildly entertaining Statham, and a British gangster film beyond excellence.
8. Furious 7
As if they were lacking in the firepower department, the Fast and Furious franchise decided to add Jason Statham into the mix after introducing Dwayne Johnson a couple of films earlier. Statham appeared at the end of the sixth film which set up a delicious battle in Furious 7. And it didn’t disappoint. We got to see flying cars and Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, and Vin Diesel, all angry and ready to kill. It was another ensemble that could easily overshadow Statham, but as a highly-skilled mercenary prepared to avenge his brother, Shaw was not someone to be messed with.
7. The Bank Job
While The Italian Job hogged all the limelight, Statham quietly strolled out in another hugely underrated heist movie, The Bank Job. It’s a stylish film that takes inspiration from the robbery at a Lloyds branch in 1971. Statham dons the suit of Terry Leather, a man on a mission to rob a high street London bank. He brings his team together but little does he know that the real goal behind stealing the bank is something else, that goes all the way up to the Royal family. It’s a highly tense, uber-smart film that has the signature humor of Statham.
6. Hobbs and Shaw
Who wouldn’t want to see The Rock and Jason Statham going for each other’s throats for 2 hours? Hobbs and Shaw delivers what it promises and then some. Right from their Furious 7 days, Hobbs and Shaw weren’t vibing with each other. So when they finally get to reign hell on each other, it’s Christmas for us! A muscular, hot-headed DSS agent vs a highly skilled and cold, and calculating mercenary, Hobbs and Shaw is an explosive display of high octane action and star power. As Deckard Shaw, Statham held one part of the movie and made the threats feel so real.
5. Safe
Safe doesn’t have a novel plot, but it works every time. We have a young Chinese girl lost in the streets and chased by gangs and corrupt cops. She doesn’t stand a chance against her enemies but there’s a suicidal ex-cop who has found a reason to live. What follows is a complex chain of events as Jason Statham’s Luke Wright finds ways to not only keep the girl protected but unearth some mysteries beyond what he signed up for. Safe doesn’t have the usual hot-headed brawny Statham blowing anything that comes his way, but he does put an interesting spin to the ‘self-righteous cop on a mission’ plot.
4. Spy
This is another instance where Statham shows he’s more than a stylish British action hero. Spy has a female lead, a superb Melissa McCarthy at that, and a Statham who’s happy to share the stage. McCarthy’s nervous analyst character gets the mission of her life and Statham’s CIA operative character Rick Ford helps her muster up some courage. This is the funniest Jason Statham has been. While he’s characteristically loud, angry, and aggressive, his top-notch comic timing elevates the spy thriller into an entertaining watch.
3. Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels
This is the quintessential Guy Ritchie movie that brought Statham to stardom. Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels is a wildly funny, and highly energetic film based on the street lives of London. Granted, Statham wasn’t the protagonist, but his young and funny loudmouth character has definitely made a mark for itself in his career. The duo reunited again in Snatch, recapturing the same energy.
2. The Transporter
The Transporter was a smash hit all the way and it positioned Statham as a bankable action hero who can carry a film on his own. The Transporter sees a professional transporter with an impeccable work ethic getting on with his job until things go south. A suspicious package turns out to be more than a package with a lot of eyeballs on it, challenging the hero’s moral compass. Statham’s Frank Martin now needs to break away from his routine and find innovative ways to not only complete his mission but also survive.
1. Crank
If you’re an adrenaline junkie and love everything about Jason Statham’s brand of action, Crank must be the holy grail for you. Crank has a bonkers plot and even more crazy Statham delivering a rage-filled, fast-paced performance.
Chev Chelios is a professional assassin who has made a lot of rivals on the way. Now one of them has poisoned him with a deadly liquid. Chelios has to find the cure and the people responsible for this before he dies. The catch here? He has to keep his heart pumping extremely fast. He relaxes, he dies. Crank is all about a man racing against time, picking insane fights to keep the adrenaline going, and finding a way out of this mess. This is Jason Statham at his best, this is the film you must watch.
