There is a certain comfort in watching a Jason Statham action movie. You generally know what you’re getting: a tough, “hard as nails” hero, a conspiracy that quickly becomes personal, a collection of disposable bad guys and, sooner or later, a lot of people getting punched, kicked, shot at or all of the above. His latest, Mutiny, is no exception.
Directed by Jean-François Richet, the film stars Statham as Cole Reed, a former London cop turned private security guard. When his billionaire boss is murdered and Reed is framed for the crime, the former cop goes on the run and eventually finds himself aboard a cargo ship, where his search for the truth exposes a much larger conspiracy. This is essentially a Statham vehicle constructed around the question: how many people can “the Stath” beat up in 90 minutes? The answer, obviously, is quite a few.
The biggest issue here is that the screenplay rarely matches the confidence of its action set pieces. The dialogue can be painfully clunky, with characters regularly explaining information the audience has already figured out. Some of the exchanges have the unmistakable feel of dialogue written to get the plot from one fight scene to the next, rather than to make these people sound like actual human beings with a fully formed personality.
That makes Statham’s performance all the more important. The action star has perfected that unmistakable knack for saying very little while looking like he’s just had his whole bloodline insulted by someone who isn’t fit to shine his shoes. Cole Reed is essentially another variation on the Statham archetype: capable, angry and considerably more dangerous than everyone around him. If you’ve enjoyed his past work, there isn’t much here that will surprise you.
Once the film starts throwing Statham into increasingly ridiculous situations, it becomes much more enjoyable. The fights have weight and impact, and Richet keeps the set pieces moving without burying them beneath endless digital effects. The cargo-ship setting also gives the director plenty of opportunities to turn these cramped spaces into weapons. It is the sort of old-school action film that understands the simple pleasure of watching a physical performer actually enjoy himself.
There are some decent performances, too, particularly from Danish actor Roland Møller as the villain of the piece and Annabelle Wallis as one of the ship’s second officers, who joins forces with Cole. Meanwhile, Adrian Lester is sadly given very little to work with as the captain of a navy ship on his way to rescue the pair.
Mutiny isn’t pretending to be the next great action thriller. It doesn’t have the mythology of John Wick or any other American action franchise; it is a straightforward piece of entertainment built around a star whose entire persona is based on solving problems with his fists. Like it or hate it, the Stath is here to stay, and his fans will be delighted with this new addition to his already overflowing action back catalogue.
