The Beekeeper Review: A Thrilling Ride!

January can typically be a slower month for movies, popularly known as a “dumping ground” for films that were either delayed or without possible critical acclaim. 2024 so far has proven this to be true with the release of several movies like Mean Girls (2024), so far this month. However, The Beekeeper defies January standards and delivers an exciting action film starring Jason Statham.

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Known for his gritty and violent roles, The Beekeeper is no different but it adds a thriller element that expands expectations among audiences. Jason Statham plays Adam Clay, a member of a secret group of individuals called Beekeepers that work outside of government systems to seek justice. When a corporation known as United Data Group scams one of Adam’s close friend’s out of her entire life savings using phishing tactics, Adam vies to avenge his friend and find the central figures leading this powerful organization.

Part of what allows The Beekeeper to exceed action film expectations is its ability to be a political thriller as well as a Statham-like action film with fight sequences that range from Adam Clay fighting tech employees to rough and tough villains. Once the plot begins to unfold, it becomes apparent that although it certainly buys into its own movie surrealism, it also includes realism in its main political corruption plot.

Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson) leads the pack of crypto-douche tech moguls that allows him to shine as a villain as opposed to his usual “good boy” performances, which are fantastic nevertheless. He is clearly having so much fun being a direct foil to Statham’s character who possesses the ability to get work done physically as opposed to Derek who hides behind his computer and family name. The way the film can have so much fun with its more outlandish elements while maintaining the idea that it is not as far-fetched as we think is what makes it so enjoyable.

The Beekeeper succeeds in playing on its own idea to the fullest. Statham has played so many protagonists with similar sets of skills that the idea of him being a real beekeeper that must seek justice is an admirable difference that could have been more on the page (and title) rather than in the script throughout. The bee puns and the incorporation of Statham’s job as it pertains to his life and the secret group he is a part of is fused together nicely. In the same way that bees operate and act in their own colony, the set of rules that Adam Clay plays by again reiterating how the Beekeeper utilizes its own elements to further the script.

An action movie can only be as good as its villain. It is a given we are always rooting for the hero but sometimes where films falter is the inability to portray an intriguing evil force outside of our protagonist. The Beekeeper does not have this issue. Its group of antagonists feels modern enough to be relevant but also “exaggerated” in the portrayal of the people behind the online fraud corporation (or is it?).

It becomes joyous in the realm of the film to watch Jason Statham defeat men and women who use their tech power to ruin the lives of elderly individuals who can be manipulated in this fast growing online world. It keeps its audience at bay as it slowly reveals more details pertaining to who runs UDG even if we can begin to guess. The Beekeeper is loads of fun and exactly the theater movie to enjoy to begin the year.

‘The Beekeeper’ Rating – 4/5

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