Safe - Jason Statham cuts a swathe with fists, guns and one-liners

(Image credit: John Bear)

Trading blows with both the Russian Mafia and the Chinese Triads on the streets of New York, Jason Statham is at his bruising best in the action-packed, testosterone-fuelled slugfest Safe.

He’s Luke Wright, an ex-cop-turned-cage-fighter who’s been a suicidal bum since Russian mobsters killed his wife after he refused to take a dive. But he snaps out of his funk when he spots threatened mite Mei (Catherine Chan) on a subway platform. A 10-year-old Chinese maths prodigy, she has in her head a secret number worth millions to the rival Mafia and Triad gangs.

With a bunch of crooked NYPD cops also in the mix, Mei’s prospects for survival are grim until the redemption-seeking Luke steps in to protect her. As Luke cuts a swathe through the New York underworld in the course of a single night, there’s no time to ponder the absurdity of the plot, but the Stath’s fans will relish his way with his fists, guns and enjoyably corny one-liners.

Here's a sample:

Luke: I’ve been in restaurants all night and all I’ve been served is lead.

And later,

Bad guy: You must have big balls. Luke: Yeah, I’m amazed I can even walk.

On general release from Friday 4th May.

A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.