now, I write this as a man who believes that the sun shines out of Michael Mann's backside (in appropriate half-colours, natch) and that Arnie films are, in fact, complex and sinuous explorations of gender identity. And don't start me off on Bill Pullman. But this Statham geezer has me beat. Post-ironic I can deal with - post-ironic I love, but this man is the Howard Hawks de nos jours, and we are talking about the director that God takes a screen test for. All your candy-ass epistemological deconstruction is wasted on Jason Statham. He's ontologicaltastic.
Consider the plot of Crank. Man is injected with deadly serum and the only way he can stave off death is by a) driving cars very fast b) shooting people (lots of people) and c) ****ing his girlfriend in the street. Genius! And then he dies by falling out of a helicopter, but, due to the magic of film he has time to make a telephone call on his way to a rendezvous with a car roof, and, unbelievably, the soundtrack is belting out Jefferson Starship's 'If only you believe', which is so post-ironic it's almost completely stupid. And, after he's killed (landing on a car from 5000 feet can do that to a chap), he's fixed up with an artificial heart and yes, you guessed it, there's a sequel. Genius twice over! And not a metaphor in sight!
And he does all his own stunts. Or some of them. Obviously the falling out of the helicopter bit is not so much a stunt as a montage with Google Earth, but there's all kinds of jumping off buildings, kicking people in the throat and getting run over by trucks. I mean, does Steven Seagall do his own stunts? Other than the ones with the pies?
And he wears really nice suits. Better than Al Pacino or Colin Farrell, and a lot better than Robert De Niro. Better, even, than Philip Michael Thomas, and he had really nice suits. For a psychic.
So, all in all, Jason Statham is top. Anyroadup, here's a few of the best bits
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meC3dXew7a4
. Any resemblance to Sir Ralph Richardson is purely accidental.
Consider the plot of Crank. Man is injected with deadly serum and the only way he can stave off death is by a) driving cars very fast b) shooting people (lots of people) and c) ****ing his girlfriend in the street. Genius! And then he dies by falling out of a helicopter, but, due to the magic of film he has time to make a telephone call on his way to a rendezvous with a car roof, and, unbelievably, the soundtrack is belting out Jefferson Starship's 'If only you believe', which is so post-ironic it's almost completely stupid. And, after he's killed (landing on a car from 5000 feet can do that to a chap), he's fixed up with an artificial heart and yes, you guessed it, there's a sequel. Genius twice over! And not a metaphor in sight!
And he does all his own stunts. Or some of them. Obviously the falling out of the helicopter bit is not so much a stunt as a montage with Google Earth, but there's all kinds of jumping off buildings, kicking people in the throat and getting run over by trucks. I mean, does Steven Seagall do his own stunts? Other than the ones with the pies?
And he wears really nice suits. Better than Al Pacino or Colin Farrell, and a lot better than Robert De Niro. Better, even, than Philip Michael Thomas, and he had really nice suits. For a psychic.
So, all in all, Jason Statham is top. Anyroadup, here's a few of the best bits
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meC3dXew7a4
. Any resemblance to Sir Ralph Richardson is purely accidental.
