Parker

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Parker follows Jason Statham’s title character as he embarks on a quest for vengeance after he’s double-crossed by his crew. It’s familiar subject matter that’s employed to watchable yet distressingly erratic effect by Hackford, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by John J. McLaughlin, delivers a padded-out endeavor that fares quite well in its opening and closing stretches but strains to sustain one’s interest in its convoluted midsection – with said second act suffering from a confusing, sluggish feel that slowly-but-surely drains the viewer’s attention and enthusiasm. (It doesn’t help, either, that J. Michael Muro has blanketed the proceedings with almost shockingly low-rent visuals that remain a distraction from start to finish.) There’s little doubt, then, that Parker benefits from its smattering of engaging sequences (eg an impressively brutal hotel-room brawl) and the above-average efforts of its talented cast, with Statham’s predictably compelling turn as the tough-as-nails protagonist certainly matched by periphery players like Bobby Cannavale, Nick Nolte, and Jennifer Lopez. (The latter’s comedic-relief performance remains a highlight, to be sure.) By the time the violent, satisfying final stretch rolls around, Parker has certainly confirmed its place as a decent thriller that feels like it could (and should) be much better.

**1/2 out of ****