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Jason Statham's new action movie looks like a delightful mix of Reacher and Die Hard, and it's setting sail in one month. Fans of Jason Statham action movies have been eating well, with the veteran British star on a roll. 2024's The Beekeeper was not only a huge success, it was one of his best actioners in a long time.
In the past few years he's also had gems like Wrath of Man. There's an alternate universe where Statham could have been a fun choice to play Jack Reacher - though his American accent would have needed some work. It could be argued that Statham's A Working Man was his riff on a Reacher-style character, where he played an ex-soldier who uses his particular set of skills (punching, headbutting, etc) to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter.
The trailer for Jason Statham's new movie Mutiny looks rather Reacher-inspired too. This sees his character, Cole Reed, boarding a cargo ship to avenge his boss' murder, only to discover a human trafficking operation onboard. The film is also a surprise first for it's leading man, since it's Statham's first "Die Hard on a Blank" scenario.
As that descriptor suggests, this refers to an action movie with a setup like Die Hard, typically involving a hero trapped in an isolated locale (a train, a building, etc) that's under siege. Somehow, in 25 years of action flicks, Mutiny is Statham's first true example.
Jason Statham's Mutiny Is Released August 21
There are few guarantees in this life, outside death, taxes, and at least one new Jason Statham film arriving every year. Mutiny will sail into theaters one month from today on August 21, and while it doesn't look like it's reinventing the wheel, it doesn't need to. The movie - directed by Plane's Jean-François Richet - has all the ingredients Statham fans could want, from snappy one-liners to even snappier fight sequences.
The film will also be R-rated, with a refreshingly lean 95-minute runtime. It's become a golden era for new Statham franchises, though Mutiny doesn't appear to be setting one up. The likes of The Meg or The Beekeeper came with potential sequels built into their concepts, but on the surface, Mutiny appears content to be a one-off Statham punching festival.
Of course, if it opens to strong numbers, it could launch another new series for its veteran star. Statham will have a busy 2027 also; The Beekeeper 2 will no doubt create a lot of buzz, as will the bizarre-sounding meta-comedy Jason Statham Stole My Bike. He will also reteam with old friend Guy Ritchie on the upcoming gangster thriller Viva La Madness.
Mutiny Can Redeem Jason Statham's Last Misadventure On A Ship
Statham has never had his own Die Hard scenario movie, but he's had some misadventures on boats in the past. The original Expendables opens on a cargo ship taken over by pirates, and the finale of 2016's Mechanic: Resurrection features an extended shootout on a yacht. Most recently, the second half of The Expendables 4 stranded the titular team on an aircraft carrier with a nuclear bomb in its cargo hold.
Viva La Madness is based on the second novel to Layer Cake, which was adapted in 2004 starring future James Bond star Daniel Craig. Despite this, the upcoming Statham/Ritchie adaptation will have no ties to the Layer Cake movie.
Sadly, Expendables 4 is not only the worst of the franchise, it might just be Statham's worst film, full stop. It's a cheap, ugly, badly written and indifferently acted mess, and despite featuring tons of action, most of it is forgettable. With Mutiny, it feels like Statham is attempting a do-over following the "f***in' disaster" (as Sylvester Stallone himself has dubbed Expend4bles) with Mutiny.
The trailers alone make the movie look a hell of a lot more fun than Expendables 4, with better action and little in the way of cartoonish CGI. Mutiny may well prove to be mid-tier Jason Statham fare, but coming in the aftermath of the fourth Expendables, even that would be a considerable improvement.
