Parker was directed by Taylor Hackford, written by John J. McLaughlin who adapts from a book by Donald Westlake, and stars Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Micah Hauptman, Wendell Pierce, Clifton Collins Jr., Emma Booth, and Nick Nolte. It's about a thief betrayed by his crew working with a woman on the inside to take his ex-crew's next score.
The Plot: Heist/revenge stories are hardly original yarns and this one is no different. It's been spun time and again, but Hackford's pulpy lead character manages to keep eyes on the screen for most of the runtime, occasionally losing control of the details in the latter half. Parker's (Statham) leading a heist of the Ohio state fair with Melander (Chiklis), Hardwicke (Hauptman), Carlson (Pierce), and Ross (Collins Jr.) that mostly goes to plan, but when the rest of the crew demands his money in preparation for another job; Parker wants no part of it. Shot for his denial, he's picked up and recovers, now leaning on mastermind Hurley (Nolte) who somehow doesn't know what went down; Parker's out for blood, money, and to save his girlfriend Claire (Booth) by putting her in needless danger. There's plenty of holes to poke in the plan, especially once Parker partners up with Leslie (Lopez), but the movie moves fast enough to avert attention from them. It's good escapist fun.
The Characters: Again, all of these things, these characters, they've been done innumerable times before; but the script by McLaughlin does a solid job at giving the movie a handful of memorable ones alongside an upper-tier Statham protagonist. Parker himself is the most vivid of the bunch even though the movie doesn't dive into him. He's by no means a flawless man, but he does have some sense of right and wrong, he distastes killing even if he has no reservations about thievery or maiming (as is well-depicted in the opening heist). And there are people he likes, even if he puts them in danger. Leslie is refreshing in that she may be in the presence of a good-looking and well-trained guy, but eschews a would-be romance subplot by just being in it for the money. She's occasionally annoying but much less than expected. The baddies are solid fodder too, with greed at their centers, but it's different since they want to do something aside from robbing and running. They all do just enough to set themselves apart.
The Action: Hackford stages a few fun action sequences throughout the course of the movie. From the opening credits there's a unique sense of place, using a state fair, in the midwest no less, is a rarity in movies; and an added touch of neo-noir (in the first act anyway) only raises the bar for later. Fisticuffs and gunfights are much punchier here than in other post-Taken, pre-Wick action romps too (excluding series like the Expendables). Statham gets plenty of time to show why he's in demand, and the baddies (even the nameless one played by Daniel Bernhardt) put up some good resistance. Some of that brutality gets lost in choppy edits, probably hiding people that aren't Statham; or just in an attempt to manufacture more of a rush. Still, while a lot of what's being shown is reminiscent of other movies, the stuff that's original is enjoyable.
The Technics: More than just kinetic fluidity was lost in editing, with the location whipping around like a lion tamer and the script insisting on playing the "last name game" throughout the runtime. Melander adopts a fake identity that's only explained when Parker infiltrates the place the crew are hiding out in, the location changes from Ohio to Kentucky to Texas to Florida in 20 minutes, give or take; and despite a few run-ins with Claire, she never feels like anything more than a tacked-on trait of Parker's. With all the bouncing around, there's plenty of scope to show for it. And while most scenes are high in adrenaline, it's still easy to appreciate the sights on display, from the set design to the locations, to Lopez's cleavage. While the editing does a number on the cohesion of the story and the action, the cinematography itself never suffers.
Statham and the whole cast (possibly barring Lopez) slip into their roles with ease while the momentum hardly lets up, making Parker a fun sit even if the details get hazy and the logic goes limp thanks to a woeful edit. Parker may not be the freshest of action films, but it hits the right spot.
70/100.
The Plot: Heist/revenge stories are hardly original yarns and this one is no different. It's been spun time and again, but Hackford's pulpy lead character manages to keep eyes on the screen for most of the runtime, occasionally losing control of the details in the latter half. Parker's (Statham) leading a heist of the Ohio state fair with Melander (Chiklis), Hardwicke (Hauptman), Carlson (Pierce), and Ross (Collins Jr.) that mostly goes to plan, but when the rest of the crew demands his money in preparation for another job; Parker wants no part of it. Shot for his denial, he's picked up and recovers, now leaning on mastermind Hurley (Nolte) who somehow doesn't know what went down; Parker's out for blood, money, and to save his girlfriend Claire (Booth) by putting her in needless danger. There's plenty of holes to poke in the plan, especially once Parker partners up with Leslie (Lopez), but the movie moves fast enough to avert attention from them. It's good escapist fun.
The Characters: Again, all of these things, these characters, they've been done innumerable times before; but the script by McLaughlin does a solid job at giving the movie a handful of memorable ones alongside an upper-tier Statham protagonist. Parker himself is the most vivid of the bunch even though the movie doesn't dive into him. He's by no means a flawless man, but he does have some sense of right and wrong, he distastes killing even if he has no reservations about thievery or maiming (as is well-depicted in the opening heist). And there are people he likes, even if he puts them in danger. Leslie is refreshing in that she may be in the presence of a good-looking and well-trained guy, but eschews a would-be romance subplot by just being in it for the money. She's occasionally annoying but much less than expected. The baddies are solid fodder too, with greed at their centers, but it's different since they want to do something aside from robbing and running. They all do just enough to set themselves apart.
The Action: Hackford stages a few fun action sequences throughout the course of the movie. From the opening credits there's a unique sense of place, using a state fair, in the midwest no less, is a rarity in movies; and an added touch of neo-noir (in the first act anyway) only raises the bar for later. Fisticuffs and gunfights are much punchier here than in other post-Taken, pre-Wick action romps too (excluding series like the Expendables). Statham gets plenty of time to show why he's in demand, and the baddies (even the nameless one played by Daniel Bernhardt) put up some good resistance. Some of that brutality gets lost in choppy edits, probably hiding people that aren't Statham; or just in an attempt to manufacture more of a rush. Still, while a lot of what's being shown is reminiscent of other movies, the stuff that's original is enjoyable.
The Technics: More than just kinetic fluidity was lost in editing, with the location whipping around like a lion tamer and the script insisting on playing the "last name game" throughout the runtime. Melander adopts a fake identity that's only explained when Parker infiltrates the place the crew are hiding out in, the location changes from Ohio to Kentucky to Texas to Florida in 20 minutes, give or take; and despite a few run-ins with Claire, she never feels like anything more than a tacked-on trait of Parker's. With all the bouncing around, there's plenty of scope to show for it. And while most scenes are high in adrenaline, it's still easy to appreciate the sights on display, from the set design to the locations, to Lopez's cleavage. While the editing does a number on the cohesion of the story and the action, the cinematography itself never suffers.
Statham and the whole cast (possibly barring Lopez) slip into their roles with ease while the momentum hardly lets up, making Parker a fun sit even if the details get hazy and the logic goes limp thanks to a woeful edit. Parker may not be the freshest of action films, but it hits the right spot.
70/100.