From the Rolling Stons
Reserve a special place in hell for movies that end up awful when they don't have to be. To a list that includes Alex Cross, Savages and The Paperboy, add Parker. Taylor Hackford (Ray) is credited as director and John J. McLaughlin (Black Swan)
with the script. But the movie seems untouched by originality or human
hands. The title character, created by novelist Donald E. Westlake under
the name Richard Stark, is a career criminal with no first name. He
inspired many movies – one, 1967's Point Blank, with Lee Marvin, is top-tier. Another, 1999's Payback, with Mel Gibson, at least aspires to be.
Parker, with Jason Statham in the lead, inspires only
disgust. Statham is born for this material. But he plays the role with
as much enthusiasm as a paycheck actor going through the motions. Parker
is out for revenge against his fellow thieves, led by Michael Chiklis,
who steal his share of a robbery and leave him for dead. Ha! Parker
never dies! Instead, he follows his former crew to Florida and plots to
hijack their next heist with the help of a local realtor (Jennifer
Lopez, miscast as a simple girl with a dream) who's eager to walk on his
wild side.
To Read the Full Story...Click Here
To Read the Full Story...Click Here
