Mutiny

When a new Jason Statham film comes out, you know exactly what to expect. There'll be action, grunts, and a sullen look. Now, that might make it sound as though I can't stand Statham but I that would be far from the truth. On the contrary, I find him very entertaining with his gruff British accent, wooden acting, and surly expressions. However, we can surely agree there's been an overabundance of Statham films as of late, which all too often follow exactly the same formula, much in the same way that the once-beloved Liam Neeson seems to have got stuck in a quagmire of run-of-the-mill action.

Mutiny is thus the latest in the line-up of Statham films, which somehow, by mistake, was released on streaming platforms two weeks before its theatrical premiere. However, I would argue that this is hardly the sort of film audiences will be rushing to the cinemas to see.

What does the plot have in store? Check out the synopsis: "When his boss is murdered right before his very eyes, security guard Cole Reed is framed for the crime. To clear his name, he is forced to take matters into his own hands. The chase leads him aboard a cargo ship and into a brutal web of human trafficking and international conspiracies."

French director Jean-François Richet is at the helm. He has previously directed the unnecessary remake of Assault on Precinct 13 starring Ethan Hawke, the Public Enemy films about Jacques Mesrine starring Vincent Cassel, and most recently - as far as I can recall - the at least somewhat entertaining action film Plane starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter. I don't really have all that much to say about Richet's direction in this instance. It's the sort of film where most things seem to run on autopilot and the characters are, as is so often the case, wafer-thin.

In the cast, apart from Statham playing essentially the exact same role he's played for the last fifteen years, we see, amongst others, Annabelle Wallis from The Mummy reboot and Malignant, the Danish actor Roland Møller, who's always typecast in similar villain roles, and Adrian Lester. There's nothing in the way of acting that really stands out.

I do like films set on large ships, a bit in the same way I enjoy films set in other inhospitable places like Antarctica. There's something about the confinement and vulnerability that appeals to me. Perhaps that's why I've chosen to spend time watching Mutiny after all. And because, despite the formulaic plot and the overuse of the same tropes, I still find Statham entertaining to watch.

Mutiny tries to build up a thrilling, clever plot, but it never really gets interesting. Looking back, I can barely remember why he sets foot on the cargo ship in the first place, but it doesn't matter. You're here for a bit of action, and that's what you get. The action scenes look good, even if there's never really any real tension built up, but it's fun to watch Statham beat people up. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the violence is a bit bloodier than expected, yet still nothing extreme by any measures.

This isn't going to be an in-depth review, but that's how it goes when you watch a film that's about as deep as a paddling pool. Mutiny delivers pretty much what I expected it to, and in pretty much the way I imagined. Still, I'd have expected it to be a bit more entertaining, be this by throwing in a funny catchphrase or giving us a misfit comic-relief character à la 90s action films to inject a bit more soul.

The film's credits roll after almost exactly ninety minutes, which is a good length, as this film wouldn't have benefited from a longer running time. It's far too thin on the ground and lacks any fresh ideas, and it's a bit like the Seagal film, Under Siege, but without the charismatic bad guys and Erika Eleniak stripping out of a cake. In other words, don't expect any high-quality action from Mutiny, but if you want to switch off your brain for a while and watch Statham do what Statham usually does, you could give it a go when it lands on streaming services. If, on the other hand, you want to watch a really good cargo ship thriller, I can recommend Captain Phillips.