Each of the last two years have featured a hugely enjoyable Jason Statham movie, in The Beekeeper and A Working Man. He is back with another starring vehicle that sees him playing a former assassin who rescues a young girl (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) from a deadly storm. His noble act leads to potential fatal consequences as his past starts to catch up with him.
This is everything I have come to expect from Statham in recent years. A pared down, unpretentious action laced thriller, efficiently directed this time by Ric Roman Waugh who has a great record in this genre, including Angel Has Fallen, Greenland and Kandahar.
The plot is quite derivative but it moves along at a clip, leading up to a terrific extended sequence at a nightclub. Though that does start with something that it is a bug bear of mine in action movies, where the hero goes to a club to meet (usually) a bad guy. Despite blaring music, the roped-off corner area they sit in is magically quiet enough to have a normal conversation.
There is notable quality in the supporting cast that includes Daniel Mays, Harriet Walter (very briefly), Naomi Ackie and a wonderfully reptilian Bill Nighy. Breathnach is better here than in Hamnet, but again she does not sound like a kid brought up in Scotland!
Shelter will not convert any non-believers into Statham fans, but will certainly satisfy the ones he already has.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10