A Working Man is a new film coming out this weekend from director David Ayer and from a script from Ayer & Sylvester Stallone. The film stars Jason Statham, Michael Peña, and David Harbour. Levon Cade (Statham) left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life working construction. When his boss’s daughter is taking by human traffickers, his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption far grater than he could have imagined.

At no point was I ever excited for this film, yet I do like Jason Statham and will watch anything he is in. I am no mega fan by any means, but I never found him to be the worst parts in his less likable films. This is Statham & director David Ayer’s 2nd film after last year’s The Beekeeper. I used to really like Ayer’s work, but ever since 2016’s Suicide Squad, it seems like what I used to believe is no longer there. I am in no means blown away by The Beekeeper nor this. If this is what Ayer can make and the general public likes it enough to help both the box office and help people make the films, then I can’t be all that upset about it.

Going into this, I was expecting a macho action film that knew exactly what it was, and that’s exactly what I got. Seeing Stallone as a co-writer, I just had a feeling this would be the case. With a serious subject like human trafficking, I was expecting something more gritty, showing that you don’t mess with people like Statham. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that here. What should have been a film that tackled the serious topic of human trafficking in the U.S. instead tries to not take itself too seriously where comedy is placed in favor of liking the main character more and drama to give us more development with the bad guys. We don’t care. We are there to see Statham take these guys down.

At one point, my friend who saw this with me, asked me if this was a comedy. I almost got second-hand embarrassment by how much the film leans into the comedy. This is the kind of film where you know Statham is going to be okay and make it on top. There are just way too many inconsistencies with his character that doesn’t quite make him as interesting as he could be. His character has a daughter in the film, which felt like a mistake. At one point in the film, he tells one of the bad guys that he won’t understand what he’s doing, because he doesn’t have a daughter. I mean, I get it, but I don’t have a daughter, and I get it. Instead of his character having a daughter, it would be more interesting for him to lose both his wife and daughter, relying on the daughter of the only family he knows through his job. Instead, it’s confusing why he would put his only daughter in jeopardy with what he’s doing.

Speaking of inconsistencies, the film has a lot of them. The plot leans way too much in the villains that makes it less appealing. The villains even look animated based on the way they dress and act. The kidnapped daughter is the only girl shown that this gang has kidnapped. It’s some of the most rough acting I have seen in a while. It’s also some of the most rough editing I have seen in a while. Characters will randomly show up out of nowhere. Statham sleeps in his truck, has $10,000 cash, but also manages to drive 3 separate vehicles throughout the film as though the film had no script supervisor. The film is a mess, but it also seems intentional, and I think I’m okay with it at the end of the day. I am just frustrated with the lost potential.

If you are familiar with David Ayer & Sylvester Stallone’s prior work, it’s easy to see who wrote what in the film. I think had the film just embraced the 80’s cheese and stuck with it, it would have been better off. The film has far too many villains that Ayer covers. The film’s tone can make it easier for viewers to be entertained. There were people in my theater clapping and enjoying it, making me believe this will be a hit. I personally wanted a film that covered the nastiness of this world that shouldn’t exist. Instead, the plot became too convoluted for its own good and added humor in the wrong places.

I will say that by the time the film reaches its third act, I was more on board, questioning why we weren’t getting any of this before. It does feel like all of the subplots that came before lead to an action-packed finale that does feel earned. Once I saw the dots connecting, it finally feels like the stakes are pulling off. At a near 2-hour runtime, it does feel too little too late with very brief action scenes here and there beforehand.

One of the film’s more frustrating aspects is the wasted potential of Michael Peña & David Harbour. When Statham founds out his boss’s daughter is missing, you wouldn’t believe they were all that stressed out. The father, played by Peña does feel miscast and underutilized. The guy is talented. While he may be better in comedy, he has proven to be effective in serious dramas. I think there was more potential for him to try to track down the traffickers. At least have him try to do it on his own, get attacked, and have that be the reason why Statham decides to track these people down. Also, Harbour is only really there to babysit. I am not joking. I would have been more satisfied had he help Statham hunt down the traffickers.

Overall, A Working Man more or less gives you exactly what’d you expect. While it has its entertaining moments and another likably presence from Jason Statham, the film suffers from an uneven tone and way too much focus on the villains. The film’s greater potential is right there, which is frustrating. I can easily see this being a hit though for viewers, and I can’t be too upset for that if it helps the box office, which will help keep jobs going for those who work in film production.

VERDICT: 2.5/5 (Okay)