The Top 12 Best Jason Statham Movies

The heyday of unabashedly macho action heroes is basically over, but Jason Statham squeaked in right under the wire. The English actor, a former model and competitive diver, made his big screen debut in Guy Ritchie’s ensemble crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and quickly evolved into a steely cinematic butt-kicker, the star of multiple successful franchises and now a key member of the Fast and Furious movies. He’s even done in a couple of serious dramas and broad comedies, just to prove he’s got a little range.

But we don’t go to Jason Statham movies to see Jason Statham transform like a chameleon into an unrecognizable character. We go to see him play Jason Statham, or at least a recognizable variation. Whether he’s taking himself completely seriously or taking the piss out of his asphalt persona, he’s the star of a real “Jason Statham” movie, and we like it that way. He’s a movie star in the oldest sense of the word.

Universal Pictures

Also: Interview | Chris Morgan on ‘The Fate of the Furious’ and the Redemption of Deckard Shaw

That’s why, now that it’s time to rank the best Jason Statham movies, our rankings might not be wholly obvious. The point here isn’t to rank the best films that just happen to have Jason Statham in them, but to rank the films that put Jason Statham to the best use, and gave his fans exactly what they wanted. So even though he kicks a lot of ass in the Fast and Furious movies, he’s just part of the ensemble, and as such they rank a little lower than you might expect. But his lead performances in (two of) the Transporter movies elevate that material to sublimity, and we have to give bonus points for that, don’t we?

So let’s take a look at the best Jason Statham movies (so far), and thank our lucky stars that we’ve still got at least one old-fashioned action movie star kicking around, and making badass motion pictures practically every single year.

The Top 12 Best Jason Statham Movies

Top Photos: 20th Century Fox

William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.

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