High energy and gut wrenching, Jason Statham is back with what he does best, create chaos and excitement. I would put this action thriller up in his top ten action films and with Guy Ritchie at the helm it’s a big winner. While the storyline may be a bit hackneyed, Statham fans won’t notice, especially the way the movie is cut and played out. It’s a flawless twister.
H (Jason Statham) gets hired on at Fortico Security, a cash pick-up and delivery service much like armored truck businesses. Except with Fortico, they are also a cash holding agency for their businesses consisting of large department stores, private banks, and casinos. During the hiring process and training by his new boss Bullet (Holt McCallany), we find out about H’s abilities. The first day on the job H gets paired with Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett) and he’s off on a pick-up.
Things go smoothly until the truck gets stopped by several robbers. Guy Ritchie turns up the heat right away showing how H can handle himself. He then sets up a series of before and after scenes where we find out more about the mysterious H and his incentive for taking on the job. I like the way Ritchie starts his film with an action scene and then keeps his audience guessing what will happen next. Each twist takes you deeper into H’s character and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for another shoe to drop.
The cast is one of those perfect storms that has been chosen for not only their past performances in action films, but their likability in front of the camera. Just saying the name Jason Statham is enough to know what he brings to the screen. As H, he’s unstoppable, fierce and a punisher. He alone, would make Wrath of Man a good film. But add Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down, Lucky Number Sleven), Scott Eastwood (The Outpost, The Fate of the Furious) and Holt McCallany (Bullet to the Head, The Losers) and you have enough acting power to pull off this high burner.
Wrath of Man has been rated R by the MPAA for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, and some sexual references. There’s also a few gruesome scenes and some brutality. The film opens on May 7 in theaters. My rating is (4 out of 5 Stars for action fans).
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett,
Laz Alonzo, Raúl Castillo, DeObia Oparei with Eddie Marsan and Scott Eastwood
Directed and co-written by: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
MPAA Rating: R: Strong Violence throughout, Pervasive Language, and Some Sexual References.
Running Time: 1 hr. 58 min.
Opening Date: May 7, 2021
Distributed by: Metro Goldwyn Mayor
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
