Hummingbird - When Jason Statham Tried Something Slightly Different
- Fraser Simpson
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
Hummingbird may look like just another standard Jason Statham film, but it turns out to be surprisingly decent, with one of Statham's best performances.
Jason Statham films are the equivalent of ordering from your favourite takeaway. The quality's consistently good, there are no surprises, and while you know there are likely better restaurants to get a takeaway from, you feel a sense of loyalty to this one. However, sometimes Jason Statham (and your favourite takeaway) can surprise you. Whether it be a slightly more bonkers or unique version of your standard Stath affair, or a free bag of poppadoms complimentary of your favourite Indian restaurant, the surprise is, for a lack of a better word, surprisingly refreshing.
Hummingbird is one such case. If it weren't for 2015's Spy showing his comedic chops and being the best part of a surprisingly funny action comedy, Hummingbird would have probably been the most interesting Jason Statham film of the 2010s. It's not necessarily his best or his most audacious attempt to stray from his usual formula (the Crank duology exists on an entirely different planet of madness), but our good friend Jason Statham here is trying his hand at a different kind of film than his output in the 2010s. And for the most part, Hummingbird is a commendable effort and surprisingly good film from everyone's favourite action star.
Hummingbird centres around Jason Statham's Joseph Smith/Joey Jones, an ex-Special Forces soldier and a homeless drunk in London. Haunted by his past in the armed forces, he befriends a Catholic nun, becomes involved in organised crime, and exacts vengeance on a man who beats and kills prostitutes. Effectively, it's your usual Statham bread and butter, with a nice glass of red wine to go alongside it.
He commits war crimes, which is not exactly new ground for Statham's character in films, or members of real-life special forces, especially in Afghanistan. He kills people with a spoon, adding to his efficiency in using cutlery as tools for murder, following the use of a fork in 2012's Safe, and the use of a knife in about half his filmography He cries, which is possibly the first and last time Jason Statham has cried in a film, giving the film a unique achievement to make it stand out from other films in his filmography. He has sex with a nun, breaking said nun's vow of celibacy, which God likely won't approve of, even if it's with Jason Statham. Effectively, whilst there are attempts to try something different, there's still enough of Statham's usual enjoyable action trademarks to help ease you into the less usual aspects of Hummingbird. Or Redemption, as it was called in the USA. Or Crazy Joe, as it was called in France. None of the titles are good or descriptive of the film, but fit well enough in a filmography with similar generic titles such as "London", "War", "The Mechanic" and "A Working Man".
Hummingbird comes from director Steven Knight, who you may remember for creating Peaky Blinders and may definitely not remember for creating the abhorrent disaster that is 2019's Serenity, a film whose plot synopsis resembles a baffling, confusing drunk man you'd encounter in your local pub. While the directing and writing, both from Knight, leave a lot to be desired, he should be commended for getting such a good performance out of Jason Statham for this film. It's arguably among his best performances over a career spanning nearly 30 years, and that says a lot, given he's always been a consistently good actor throughout his filmography. Factor in some good cinematography and interesting character concept, and Hummingbird reveals itself to be more than your routine Statham film.
Ultimately, Hummingbird's place within Jason Statham's filmography is little more than an interesting footnote compared to his standard affair of action films he stars in once or twice a year. It would be nice to see him try something audacious one last time before he retires, whether in the same vein as the Crank duology or given the Adam Sandler-Uncut Gems treatment, but if he's happy in his lane, then we should all be happy. While Hummingbird may not look that interesting on paper, Jason Statham's excellent performance propels it into a surprisingly above-average experience, a testament to the Stath's impeccable commitment to his films.
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