Movie Review: ‘Mutiny’

Tweet
Review by Adam Courtliff

Jason Statham is one of the most consistent Hollywood actors working today. Every time you step into a cinema for one of his new releases, you know exactly what to expect and what normally gets delivered. His latest movie, Mutiny, is no different in that regard, but the one thing it undoubtedly is, is a f**cking awesome thrill ride that is bound to be a summer crowd-pleaser.

Mutiny follows Cole Reed (Jason Statham), an ex-Royal Marine Commando turned private security guard for his billionaire shipping boss. All seems to be well in Reed’s life until the head of an international crime gang, Taran (Jason Wong), frames him for his boss’s murder. Now a wanted man with vengeance the only thing on his mind, Reed boards a container ship to blow up the gang from within, kicking ass and taking names all in the name of revenge.

Narratively, Mutiny is remarkably similar to much of Statham’s filmography. From the outset, it’s very predictable as to where the story is going, and thanks to a spoiler in the trailer, the mystery surrounding the international crime gang has already been revealed. In that regard, director Jean-François Richet, alongside his writing team of J.P. Davis and Lindsay Michel, doesn’t really have any surprises up his sleeve to throw audiences off. Instead, it pretty much plays out exactly how you’d expect, which isn’t inherently a bad thing for a movie like this.

To their credit though, they do spend time, particularly in the first act, providing some character development for Cole Reed and adding an emotional element to the storyline. It is, for the most part, surface-level in nature, but it’s just about enough to give an understanding of where Reed has come from and what the friendship with his boss means to him. It’s clear from certain scenes that the intention was for them to pack a real punch. That doesn’t always work as much as intended, but it has been handled a lot better than in previous Statham movies.

That does create its own problems though, with some very cheesy dialogue that flirts with being cringey at times thrown in for good measure. However, the script feels self-aware enough not to take itself too seriously and, for the most part, manages to flip those moments on their head, even creating some genuinely humorous scenes along the way.

Of course, the one thing that gets audiences returning to the big screen to see these types of movies is the action, and that’s where Mutiny excels. The set pieces feel fresh, distinctive and ultimately inventive, more than making up for the narrative shortcomings. There’s a real physicality to the combat, with the choreography making clever use of Reed’s surroundings rather than simply relying on the usual gunfire and explosions. There’s just something about watching Jason Statham kill bad guys with a padlock that is so infectious. If every movie he makes delivers this level of quality with its combat, I could quite happily watch another hundred of them just like this.

Those sequences are made all the more enjoyable by some stellar camera work. All too often, movies within the action genre fall by the wayside with excessive shaky cam or choppy editing that makes the carnage incredibly hard to follow. That was never going to happen here though. The editing is slick and the cinematography completely immersive, while still allowing audiences to actually see and appreciate the choreography. It’s so effective that audiences are almost guaranteed to wince and cringe at some of the more gruesome moments within this adrenaline-fuelled ride.

So much of that credit also belongs to the stunt team, headed up by coordinator Steve Griffin. Their extensive choreography, particularly within the hand-to-hand combat scenes, is pretty much flawless. It ensures audiences can feel every single hit Cole lands on his enemies. That’s further aided by some superb sound design, ensuring that when you hear the bones inevitably cracking, it reverberates through your entire body.

The short 90-minute runtime ensures that Mutiny doesn’t outstay its welcome like previous overstuffed Statham flicks. While not as relentless as some might expect, especially with a slower build in the first act, once the movie hits its stride it never lets up. That all builds to a crescendo in the final act, providing the best 20 minutes of spectacle you’re likely to have seen in a Jason Statham movie in years. You can feel every bullet ricochet and every blood splatter as it delivers one of the most entertaining climaxes you’re likely to see all year.

There’s also a noticeable improvement in Statham’s overall performance. Previously, he has perhaps rightfully been accused of phoning it in with some of his lesser movies. That couldn’t be further from the case here though, as he completely commits to every element asked of him. There’s more vulnerability in the quieter moments, while his typically dry delivery also helps some of the cheesier dialogue land better than it otherwise might. It’s almost as if he knew he was onto a winner, so gave it his all. It’s a performance that his fans will be undeniably happy with, and one that ensures they’ll be behind every aspect of Cole Reed’s journey.

So while, yes, Mutiny still suffers from a lot of the same problems and complaints levelled at many other Jason Statham movies, it feels almost impossible not to have a good time with this one. There are more than enough redeeming qualities here, particularly the enthralling set pieces, that will have fans begging for more. And as much as I wasn’t expecting to say this, Mutiny is a movie that should definitely be seen on the big screen as soon as possible.