Jason Statham - what do you think?

For those that don't know Jason Statham, you're probably missing a lot of fun as he's been in some great movies over the years:
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Snatch
Revolver
The Italian Job (remake of course!)
The Bank Job
Crank
War aka Rogue Assassin
and the Transporter series

Not everyone if a fan, which I think is pretty understandable considering the way that he grumbles in every-single-movie. You don't really get a great deal of 'acting' out of him in terms of expression during a movie. He's generally either at breaking point or has snapped and is breaking someone's face.

The question I raise is about his martial arts status. It's quite well known that the likes of Corey Yuen is grooming him as the next big thing in Western movies -- at least in terms of martial arts. The Transporter series and War with Jet Li have done wonders for Statham's career and image as a modern day martial artist. But can he actually pull off a convincing MA fight scene?

The hose fight from Transporter 2 may be enough for some people, but as much as I enjoy his movies, I'm not really a fan of him, his acting or his fighting! I think Corey Yuen made him look capable, but that doesn't mean comfortable.

Anyway, enough ranting...vote! Jason Statham, martial artist or not!

I don't think he belogns to MA actors.Even by american standars.Sure he has something good that's why i watch his movies.But if you are talking about genuine fight scenes then drop him...

I think he was excellent in all of the Guy Ritchie movies, and I even liked Crank quite a bit. I'm not so sure the sequel is going to do it for me, especially since they're trying to make us buy the fact that he "survived" the end of the first one.

All of those who have seen Crank know how preposterous an idea that is.

Dashiell wrote:

I think he was excellent in all of the Guy Ritchie movies, and I even liked Crank quite a bit. I'm not so sure the sequel is going to do it for me, especially since they're trying to make us buy the fact that he "survived" the end of the first one.

All of those who have seen Crank know how preposterous an idea that is.

Yes the Crank movie was quite crazy, but in an entertaining way. I even heard it referred to as a 'dick flick'.

The sequel has something to do with his heart getting cut out of his body by the Japanese yakuza and replaced with some cybernetic pump. Sounds like a passing nod to Drive with Mark Dacascos. I'll probably watch this out of curiosity.

Drunken Master wrote:

The biggest disappointment for me is that he has now made two films with Jet Li and he doesn't get to face up to him properly in either. Maybe next time.

I think that they'll both be starring in the Stallone flick The Expendables and maybe something cool will get going between them. However, I'd say that probably Li will get taken down by Stallone considering he was one of the first to get on board.

Also, with War while I was a bit let down with their duel which was more like a 30 second tussle, I still think the movie holds its own. Nice direction and a pretty involving plot despite what everyone else thinks!

I am in Drunken Master's corner on this one: I like Statham. He is fit and able to handle his fight scenes. I think the bus depot scene in Transporter approached HK action greatness, which is very rare in Western movies. I don't know anything about him, but I suspect that he takes his martial arts training very seriously. I vote for him as being a "martial artist."

Yes, his movies are often infantile and ridiculous and he doesn't seem to be able to speak, but to me, Statham is almost always worth watching. He is the only Western actor that can make me watch a Western movie nowadays.

I thought he was Australian!

As for me he is realy good actor and I like all his films.