The Beekeeper

As the beginning of the year was pretty busy, there were several films that I skipped to get some time back for other areas of my life (not to mention, the Rath Awards kinda take it out of me a bit...). 

The Beekeeper, from director David Ayer, was one of those unfortunate casualties because I'd been hearing that it was surprisingly pretty great. Based on this word of mouth, I made sure to mark it as one to catch up on later. 

As I write this review, I've had ~ 1.5 weeks since I actually watched the film and truthfully (and in the spirit of keeping this a short review), this didn't leave much of an impression with me. As has been the case for many 2024 films thus far, it's never outright bad, but it's just not very memorable. I find it a bit overrated, at least in the circles I follow.

It's clear this is an attempt to create a Wick-esque vehicle for super-action star Jason Statham. With Ayer at the helm, there's some hope there but...at the same time...dude directed this move so...

While the plot is nothing to write home about, I did enjoy the nature of The Beekeeper's focus on those who scam the most vulnerable of our population. It felt strangely unique in a "how has nobody targeted these people?" type of way and kept the overall plot relatively straightforward. Jason Statham is also pitch-perfect here as the brooding, hyper skilled Beekeeper, tasked to "protect the hive" (which is really corny, sorry). He's borderline invincible, only taking a couple hits near the end, which makes it equal parts awesome, but also feels lower stakes. Comparing to Wick directly, John gets his ass kicked regularly...he just kicks ass harder and better. 

The action itself is disappointing, mainly because it's so close to being on the cusp of greatness. Ayer isn't afraid to go brutal which is why this is rated-R, but I couldn't help but think the action was in this weird space between being generic, but showing flares of something more special. It's this specific component that makes me a little more down on The Beekeeper than others. I can't specifically speak to an action sequence that is engrained in my memory like I can the truly special action flicks. 

The Beekeeper traces the edges of something more memorable, which means that it's a fine viewing on its own, but I don't think it's a whole lot better than I originally anticipated for a January actioner. I'd watch a (almost inevitable) sequel, but I wouldn't be surprised if I skip the theater for that one too.

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 6/10