On the high seas with Jason Statham! Our META Movie Review of Mutiny
We'll tell you whether the action movie is any good – and put other critics' reviews into perspective
In "Mutiny," Jason Statham takes on the entire crew of a cargo ship. Plenty of action is guaranteed. Find out what else awaits you and how we and other critics rate this movie in KinoCheck's META review!
Here's what it's about
Now that's what you call employee loyalty! When the billionaire CEO of a shipping company is murdered right in front of his bodyguard, Cole Reed, the bodyguard does everything in his power to bring his boss's killers to justice. And since Reed is played by Jason Statham, things soon take the inevitable turn: The killers get thoroughly beaten up. One by one. Conveniently, he tracks down the culprits in no time at all. The trail leads to a freighter. Reed manages to sneak onto the ship – and soon realizes that the entire crew is in on it. The exception: Angie Ellis (Annabelle Wallis) , who's only recently come on board and knows nothing about the crew's schemes. When she catches on to the murderous crew's plot, she teams up with Reed. A merciless fight for survival erupts on the ship.
You can count on Statham
Critics have given the film a mixed reception. There's been no outpouring of praise, though a few reviews take a relatively favorable view of the film. Some critics give it a failing grade. Most, however, place "Mutiny" somewhere in between: a solid action-packed thriller in which Statham delivers exactly what you'd expect from him in a film of this genre. In fact, director Jean-François Richet can rely entirely on his leading man when staging the fight for survival. You can always believe that Statham, as a walking one-man army, effortlessly takes out every opponent – no matter how brutal the fights may be. Or, to put it in the words of Collider critic Shawn Van Horn:
"Director Jean-François Richet [...] keeps the camera trained on him as much as possible. Statham, now pushing 60, still feels timeless (and ageless!) as an action hero."
In addition, the cargo ship on the high seas provides Richet with a perfect setting: space is limited, and escape seems virtually impossible. Ideal conditions for an action-packed thriller in the tradition of the Bruce Willis classic "Die Hard". Jacob Oller of the A.V. Club sums it up as follows:
"A few shots actually give context to the scale of the cargo ship – like when Reed climbs down the anchor on and back up onto the deck – but this is mostly a film of corridors and corners, blurring together from the cramped perspective of those running through its nautical labyrinth."
There's no need to worry about the hero
"Mutiny" picks up steam, when Reed and his enemies engage in hand-to-hand combat in the tightest of spaces. It's precisely in these situations that the action is staged quite convincingly. And yet, all in all, there's no real sense of suspense. Why is that? Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Statham, as a walking one-man army, is more efficient than is good for the film. In other words: There isn't a single moment throughout the entire runtime when you find yourself worrying about the hero. As a reminder: A merciless battle for survival rages aboard the ship – at least on the surface. You see it, but you don't feel it.
Some critics still feel well entertained. Many, however, also suggest that the film is forgotten just as quickly as it was watched. "Mutiny" receives a particularly negative review from Siddhant Adlakha at IGN, who states:
"[...] Mutiny features Jason Statham sleepwalking through a tepid nautical revenge saga with few memorable moments."
A bland aftertaste
That said, the film also leaves a bland aftertaste due to the way the violence is portrayed in certain scenes. "Mutiny" isn't consistently graphic – and yet there are occasional scenes in which Statham shoots his opponent in the head with a touch too much cold-bloodedness. When the opponent's face is torn apart and drops of blood spatter toward us, the camera lingers just a little too long on the mess. Not long enough to put the audience off, but just long enough to celebrate the brutal moment in passing. As if to say: Didn't Statham tear his face apart just perfectly?
Bottom line: Overall, the action movie comes across as rather mediocre. We agree: Despite the solid direction, the suspense is limited – and even Jason Statham can't change that.
