The Beekeeper

A fresh take on the John Wick formula.

Ahh, the beekeeper. I went into this movie expecting mindless action, endless explosions, floods of gunfire, and one heck of a good time. But what I got was exactly that, and an extra bit more. Now, is this the next john wick, or die hard? Is this movie going to go down in history as one of the best action flicks of the century? Probably not. But, does it need to be? Probably not. It does a good job of being what it set out to be: good, mindless fun. This film doesn’t try to hide the fact that it’s a john wick-like, but it tweaks the formula just enough that it’s an enjoyable time. If you like action movies, you’ll like the beekeeper. If you don’t like action movies, I’d be curious to see if you liked this one. It isn’t so over-the-top that it will make you nauseous, but I’m afraid there isn’t a strong sense of character depth to keep you interested. It’s a stuff-happening, non-stop action type movie. 

What I like about this movie is how subtly memorable it is. There is nothing truly groundbreaking or innovative about it, but it tweaks the john wick formula just enough to be enjoyable. It scratches the john wick itch, while still feeling like something just a smidge different. But it got me thinking: action movies are really hard to mess up. Sure, to make something amazing, innovative, and groundbreaking, it will take some effort, but I think it’s especially hard to make an action movie that has audiences leaving a theater unhappy. Critics and the public at large aside, I think all you really need for a good action flick is gunfire, explosions, and a plot that moves along in a way that makes sense. I’m no expert, but it seems pretty simple to me as a viewer. 

But this movie did just enough to the pre-established formula of action movies to feel like something enjoyable, yet familiar. It got me thinking about what makes something memorable. I know that’s a broad question, but I noticed it in the early scenes introducing the main antagonist. I thought they established him well, and portrayed him in ways that accented a personality that was unoriginally memorable. I, honestly, don’t fully understand how that works, myself. I watched the first scene where he skateboards in the office in fancy clothes and acts like a jerk, and he felt somewhat unforgettable. And yet, at the same time, it was like I had seen this character a hundred times before. I liked it.

Sometimes, movies can become memorable without being groundbreaking. Some of the movies I grew up on weren’t necessarily new and special, but we didn’t nitpick that much. That’s something we do too much of these days. I remember if we looked at the theater showings and didn’t see anything we liked, we would just do something else. Nowadays, we have to shout from the rooftops that everything is horrible. I, personally, don’t think movies suck any more than they used to. I think people are crankier than they used to be. 

So, do I recommend this movie? Sure! If you like John Wick, or action movies in general, this one will scratch that itch. It doesn’t win best wick-like, that spot still goes to “nobody,” but the scenes and characters are just new enough to feel like a fresh take on the formula. Ultimately, it’s a fun time, and even more so on a big screen. But I am curious to know what you think, so please let me know!

Til next time

cheers!