Jason Stathamhas starred in two remakes of classicBurt Reynoldsmovies; one of those remakes fell short of the original, but the other actually surpassed its predecessor. Statham is one of the only remaining old-school movie stars in Hollywood. He has the smoldering charisma of Reynolds, the authentic hard-as-nails badassery of Charles Bronson, and the unabashed coolness of Paul Newman. He’s one of the only actors who can still turn an original story likeThe Beekeeperinto a blockbuster hit at the box office.
But that doesn’t mean all his movies are originals.Statham has headlined his share of franchises, fromThe MegtoThe TransportertoThe Expendables, and he’s also joined the ensemble of other stars’ franchises to give them a much-needed shot in the arm, likeFast & Furious.Statham has expressed an interest in joining the James Bond series, he’s made a bunch of sequels to his movies, and he’s even remade some old classics — but some of these remakes have been better than others.
Jason Statham’s Wild Card Beat Burt Reynolds' Movie
Wild Card Was A Remake Of 1986’s Heat
In 2015, Statham starred inWild Card, an action thriller about a gambling addict in Vegas who takes odd jobs as a bodyguard (or “chaperone,” as he calls it) to pay off his debts. It was the second cinematic adaptation of William Goldman’s 1985 novelHeatafter the 1986 version starring Reynolds as the gambler-turned-bodyguard. Goldman wrote the screenplays for both adaptations, andboth movies were met with mostly negative reviews from critics, but Statham’s 2015 version is arguably an improvement over Reynolds’ 1986 effort.
Statham is arguably better suited to this role than Reynolds was. Reynolds shares Statham’s movie-star charms, but he’s less convincing in the role of a tough guy.
BothWild CardandHeatare predictable action movies that rely on recycled tropes and clichés from previous entries in the genre. But whereHeatis a lukewarm, by-the-numbers affair,Wild Cardhas a stylish verve imbued byCon Airdirector Simon West. Statham is arguably better suited to this role than Reynolds was. Reynolds shares Statham’s movie-star charms, but he’s less convincing in the role of a tough guy. Goldman’s book wasn’t the right vehicle for Reynolds, butit was a perfect vehicle for Statham.
Jason Statham’s Take On Mean Machine Couldn’t Beat The Longest Yard
Mean Machine Is A Fun Movie, But It’s Not The Classic That The Longest Yard Is
Statham’s other remake of a Reynolds filmdidn’t fare so well.Mean Machineis a British reimagining ofThe Longest Yard, swapping out American football for association football.Jason Stathamdoesn’t play the Reynolds role; that honor goes to Vinnie Jones, who doesn’t quite have the acting chops to carry a whole movie.Mean Machineis an entertaining sports comedy, butThe Longest Yardis a bona fide classic of the genre, and one of the crowning achievements ofBurt Reynolds’ filmography.
