Jason Statham is a franchise unto himself. He tends to more or less play the same snarling-voiced, ass-kicking macho man over and over again, with superficial differences, such as the way his titular superspy in Operation Fortune: Ruse of War enjoys fine wine. Or his personal driver. Frank Martin in The Transporter takes great care to keep his suits clean and neatly ironed.
In recent years, Netflix has stepped in to meet that same demand with a fresh supply of original action films of … let’s just say varied quality.
But why settle for Netflix’s latest pale imitation of a well-established action property when you can get the real deal by watching one of The Stath’s own films instead? That seems to be the impetus behind people streaming “Safe,” an otherwise mostly forgotten 2012 Statham action-thriller that’s been climbing the Netflix charts of late.
Written and directed by Boaz Yakin (“Remember the Titans”), “Safe” casts Statham as Luke Wright, a New York City-based cage fighter who inadvertently wins a rigged match.
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In retaliation, Emile Docheski (Sándor Técsy), the head of NYC’s Russian mafia, has Wright’s pregnant wife murdered and threatens to kill anyone else he cares about, forcing Wright to abandon his old life. But just as the guilt-stricken Wright begins to seriously contemplate killing himself, who should enter his orbit but Mei (Catherine Chan), a 12-year-old Chinese mathematics prodigy who, thanks to the special numerical code that only she knows, finds herself being hunted by the Triads, corrupt NYPD officers, and the Russian mobsters who killed Wright’s family?
Villains who are members of organized crime families in Russia or Southeast Asia and collude with dirty cops? Why not both? Jason Statham knocking guacamole out of any villain who dares to stand in his way? You know the movie will get you there. Everything about Safe is average, right down to the mediocre but adequate reviews (it’s hardly “fresh” on the Rotty T of critics). It only grossed $41.5 million against a $33 million budget, but thanks to home media sales and an average budget, it was far from a colossal flop.
So what attracts people to Netflix’s Insecure? Part of this, again, most likely has to do with familiarity with Statham’s films. Even more serious films like Yaquin’s thriller usually deliver exactly what they promise. Another factor could be the Stat’s connection to the child. As /Film’s Jacob Hall pointed out during an interview with director Ben Wheatley for the Statham vs. Shark sequel, The Meg 2: The Trench, a healthier Statham is also a better Statham. It’s not that the actor in Safe is the most caring and positive actor he was in the Meg films, but using him as a surrogate father is a useful way to bring out that side of him.