David Ayer’s (End of Watch, Suicide Squad, Fury) new film The Beekeeper follows retired operative Adam Clay (Jason Statham) who was part of special program known as Beekeepers – think of the Beekeepers as a mix of John Wick, James Bond, and the Terminator.

After his friend (played by Phylicia Rashad) passes away after she is scammed out of all of her money, Clay puts down the honey and picks up his gun to get revenge on the people responsible.

Clay is a soft-spoken assassin that speaks with his actions more than words. Seriously, the character may have two pages of dialogue. The script itself is B-movie bad in the best way possible. One of the funniest reoccurring themes are phrases in the script like “kicking the hornet’s nest” and “protecting the hive” to describe what Clay is doing. Also, some of the exposition to describe what’s happening comes from FBI agent Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman) reading facts from a book on beekeeping.

As Clay’s body count stacks up, the arrows point to the Danforth family and their connection to the criminal enterprise Clay is hell-bent on taking down. Like Death Note, once you’re on the Beekeeper’s list, it’s only a matter of time before he gets you. Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson) is a money obsessed tech bro who is being protected by Wallace (Jeremy Irons), a former CIA director that understands why everyone should be terrified of Clay.

With a 90-minute runtime, the movie gets right to the action as Clay shoots, cuts, staples, and punches his way through various slimy bad guys in expensive suits and elite tasks force. The moment sleaze ball salesman Mickey Garnett (David Witts) shows up onscreen; you know he’s going to die an excruciating death. Even when deaths like that are blatantly telegraphed, Ayers creates enough humor and unique kills to make those moments work. Kudos to Ayers and his team for creating very interesting ways to kill people in office buildings.

Like John Wick and its many clones, Beekeeper is dripped in mythology that’s not explored on screen that could lead to a sequel or a spin-off. Thankfully, none of that takes away from the film being a straightforward revenge film.

The best part of the film, outside of the action, is the comedy. It’s a funny film on many levels. Some of the jokes and characters are meant for comic relief. It feels like Ayers and his team is in on how ridiculous it is. There are a few kills that feel like they’re almost winking at the audience because of how ridiculous it is.

The Beekeeper leans into the laughs, even the unintentional ones, and pairs it with gritty violence to create an impressive action film that is a throwback to the 90’s. Fans will look up one day and see the film is #1 on Netflix for weeks. It may not be for everyone but it’s a film that will have a bigger audience than people think. It’s not a “good” movie but there are plenty of people that take 90-minutes out of their day to watch Statham’s warpath and enjoy it.

Grade: B