MeinMMO author Marie Friske is a big fan of the “John Wick” series. Now she has watched the latest revenge film, “The Beekeeper,” starring Jason Statham in the cinema. This is her (spoiler-free) conclusion about the special beekeeper.
As a huge fan of the “John Wick” movies, I was immediately captivated by the trailer for The Beekeeper and I eagerly made my way to the cinema. I was ready to see Jason Statham as the next Baba Yaga – or at least as a worthy competitor.
And indeed there are significant parallels between the two stories. However, in the end, Jason Statham’s character cannot quite keep up with Keanu Reeves’ hitman, no matter how hard the film tries.
Where The Beekeeper falters and why I still felt entertained in the end, you can read here.
Here you can see a trailer for The Beekeeper:
This is what The Beekeeper is about: The premise of the film is quickly summarized: Jason Statham plays Mr. Clay, who enjoys his retirement as a beekeeper.
But the idyll is short-lived, and the former special agent of the secret organization known as the “Beekeeper” is shaken by an event so much that he embarks on a brutal quest for revenge – one that even takes on national dimensions.
Now I understand why the film is called The Beekeeper
Get ready for some bee footage and even more metaphors surrounding the little creatures. And I’m talking about really, really many bee metaphors.
It even gets to the point where it plays such an important role in characterizing the main character that I can’t take it seriously as a viewer anymore.
With The Beekeeper, I feel that the solid hook at the beginning of the film increasingly loses significance while the hero’s motivation appears more and more shallow.
As the film progresses, I eventually become indifferent to whether Clay achieves his ultimate goal or not, simply because I am no longer emotionally invested in his quest for revenge after the halfway mark.
Nevertheless, the story itself provides an exciting foundation, repeatedly delving into different interesting themes such as cyber fraud or top-secret organizations, where I was really eager for more. At times, I also feel that they genuinely tried to bring a message or emotional moments between the characters.
Unfortunately, they all get lost quite a bit amid all the bee metaphors, which the film seems to cling to almost desperately. It seems that any situation or action must be immediately explained through bee behavior – no matter how absurd the dialogues may sometimes sound.
For instance, a villain explains to his henchmen in a deadly serious briefing about dangerous mercenaries using bee behavior to illustrate what the Beekeeper actually wants to achieve. And even in an emotional conversation, the protagonist simply can’t resist bringing his bees into the discussion.
And all the exciting aspects hinted at in the film, such as the secret organization of the Beekeepers, are only superficially addressed.
Solid action, but it lacks that certain something
What John Wick displays in elegance, Jason Statham’s character compensates for with brutality. The film is rated 18+. Along with the displayed violence, there are at least as many curse words as there are gunshots in the action film.
Especially among the antagonists, some characters can hardly string a coherent sentence together without garnishing it with numerous curses.
Similar to how a simple pencil turns into a weapon in the hands of John Wick, Clay also gets creative with the everyday tools at his disposal.
The action scenes are quite solid, and you can really tell that Jason Statham knows exactly what he’s doing when he stoically knocks out his opponents.
However, as the film progresses, I miss the escalation of intensity – or at least the absurdity of the action sequences. Especially the big finale feels just like the first fight, and apart from one scene, nothing really sticks in my memory.
Moreover, there is no antagonist who could even remotely be considered a worthy opponent for the protagonist. The film also tries to give the soulless characters at least a bit of backstory – but I didn’t care about them in the slightest. And I certainly didn’t see them as a serious threat to the super beekeeper.
Don’t expect a John Wick 2.0, but you’ll still get a lot of action
If The Beekeeper is not a “John Wick” sequel, what is it then? I would say it’s a run-of-the-mill action film where the story is secondary and the most fun comes from enjoying the cool shots and moves of action icon Jason Statham.
Because if there’s one thing the actor can do, it’s to thoroughly beat up his film opponents. And in the end, I still sit back relaxed in my cinema seat and watch him take down another bad boy. I felt entertained, but nothing more.
However, I must say that I could have easily watched The Beekeeper at home on my sofa. The film’s music is quite nice at times, and the compositions are also okay. But here too, I would classify the film as solidly average. So you’re not missing anything special if you wait for the home video release.
So if you place a high value on brutal action and a tough hero, but can overlook a superficial story and flat dialogues, then The Beekeeper might please you.
However, don’t expect a second John Wick.
