A Working Man - Review: A action collaboration that fails to recapture the magic of its predecessors.

★★½☆☆

A disappointing action collaboration that fails to recapture the magic of its predecessors.

Directed by David Ayer and written by Sylvester Stallone, A Working Man (also known as Levon's Trade) feels like a clumsy, often frustrating knock-off of genre staples like Taken and John Wick. Despite the high-caliber talent involved, including star Jason Statham, the film struggles with an infuriating amount of superfluous backstory and secondary setups that fail to lead anywhere worthwhile.

"Watching this film one is reminded of how tight a film like Taken was with its building, suspenseful action... and how great John Wick was with creating believable, worthy villains."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Action Assembly

• Director: David Ayer
• Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone (Based on Chuck Dixon's novel)
• Starring: Jason Statham, David Harbour
• Thematic Roots: Vigilante Justice / Retired Specialist

Choreography Without Heart

The film is not a total loss, as David Ayer attempts to "put lipstick and rouge on this mess" with well-choreographed action sequences. However, these moments of entertainment are buried under a journey that can be painful to sit through. Unlike Statham’s previous outing in The Beekeeper, there is simply no heart in the story to make the audience care about the stakes or the characters involved.

💡 Production Trivia

• Stallone/Statham Reunion: This film marks another collaboration between the two action icons following the Expendables series and Homefront.
• Literary Origin: The story is based on the popular "Levon Cade" series of thrillers by comic book writer Chuck Dixon.
• Ayer/Statham Duo: This is the second consecutive collaboration for Ayer and Statham following their success with The Beekeeper.

✅ Pros

• Well-choreographed, professional action sequences.
• David Ayer's visual direction tries to elevate the material.
• Statham remains a reliable, physical presence.

❌ Cons

• Infuriating amount of superfluous, go-nowhere backstory.
• Unintentionally humorous and annoying antagonists.
• Lacks the narrative heart or tension of Taken or John Wick.

The Full Analysis

A Working Man is a clumsy, laughable, and often frustrating knock off of the legendary action films Taken and John Wick. What makes the movie especially disappointing is the high level of talent involved in the production, featuring star Jason Statham, director David Ayer, and a screenplay co-written by Ayer and action icon Sylvester Stallone. One would naturally think that such an assembled powerhouse of talent would produce a more satisfying and cohesive film, especially since it arrives on the heels of the superior and surprisingly enjoyable The Beekeeper.

As for this specific project, there is an infuriating amount of superfluous backstory and secondary set-ups that do not lead anywhere interesting or worthwhile. The film is plagued by some of the most annoying and unintentionally humorous antagonists in recent memory. Watching this movie serves as a stark reminder of how tight a film like Taken was with its building suspense and rising tension, and how masterful John Wick was at creating believable, worthy villains who felt like genuine threats.

Despite these flaws, A Working Man is not a total loss. Director David Ayer clearly tries his best to put lipstick and rouge on this narrative mess, but there is only so much a director can do with such a scattered foundation. While there are some entertaining action moments to be found, the journey required to reach those highlights can be genuinely painful. The action is well choreographed, but that is essentially the extent of its success. There is simply no heart in the story to make the audience care about the stakes.

There is definitely better material available from the collective filmographies of Stallone, Statham, and Ayer. I would strongly recommend seeking out their previous work while trying not to hold this specific movie against them. While the intentions were likely good, the execution leaves much to be desired, proving that even a dream team can occasionally miss the mark.

🏆 Final Verdict

There are definitely better materials available from Stallone, Statham, and Ayer. I'd recommend seeking out their previous hits rather than holding this "disappointing mess" against them. For die-hard fans only.

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