Director: Taylor Hackford
Starring: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Clifton Collins Jr. Wendell Pierce, Bobby Cannevale, Micah A. Hauptman, Emma Booth and Nick Nolte
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 118 minutes
Synopsis: A thief with a unique code of professional ethics is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew’s latest heist.
Now I haven’t read any of the (24 !) books by Donald E. Westlake (writing under pseudonym Richard Stark) that feature the career criminal, Parker, but I’m a huge fan of how the character has been portrayed in film. He first appeared in the 1962 novel, ‘The Hunter’, which was adapted into the superb, classic thriller POINT BLANK (1967), by John Boorman and starred the late, great Lee Marvin. Westlake’s third novel, THE OUTFIT (1973), was led by Robert Duvall with John Flynn directing. While not in the same class as Boorman’s film, it was more than a decent entry in the crime genre of the 1970s. 1999 saw POINT BLANK remade into the thoroughly enjoyable, darkly-comic PAYBACK by Brian Helgeland. Mel Gibson headlined that film, which was made into two, almost entirely different efforts, when Helgeland was unhappy with the studio cut and essentially re-edited it for the later ‘Straight Up’ edition. I loved both but surprisingly favour the studio’s theatrical version above the directors cut.
The reason I’ve brought that little ‘history’ lesson into this review is that Taylor Hackford’s PARKER (adapted from Westlake’s 18th Parker Novel, Flashfire) marks the first time the character’s name has actually been allowed to be used in film, following Westlake’s refusal right until his death in 2008. It’s been Walker, Macklin and Porter respectively. So, why not celebrate the death of an iconic author by going against his wishes, eh?
Lets be honest, you’re reading this just wondering if the latest Jason Statham actioner is any good, aren’t you? Well…
We commence seeing the Stath dressed as a wig-wearing, bespeckled Priest as his skilled thief, alongside a gang of four put their plan of robbing a small-town fair into action. It’s an opening scene to establish his honourable code of ethics – “I don’t steal from anyone who can’t afford it and I don’t kill anyone who doesn’t deserve it” – before the heist turns disastrously tragic when one of the gang fails to stick to the plan. A number of glaringly positioned flashback scenes are slotted in between to demonstrate how the gang come to fruition and also introduces us to Parker’s trusted fence (Nolte) and girlfriend (Booth). We soon discover this gang doesn’t like taking orders, making a few of their own to Parker, who’s also not willing to play and is subsequently set upon and left for dead (a common theme for the character in previous incarnations). Of course, he’s still breathing and going back to his belief and principles, sets out to track them down on the job he refused to reap retribution.
At this point we’re acquainted with Jennifer Lopez’ down-on-her-luck real-estate agent, who unknowingly aids Parker (now passing himself of as a Texan millionaire) in tracking down his former partners. Like Jenny From The Block or not, she’s given very little to do aside from wiggling her prized asset (which thankfully doesn’t include singing). Don’t worry either ladies, our hero goes shirtless too.
Like most in the genre, PARKER relies on a tonne of convenience to allow the lead character to get from A to B. So much so, I believe I counted at least five times in the first half of the film where Statham comes across unlocked cars and one hotel room that is opened using the ‘old’ credit card trick. The are some memorable one-liners and also eye-rolling ones but the Stath is exactly that, so what’s not to love. The main letdown is the generic villains, which again, like other outings, are puppets on a string for the big-wigs in the big city of Chicago. Chiklis, Pierce, Collins Jr. and Hauptman are rarely threatening when colliding with the brilliant baldy and just aren’t given enough to bite on script-wise.
The Brit beefcake may be no match for others in the role, but there’s no denying PARKER is a dumb blast. Fans of Statham will revel in it’s sheer nonsense of surprisingly blood-soaked brutal violence and silly guises as the hulking antihero stomps from one ridiculous set-piece to the next. The film doesn’t break any new action ground and in all honesty, is predictable as hell, but if you sit back, leave you’re brain at the door and enjoy it for what it is, you’re sure to have a damned good time.
PARKER is released in cinemas in the UK from today.
