It's already the time of year when a Jason Statham action movie comes out, as his latest flick, Shelter, is coming to theaters on Jan. 30.
Once again, Statham is tasked with saving a young girl — his seeming favorite story vehicle — however, this time, she's not a math wiz or his daughter. Instead, she's the niece of a man Mason (Jason Statham) served as an assassin with years ago (naturally, Mason was the best of the bunch before getting out of the game). She and her uncle regularly delivered supplies to Mason, who is posted at a lighthouse that hasn't operated in years.
He lives in isolation, alone with his adorable dog. Eventually, he is dragged back into the game as he needs to protect the young girl, Jesse (played by Bodhi Rae Breathnach).
The setup is short and sweet, and it's something you've seen before (with Statham in the lead). Luckily, once the action starts, Shelter is a lot of fun. However, its story is all over the place — not quite to the degree of Safe's first five minutes, but pretty close.
Statham is missing his frequent collaborator, The Gentlemen director Guy Ritchie, this time around. While he can be hit or miss, Ritchie often gets the best out of Statham (Wrath of Man is probably Statham's best work in the last decade).
To his credit, Ric Roman Waugh (known for his work in the Has Fallen series) is a capable action director. It's the script (written by Ward Parry) where Shelter begins falling apart.
Shelter isn't offensively bad, especially for a January movie release. Statham is the last of the action stars, and he proves why in Shelter, especially because this would be a straight-to-streaming movie if not for him.
Shelter review
The opening 40 minutes or so of Shelter are different for a Statham movie. The mundanity of Mason's life is shown in great detail; from his solo chess games to extremely unremarkable-looking porridge.
This is a change of pace from the usual offerings from Statham. Usually, Statham has already had one or two set pieces within the first 40 minutes of an action movie.
Shelter attempts to add a human story at its core. His reluctant relationship with Jesse, which is more or less thrust onto him, is the emotional crux of the plot.
That effort should not go unnoticed, as it does make Shelter somewhat unique in Statham's vast filmography. However, the biggest problem Shelter runs into is its lack of subtlety.
It'd be fair to say that it feels like Parry didn't trust his actors to do the job and convey the subtext of his script. The most glaring example of this is a particular line said by Breathnach to Statham at a rendezvous point.
Breathnach is more than capable of delivering the script in front of her. Aside from a few shaky line deliveries, which may have more to do with the lines than her performance, she's a pretty good pair with Statham. There is something that feels genuine about their connection, even if the script wants it to be ham-fisted.
As usual, Jason Statham kicks butt
Statham is one of the last genuine action stars. He almost exclusively stars in action movies, most of which are hardly distinguishable.
We are years removed from the glory days of the action genre when the Stallones and Schwarzeneggers of the world ran it. However, Statham feels like a relic from that age.
He's not just believable; he has the correct bravado required for some of the one-liners you have to deliver in movies like Shelter. The best example of this is his delivery of the monologue at the end of Wrath of Man. Statham delivers hard-hitting action, especially when fighting the equally skilled assassin chasing him.
Waugh has previously worked extensively with Gerard Butler in the Has Fallen series. So, he has experience with A-list action stars.
His collaboration with Statham is similarly successful in the action. It takes a little while to get going, but it doesn't disappoint on that front. There's a grittiness to it, and the camerawork is solid without being distracting.
Why Jason Statham still misses Guy Ritchie
While not Waugh's fault, Shelter is the type of movie that would benefit from having Ritchie behind the camera. He does action similarly, if not better than Waugh, and his scripts are tighter than Parry's.
Ritchie can be an acquired taste for some, as his fast-paced nature isn't for everyone. However, his style is unmistakable, and he adds even more charisma to Statham's brooding presence.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It has been three years since the release of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Statham and Ritchie's last collaboration.
Since then, Statham has appeared in several sequels like Fast X, Meg 2: The Trench, and Expend4bles. He has also led two other action movies, The Beekeeper (which is getting a sequel) and A Working Man.
Maybe they're not bad movies, but Statham's latest projects have lacked the creativity of Ritchie's imagination. Statham has set the bar high, and he needs a familiar face to help him reach that standard again.
Ward Parry's script
It's clear that the weakest part of Shelter is Parry's script. The script is unfocused and borders on being tedious at times when it's not an action scene.
That may be because Parry appears caught between ideas for several movies. Shelter begins like an isolated thriller, almost like The Lighthouse, before things turn dark.
There's a whole political thriller stuffed into the scenes without Statham. It's almost reminiscent of the Bourne movies, if those flicks only focused on Jason's past.
Shelter doesn't spend the necessary time to flesh out this part of the story. Whether that was an editing or writing decision is unknown, laying the fault at Parry's feet for now.
If done right, Shelter could've been a more interesting political thriller. However, about 20 minutes of the beginning would have had to have been trimmed. Spending a third of the movie on the island establishing Mason's isolation instead of leaving it to the imagination is the biggest thing Parry will need to learn for his future projects.
Again, Parry lacks subtlety in his script. It takes two to tango, and Parry needs to trust that viewers can understand his script instead of having to spell everything out. Especially in the case of Shelter, which isn't jam-packed with shocks and surprises.
Should you watch Shelter?
Excluding ensemble pieces like the Fast & Furious and Expendables movies, on the scale of Wrath of Man to The Meg, Shelter falls somewhere in the middle, likely close to The Beekeeper.
To its credit, Shelter does try to differentiate itself from other Statham-led movies, most of which are similarly released in January. Breathmach is a perfect complement to Statham, but their charisma alone isn't enough to save Parry's weak script.
The action genre hasn't moved past Statham yet. He's a valuable asset in the genre. However, the filmmakers who collaborate with him have to evolve with the times. Otherwise, Statham and his movies will be seeking shelter from the storm.
Grade: C
Shelter will be released on Jan. 30.
