Wrath of Man Review: Guy Ritchie & Jason Statham Get Gritty In Latest Collaboration

Jason Statham stars as the mysterious H in Guy Ritchie's 'Wrath of Man'

DIRECTED BY: GUY RITCHIE STARRING: JASON STATHAM, HOLT McCALLANY, & SCOTT EASTWOOD

RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT, PERVASIVE LANGUAGE, AND SOME SEXUAL REFERENCES

LENGTH: 119 MINUTES

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When it comes to style, very few directors come close to matching the energy that Guy Ritchie brings to his movies. From the witty dialogue, breakneck editing, and bounds of dark humor, Ritchie rarely holds back. There have been times where Ritchie has stepped away from the crime genre such as with blockbusters from the likes of Aladdin and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword yet he still is able to bring at least some of his trademarks to the table. Yet it comes as a surprise that his latest offering which marks his fourth outing with action-star Jason Statham may just be his biggest departure from his norm yet.

Wrath of Man, a remake of the 2004 French Film Le Convoyeur, follows the mysterious and calculated H (Statham). He's come to Los Angeles to work for an armored truck company to transport millions of dollars in cash all across the city. When his employers and co-workers start to question his past, H's true colors start to arise.

That's all that can be said about Wrath of Man without dipping into spoilers as this is surely a movie you'll want to go in knowing as little of the story as possible. In what could have been yet another disposable Statham actioner, Ritchie shows clear signs of restraint. The film feels much more grounded and gritty than what audiences have come to expect from this pair. The violence is ruthless and felt, it never feels as if the bodies stacking up are weightless. There's very few moments of humor and the film never feels tongue in cheek about itself.

Statham is a master at playing these kinds of rogue badass heroes and this may be his best work in awhile. The supporting cast around isn't particularly too memorable although Scott Eastwood is clearly showing the signs of improvement in his acting ability.

The story itself is told in an unconventional way that at times makes the movie feel disjointed. While this doesn't effect the film's compelling nature too significantly and makes sense, the film does feel as if it needed to gel together a bit tighter. The pacing isn't the problem as the film never feels like it brakes to a screeching halt and instead is motivated to keep the audience involved.

Wrath of Man is a perfect example of action-movie escapism. It may not be perfect, but the story and filmmaking elements work efficiently enough to make for a compelling time.

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4/5 Stars

Wrath of Man is now playing in theaters everywhere and is now available to rent on PVOD.