When it comes to a film where Jason Statham is the leading man, you know what you’re getting into. At this point, there’s no way not to. The man is a cornerstone of the modern day action genre. The same exact statement could be said thirteen years ago, when Statham starred in a Boaz Yakin directed film called Safe. From beginning to end, Statham’s cage fighter character has to resort to physical violence (as per usual) in order to rescue and protect a child prodigy from the triad.
There is more than enough gun fighting, fisticuffs, and neck cracking to put this movie side by side with all of Statham’s other flicks, no doubt. Many critics seem to have had an issue with this movie though. According to them, Safe lived up to its name — in the worst of ways. It was formulaic, riddled with clichés, and conventional. These are just a few of the terms used to describe this Lionsgate thriller of yesteryear. Are they right? Well, for one — the different villains end up all fitting right into their stereotypes, the fight scenes all take place right when you figure they will and the dialogue itself doesn’t do this movie any favors.
Statham Calms Down His Act in ‘Safe’
But the most important aspect of Safe (one of which is widely ignored by the same people who point out this movie’s cons) is Statham’s willingness to tone down his one-man army persona (in this case, an ex-cop named Luke Wright) when the time calls for it. The main plot of this movie revolves around Mei, a young math genius being exploited by corrupt forces (played by then twelve-year-old Catherine Chan). In movie terms, she is the MacGuffin of Safe — more plainly put, the topic of interest that literally everybody is after. Why?
Well, she can instantly memorize numbers — or more specifically, a very long code to a safe that holds thirty million dollars. Numerous times during the hour and a half runtime that is this Statham-led tug of war, the girl ends up both under the villains’ control and safeguarded by Luke. When she’s in the triad’s grasp, all the usual tropes and clichés spill out like a disgruntled boss and some sass from the captive before the stakes are raised. When she’s around Statham, something more unique takes place. As one lone reviewer from the Los Angeles Times states, the action star and his much younger foil “charismatically bond” much better than you’d expect.
The Ending of ‘Safe’ Says It All
It’s unusual for action stars — never mind that — action stars who partake more often than not in violent tendencies to have a softer side. It’s clear in Safe that Statham walks across that bridge with ease. Whether it’s the scene in the hotel room where his character first makes that connection with Mei or at the end where he has to calm her down after she fires a gun, Jason Statham and Chan make a great on-screen duo. In these moments, the by-then veteran action star strikingly comes down to her level and, in turn, slows down the scene — making the audience fully aware that he is not a one-trick pony.
You could very well say that there are other titles in his filmography that show another side to the British actor. His first film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, was a comedy and then there are underrated titles in his repertoire, like 2005’s London, which sees him as an eccentric banker turned drug dealer (with little to no violence involved). Even though she is just a young girl here, actress Catherine Chan pulls off more than just a satisfactory performance. She already knows how to balance two different facets of a character — a tough exterior when faced with danger, but child-like reactions when the literal violence is right in front of her.
Even though the film continuously builds up their relationship, the most charming moment between the two (and an early sign of Statham’s softer range as an actor) comes at the very end. Mei actually ends up shooting the main antagonist just before Luke gets into a fight with him. While she was very brave in what she did, she is visibly traumatized — putting her hands to her ears and looking down. The recoil and piercing sound was too much to bear. Statham (as Luke Wright) then makes his way over to her and checks on her condition. The pacing of this moment not only evolves Statham’s cage fighter character into a careful protector, but also concludes the movie on a different note than it began. What was a once typical Statham showcase turns into a surprising, emotional guardianship — much to the bewildered critics. Safe is available to stream on Prime Video, YouTube and Paramount Plus.
- Release Date
-
April 16, 2012
- Runtime
-
94 Minutes