Parker (2013)

The new movie Jason Statham is finally coming, and man, I am seriously counting down the days! 👋

Honestly, if you ask me, Statham is hands down the king of action stars right now. Like, when we’re talking about those classic, old-school action flicks, he’s just in a league of his own, isn't he? He's simply the best at what he does. 👍

What a badass look. 😎



Lucky guy. 🙂

Tyler Clark86 said:Lucky him. 🙂

Lucky her 🙂

Password for Parker (2013)

For those who might not be fully in the loop, the whole Parker saga has actually been explored quite extensively before! You can see heavy influences from his story in Boorman's Point Blank (1967) starring Lee Marvin, as well as in Helgeland's Payback (1999) featuring Mel Gibson. It’s pretty fascinating because all three of these films are essentially cinematic takes on the book The Hunter written by Richard Stark—which, if you want to get technical, is actually the pen name used by Donald E. Westlake. 🙂

I’ve been watching stuff like that—you know, Payback with Mel Gibson—and honestly, I don't even care if they keep pushing for an adaptation of that novel. At the end of the day, any new Statham movie is a win in my book. 🙂

I’ll most likely give it a watch, but I’m honestly not expecting anything groundbreaking—just more of the same stuff we've seen before. To be perfectly blunt, Statham has reached that point where he feels like he’s popping out of the cereal box every time I turn on the TV, and it’s getting a little frustrating! 🙂

silentcanyon58 said:I'll probably check it out, I guess, but I'm not expecting anything groundbreaking—just more of the same stuff. And honestly, Statham has become one of those actors who just pops up everywhere lately, which is kind of getting frustrating. 🙂

So what, he should just stop making these kinds of movies just because some people aren't fans? 🤣

And let's be real, he was basically built for these roles—this is where he shines best. I mean, I'll always happily sit down for his new flick. 🙂

Tyler Clark86 said:So, what, should he just stop making these kinds of movies just because some people don't vibe with him? 🤣

Honestly, he was practically born to play these roles, and they suit him perfectly—I’ll always be down to catch his latest flick. 🙂

To be totally blunt, I am absolutely obsessed with Jason Statham, though it's also a little frustrating seeing him pop up in everything lately! My main goal with this post was actually to shift the focus toward two other movies that follow a similar premise, both of which, if you ask me, are much better than Parker. 🙂

Absolute bottom of the barrel. This movie doesn't even deserve its own soundtrack. It was honestly painful. I almost died of boredom watching what’s supposed to be an action flick. This definitely should have stayed off the big screen. 🙂

I watched it... the movie wasn't anything special, but I went specifically to see Statham anyway, so I'm happy with the outcome. 😁

Grace Sanders24 said:Absolute bottom of the barrel. This movie doesn't even deserve its own title—it’s just tragic. Honestly, I was practically dying of boredom, and that’s saying something for an action flick. It really had no business being released in theaters. 🙂

Was it actually that bad, or were your expectations just sky-high...

Has anyone else caught this yet? Is it actually any good?

Drew Chase5 said:Is it actually that bad, or were you just expecting way more out of it?

Has anyone else caught this yet? Is it actually worth the watch?

Honestly, it doesn't matter too much. If you're a big fan of Statham, go ahead and give it a shot! Otherwise, I’d suggest scrolling back up to my earlier post at the start of this thread—you can check out one of the two movies that were also based on that same book... or honestly, just watch both of them. 🙂

Carol Hughes10 said:I caught the movie... it wasn't exactly a masterpiece, but honestly, I only went to see it for Statham anyway—so I'm happy with how it turned out. 😁

I’m with you on this one. The movie isn't exactly a masterpiece, but it isn't a total train wreck either—it's just your standard, middle-of-the-road flick to me. That said, once you throw Statham into the mix, it becomes a pretty solid way to kill some time. 😁

Tyler Clark86 said:I’ve been watching since they released Payback with Mel Gibson; honestly, I don't mind them pushing an adaptation of that novel, because any new Statham flick is a win in my book. 🙂

+1, though I also sat through the one with Lee Marvin. Both were decent enough.

goldenhound32 said:+1, though I actually sat through that one with Lee Marvin too. Both were pretty much a wash...

That Lee Marvin flick just can't decide if it wants to be a gritty crime thriller or some high-brow art house piece—it’s stuck in limbo, really. It just doesn't work, or at least it didn't work there... Soderbergh's The Limey is way better, honestly.

briskhound2 said:That one with Lee Marvin is lost somewhere in the gap between wanting to be a gritty crime thriller and an art film. It just doesn't work—or at least, it didn't there. Soderbergh's The Limey is much better.

While I agree that the Soderbergh film is superior, I actually enjoyed that one too. Just compare the Lee Marvin version to this absolute mess from 2013.

I just finished watching it. Given my appreciation for Statham, and since Taylor Hackford isn't a bad director in his own right, I was hoping for a gem. But no. Aside from a brawl in a bathroom, there isn't a single thing I could highlight as being truly wonderful. It lacks the humor found in Payback with Mel Gibson, yet it fails to be dark. Despite all the violence, it feels... diluted 👎 ...even Statham doesn't quite do it for me here.

Five out of ten.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, please don't bother reading this post.

There might be a logical explanation for this, and I'm not calling it a mistake per se, but I am genuinely curious... how is it even possible that several of these cars don't have front license plates at all?

Furthermore... if Parker isn't actually motivated by the money, but strictly by principle, why did he bother stealing the jewels in the first place? I mean, if he’s already decided to go all the way to the top and settle things with the big boss in Chicago, why couldn't he have just taken what was owed to him from the man directly?

Moving on... this gang of thieves initially wanted to kill Parker because he refused to chip in his own cash for the next heist... and looking back, fine, I get it, they’ll need funds for various things... but they used the lion's share of that money to buy a house in Florida. Why buy it? Wouldn't renting a place have been much more practical?

goldenhound32 said:Look, I get that the Soderbergh flick is better, but I actually dug this one too. Just try comparing that Marvin guy to this total mess from 2013...

It's on my watchlist for tomorrow, so I'll have a better idea once I've actually sat through it.

It doesn't have any of that humor you find in Payback with Gibson, and it isn't even dark. It’s just... watered down 👎 ...even Statham isn't really doing it for me here.

Depends on which Payback you're talking about. The original is way more fun, whereas the director's cut is basically a different movie entirely. Not necessarily "better," just different—definitely less of a blast.