Jason Statham is one of the most prominent actors in the world of cinema currently with some of the most adrenalin-packed action films to his name. From jumping over cars to racing or very convincingly beating up people in his numerous roles, Statham is a full package on his own. Counted amongst the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, his mark has been indelible on both the American and British film industry.
Yet the actor has not been faring as well in the last couple of years. Despite being part of huge money-making franchises like Fast & Furious and Expendables, the star’s bankability factor seems to be flailing leading to not just box office bombs but also critically failed films.
Jason Statham’s List Of Commercial And Critical Bombs
A martial artist as well as a sportsman, having represented England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Jason Statham is also an extremely talented actor and action star. Starring primarily in action films, his movies always feature some of the most daring and adrenalin-packed action scenes. Back in 2018, he was named one of the most bankable stars in the world by BBC (via Daily Star).
Yet, since 2018, the actor hasn’t faced much of a critical success and even has two commercially bombed films. So, without further ado, here is a list of Jason Statham’s commercial and critical bombs since 2018 (via Rotten Tomatoes)!
Expend4bles (2023) – Both
The fourth addition to the reported Expendables franchise, the film featured Statha, in a more prominent role trying to have him carry forward the banner of the franchise. Despite receiving praise for his acting and action scenes, the film was both a commercial and a critical failure.
Criticized for its plot, lusterless storyline, and dialogue, the movie’s production budget was $100 million but only managed to gross about $51 million worldwide (via The Numbers). Furthermore, on Rotten Tomatoes the movie only has about 14% overall rating, making it one of his biggest critical and box office flops.
Meg 2: The Trench (2023) – Critical Failure
Released last year as the sequel to his commercially successful science fiction film, Meg 2 took the tale even further. Reprising his role as a rescue driver named Jonas Taylor, this film too followed a group of scientists trying to overrun huge megalodons in a battle of life and death.
Despite having some good underwater action scenes, the film wasn’t as much of a critical success. As per Rotten Tomatoes, the film only has about 27% rating from film critics for being disjointed and fun-less. As for the financials, made against a reported budget of $139 million (via The Wrap), the film made about $398 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
The Meg (2018) – Critical Failure
The 2018 science fiction film was a tale of how a group of scientists encountered and ultimately defeated a gigantic 75-foot-long megalodon shark. Starring Jonas Taylor, a rescue driver, Statham was wonderful in the role, showing some of the most amazing action sequences underwater.
The film went on to gross about $529 million worldwide, an impressive result for a film made against a $130 million production budget (via Box Office Mojo). Yet, the film only holds a 47% rating on Rotten Tomatoes making it a commercial success but a critical failure.
Operation Fortune: Rise de Guerre (2023) – Both
A spy action comedy, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre has an impeccable cast with Statham starring as a super-spy called Orson Fortune. While loyal fans of the actor seemed to enjoy the actor in yet again a spy role, the movie failed to compete with similar films of the genre in modern times.
While some praised the movie, it currently has a 51% overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes from movie critics, making it a contentious critical failure. Furthermore, made against a $50 million budget (via Deadline), the film only managed to accumulate $48+ million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
Fast X (2023) – Critical Failure
The 10 film of the billion-dollar grossing franchise, Fast & Furious, the film has an impeccable cast featuring some of the biggest actors in Hollywood. Reprising his role of Deckard Shaw, the film received generally mixed reviews across different platforms, despite most fans loving the family-oriented action film.
While most critics chose to even label it as a silly family tale, it only managed to get about 56% overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it somewhat of a critical failure. Made against a budget of $340 million, the movie went on to gross $714 million worldwide (via The Numbers).
F9 (2021) – Critical Failure
Another Fast & Furious entry on the list, F9 is needless to say the ninth installment of the action franchise. Although Statham only appeared in a small cameo at the end of the film, it starred the rest of its ensemble cast. While most fans and critics like the movie, others thought it lacked characterization and real action, unlike the previous films of the franchise.
Even though fans liked the film, the movie has about 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, just a little shy of being called a critical success. As for its production, the movie was made on a budget of $200 million and managed to gross over $719 million worldwide (via The Numbers).
