Jason Statham’s upcoming projectA Working Manis a creative adaptation of the novelLevon’s Tradeby Chuck Dixon, and it finally sees the Hollywood superstar step into a role that I’ve been hoping he would for years.
The movie is essentially David Ayer’s version ofTaken, following a building contractor who puts his covert skills to use when his boss' daughter goes missing by a dangerous criminal organization.A Working Manslightly changes Dixons original book, finally giving Statham a role that’s extremely similar to Liam Neeson’s inTaken.
David Ayer is the man behind projects such asFuryandThe Beekeeper, both of which clearly display his aptitude for making fierce, dynamic action movies that suck the audience in with complex plots and unpredictable twists.A Working Manshould be no different, andStatham’s involvement immediately suggests that Ayer will be focusing on the darker, more action-packed side of the original novel.Statham will also reunite with Sylvester Stallone inA Working Man, bringing two action superstars together for what’s bound to be a dark, bloody adaptation of this acclaimed story.
A Working Man’s Plot Is Almost Identical To Taken
A Working Man & Taken Are Both About Finding Missing Daughters
While there are certainly some differences between the two films,A Working Man’s plot shares some undeniable similarities withTaken.
It’s a story of revenge that uses a missing daughter as bait for an everyman-pop in character to transform into an angry, violent action hero who fights the good fight.
The only sizable difference between the projects is thatA Working Man’s missing girl is the protagonist’sboss’daughter rather than his own.
Based on the book series by Chuck Dixon, A Working Man is an action-thriller directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham as the titular hero. Levon Cade (Statham) left his “profession” behind to live a simple life working construction and spending time with his daughter. But when his boss’s teenage daughter vanishes, he’s called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops. Levon’s hunt for the missing college student takes him to the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life.
Jason Statham’s critically-acclaimed 2015 comedy film Spy proves that every action star should do at least one comedy movie in their career.
Takenwas an enormous success when it was released in the late 2000s, and it created its own archetype of action movies that has only increased in popularity since then.
However,Statham is one of the few action stars who’s steered clear ofTaken-like movies, directing his efforts instead towards much larger-scale narratives likeFast & FuriousandThe Expendables.
Judging fromA Working Man’sinitial trailer, this is the perfect opportunity for him to break this pattern and I couldn’t be more excited to see how he tackles this action movie archetype.
A Working Man’s Book Changes Make The Movie Even More Like Taken
David Ayer’s Vision Is Quite Different From The Book
However,A Working Manwon’t be an exact adaptation of Chuck Dixon’s original novel.
The trailer has already revealed that Ayer will be making some important changes to the story, most notably regarding the intentions of Stathams protagonist.
Based on the book series by Chuck Dixon, A Working Man is an action-thriller directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham as the titular hero. Levon Cade (Statham) left his “profession” behind to live a simple life working construction and spending time with his daughter. But when his boss’s teenage daughter vanishes, he’s called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops. Levon’s hunt for the missing college student takes him to the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life.
In the book, he’s much more reluctant to step into this dark world of crime, but Statham likely won’t show any of this restraint inA Working Man.Instead, his vengeance is much more personal just like inTaken.
While some fans of Dixon’s novel may take issue with these important changes, I’m confident that Statham and Ayer will be able to justify the adaptation.
While some fans of Dixon’s novel may take issue with these important changes, I’m confident that Statham and Ayer will be able to justify the adaptation.
Both of these stars have made names for themselves because of the brutal, violent projects that they’re associated with, so it wouldn’t have made sense for their vision ofA Working Manto be quite as straightforward and dramatic as the book.
Instead, bringing it closer to the personal stakes ofTakengives it more emotional weight and makes it easier for audiences to invest themselves in these characters.
Jason Statham’s A Working Man Continues A Trend With His Action Movies
Statham’s Recent Characters Are All Similar
Interestingly, this project continues a trend that’s been present in almost all of Jason Statham’s recent movies.
Whether it’sThe Beekeeper,Wrath of Man, or nowA Working Man,the actor has made a habit of playing characters who are seemingly “normal"on the surface but later reveal themselves to have an extensive history of combat that allows them to beat down anybody in their path.
This is mirrored in their seemingly mundane occupations, ranging from truck drivers to building contractors, which are really just fronts for their true selves.
However, this trope has proven to be excellent forJason Statham’s box office success, so it makes sense thatA Working Manwould continue the trend.
There’s something about watching him transform from a boring everyman character into an unstoppable soldier that’s always fun to watch, and it’s produced some of the highest-grossing movies of the actor’s entire career.
It’s consistently entertaining, but Statham will have to take care that he’s not merely rehashing old material inA Working Manif he wants it to stand out within his catalog.
Your Rating
Your comment has not been saved
Cast
Based on the book series by Chuck Dixon, A Working Man is an action-thriller directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham as the titular hero.
Levon Cade (Statham) left his profession behind to live a simple life working construction and spending time with his daughter.
But when his bosss teenage daughter vanishes, hes called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops.
Levons hunt for the missing college student takes him to the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life.
