'Parker' - Standard revenge flick that could have been more.

I am a big crime caper film fan! I love a good heist flick, especially one that is more of a revenge film because of a heist gone wrong. I was especially excited for 'Parker', based on the popular pulp crime series by Richard Stark, directed by Taylor Hackford, and starring the perfectly cast Jason Statham it seemed to have promise. Unfortunately, Statham doesn't have the acting chops to rise above his usual action persona and even though handled solidly by Taylor Hackford, the film never really quite takes off to anything than, well, it was just ok.

Jason Statham is Parker, a master thief who lives by the code of always keeping your word; a deal is a deal. The opening scene has Parker involved in a clever heist of the Ohio State Fair. Parker is double crossed and left for dead and from there the movie becomes very standard revenge film with Parker pursuing the double crossing partners for his share of the loot. With such powerful actors as Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Nick Nolte and Patti LuPone I would have expected better. But it seems they are all adrift, with no real direction; each of them seem to be working hard, but their performances really don't seem to gel. While J. Lo and LuPone are going for a little comic relief, Nolte is going for mentor and I really couldn't figure out what Chiklis was going for. Statham, well, he was just being Statham and while that is normally not a bad thing (in all of his kick ass glory), here it made 'Parker' just an average film.

Since Parker stars in a series of pulp crime novels, I am hoping the inevitable sequel will either give Statham a chance to mature more as an actor or a director will pick it up than can actually draw some cohesive performances from the cast. For now, this 2 star jumping off point for the series may be the last one.