The Beekeeper – Movie Reviews by Ry!

The Beekeeper – From Action to Honey: Savior of the Hive

Film is a medium filled with many interesting tales.  From drama to horror, what pulls at our heartstrings can vary from story to story.  From the emotional value to the visual prowess, the power of the escape can lift above any typical clichés or gimmicks for a good time.  In this review, I look at the latest action film starring Jason Statham.  Within its own predictable setups, The Beekeeper is just the right amount of honey for a good time. 

This is the story of Adam Clay (Jason Statham), and his brutal campaign to take vengeance and save the hive (society) from ultimate doom.  With any action film, there are obvious pillars that build up the outline of the tale.  The first pillar of any film in this genre is the hero/action star.  In this film, we are introduced to this character (Adam Clay), who is living a lowkey life by maintaining a honeybee hive on Eloise Parker’s (Phylicia Rashad) farm.  Through some convenient dialogue and plot driven moments, his life is turned upside down when Eloise falls victim to an online scam.  This moment leads to the second pillar, the catalyst/trigger point, that pushes our hero/action star down a path of violence, vengeance, or ultimate gain.  Specifically for this tale, it pushes Clay to rely on his old skills from his espionage days to find out who scammed Eloise.  From here, we head into a second act that builds upon the predictability of the genre: over-the-top action, typical one-liners, and introduction to the third pillar, the shadowy complex/villains.  As Clay travels from point to point, destroying everything in his path, he learns of a group of individuals using CIA technology for personal gain.  This group is run by Derek Danford (Josh Hutcherson) and Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons).  With all three pillars set, the journey becomes a matter of expectations and value.  As Clay continues down his road of vengeance, what began as just another ‘throwaway’ action film slowly rises above because of the absurdity of its premise, and the outlandish appeal of its characters.     

Clay’s continued rampage starts to have consequential impact on Danford, his business and various government agencies.  As certain revelations start to come to light, it layers the action within a thematic appeal of a moral dilemma.  This haze upon what is right vs. lawful lifts the predictability of the journey, adding an element of intrigue to the obvious.  When the truth is revealed about Danford and Westwyld, we head into a third act that culminates in the ultimate showcase of action and indestructible appeal of Adam Clay.  This leads into an obvious but fun climax and epilogue.  The Beekeeper is an action film that stands out within its own insane premise.  If you are a fan of action films or Jason Statham, this is one for you.  I think you can have a good time at the theaters with this one. 

Full Score – 3.5 out of 5 (Matinee)