The heyday of unabashedly macho action heroes is basically over, but Jason Statham squeaked in right under the wire. The English actor, a former model and competitive diver, made his big screen debut in Guy Ritchie’s ensemble crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and quickly evolved into a steely cinematic butt-kicker, the star of multiple successful franchises and now a key member of the Fast and Furious movies. He’s even done in a couple of serious dramas and broad comedies, just to prove he’s got a little range.
But we don’t go to Jason Statham movies to see Jason Statham transform like a chameleon into an unrecognizable character. We go to see him play Jason Statham, or at least a recognizable variation. Whether he’s taking himself completely seriously or taking the piss out of his asphalt persona, he’s the star of a real “Jason Statham” movie, and we like it that way. He’s a movie star in the oldest sense of the word.
Universal Pictures
Also: Interview | Chris Morgan on ‘The Fate of the Furious’ and the Redemption of Deckard Shaw
That’s why, now that it’s time to rank the best Jason Statham movies, our rankings might not be wholly obvious. The point here isn’t to rank the best films that just happen to have Jason Statham in them, but to rank the films that put Jason Statham to the best use, and gave his fans exactly what they wanted. So even though he kicks a lot of ass in the Fast and Furious movies, he’s just part of the ensemble, and as such they rank a little lower than you might expect. But his lead performances in (two of) the Transporter movies elevate that material to sublimity, and we have to give bonus points for that, don’t we?
So let’s take a look at the best Jason Statham movies (so far), and thank our lucky stars that we’ve still got at least one old-fashioned action movie star kicking around, and making badass motion pictures practically every single year.
The Top 12 Best Jason Statham Movies
Top Photos: 20th Century Fox
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
The Top 12 Best Jason Statham Movies
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12. Redemption (2013)
Jason Statham's best "serious" performance can be found in this crime drama from writer/director Steven Knight (Locke), about a homeless man who stumbles into another person's life, and uses the opportunity to pursue a career in crime. Redemption (released as Hummingbird overseas) is a decent drama, but a little too dry for its own good.
Photo: Lionsgate
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11. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
It may be hard to accept that Deckard Shaw, the man who killed Han, is a good guy now, but whenever this Fast and Furious sequel focuses on just how badass Statham is - in a fantastic prison escape, or an unexpected climactic shootout - you don't really mind.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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10. Homefront (2013)
This underrated, small scale action thriller written by Sylvester Stallone stars Statham as a retired undercover DEA agent who runs afoul of a local dealer, played by James Franco. The situation escalates quickly, into a tense and smart confrontation.
Photo: Open Road Films
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9. Spy (2015)
Spy is ostensibly Melissa McCarthy's movie, but every time Jason Statham shows up he steals his scene and runs away with it (sometimes literally). As a badass secret agent who isn't nearly as smart or as capable as he thinks he is, Statham sends up his iconic persona and proves he's a damned good sport.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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8. Furious 7 (2015)
The Fast and Furious crew finally meet their match in Deckard Shaw, who's pissed that they put his brother in a hospital in the previous film, and chases them around the world. For the first time in the history of the franchise you really believe the threat is real, and Jason Statham knows exactly how to make the most of the character.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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7. Wild Card (2015)
Criminally underseen, this clever crime drama from writer William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) stars Jason Statham as a Las Vegas bodyguard who runs afoul of a crime lord and has to get out of town as quickly as possible, but that's just not as easy as it sounds. Clever and full of memorable characters, Wild Card deserves a much bigger audience.
Photo: Lionsgate
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6. The Transporter (2002)
Jason Statham plays a getaway driver with his own set of rules in this straightforward but action packed thriller, which gives him ample opportunity to drive awesome cars and fight scores of evil henchmen. The Transporter also has the best grease fight in movie history. That's worth the price of admission of alone.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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5. Snatch (2000)
Jason Statham made his screen debut in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but he didn't take center stage until Snatch. His breakout role finds him trying to rig a boxing match but running into trouble when it turns out the boxer, played by Brad Pitt, doesn't know how to take a fall. A funny, charismatic performance from Statham that justifiably led to bigger and better films in his future.
Photo: Screen Gems
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4. The Bank Job (2008)
Roger Donaldson's heist film stars Jason Statham as the man who pulled off one of the most unexpectedly intriguing crimes in British history. The Bank Job is Statham's classiest film, a slick period piece full of intrigue and an impressive supporting cast, and it's a heck of a lot of fun too.
Photo: Lionsgate
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3. Safe (2012)
Jason Statham plays a man "cursed" by the Russian mob, who runs into a little girl who's somehow even more screwed than he is. Boaz Yakin's exciting crime thriller features unusually photographed action sequences, an unpredictable story and an unexpectedly moving relationship between the protagonists.
Photo: Lionsgate
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2. Transporter 2 (2005)
Transporter 2 laps the original in every way, with unbelievably entertaining (and outright unbelievable) action sequences. Statham plays the part beautifully, kicks all of the ass imaginable, and guides us through one of the most broadly entertaining action films in recent memory. And it's hard not to give Transporter 2 bonus points for daring to put a ton of homosexual subtext in a genre that frequently eschews the topic altogether.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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1. Crank (2006)
Jason Statham has been poisoned, and he'll die if he doesn't constantly keep his adrenaline pumping. So he constantly has to do crazy, painful, sexy things just to stay alive, like a genre filmmaker desperately trying to entertain the audience. Wait a minute, that's kind of brilliant. Crank is an exaggerated cartoon of a movie, but it's a great and original cartoon, and it's a heck of a lot better than its mean-spirited sequel.
Photo: Lionsgate
