As a die-hard action movie enthusiast, I can’t help but be in awe of the fearless feats that Jason Statham pulls off on screen. His life seems like one big, adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster ride!
Jason Statham, despite being too large for such feats, still performs his own stunts due to his genuine passion for risking his physicality. This hard-hitting screen icon has a knack for Chinese martial arts, kickboxing, and karate from his younger days. Moreover, his leisure activities involve adrenaline-pumping pursuits such as wakeboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, and rock climbing. As such, it is only fitting that he engages in more than just memorizing lines on set.
Statham doesn’t just focus on his own interests; he often speaks up for stunt performers, pushing for them to receive an Oscar category because he believes the level of effort they put in should be highly recognized.
In summary, Statham’s films are brimming with an assortment of daring stunts, and some particularly impressive ones catch our attention not just for their cinematic appeal, but also due to the effort put into their execution.
6 Jet Ski Jump
Transporter 2 (2005)
Critics may have dismissed Transporter 2, but it’s full of enjoyment. The amusing sequel in the well-loved series follows skilled driver Frank Martin (Statham) as he fends off late-night judo assaults and nearly sleeps with a woman who wants him dead. In this installment, Frank is tasked with safeguarding and transporting the son of an influential politician. However, matters become complex when the politician’s adversaries kidnap the young boy and expose him to a lethal virus.
Frank encounters a situation requiring his attention, and during his attempt to rectify it, he slips, falls off an American flag, lands on a jet ski, picks up the girl on it over his shoulder, then rides away and leaps onto the top of a moving bus.
Good on Camera, But Risky in Real Life
Without a doubt, that stunt in action films is often hailed as among the best, yet Statham has openly acknowledged his foolishness for performing it, as it potentially could have led to severe harm. In an interview with Collider, he confessed:
In “The Transporter 2”, I attempted an imprudent stunt – leaping from a jet ski onto the rear of a moving bus. It wasn’t a wise decision, given there was no safety line to secure me. Frankly, if I had missed the bus, it would have been a 30 mph collision with the pavement. I shouldn’t have done it, but I just couldn’t resist the thrill.
It’s difficult not to ponder why director Louis Leterrier didn’t ensure the actor followed safety procedures while performing stunts, but we are thankful that the risks were taken. The thrill of watching Statham transition from running to jet skiing and then boarding a bus is nothing short of breathtaking.
5 Dangling Out of a Helicopter
Crank (2006)
In the thrilling world of cinema, I find myself embodying the unforgettable character of Chev Chelios in “Crank”. This name, Chelios, is as cool as they come! My character is a hitman who discovers that he’s been poisoned and his life hangs by a thread unless he maintains an excessive level of adrenaline. The foundation for this high-octane tale can be traced back to Jan de Bont’s 1994 action masterpiece, “Speed”, but the stakes are raised significantly here because it’s a human life that must remain in constant motion. One of the movie’s most memorable moments sees me battling the antagonist while hanging from a helicopter – yes, you read that right, it was all done for real!
High-Altitude Punches
Since Superman isn’t real, most actors tend to shy away from the danger of fighting in mid-air thousands of feet up, fearing a fall. However, Statham seemed unfazed by this challenge, remarkably stating that he didn’t train for it specifically. He suggested that one simply goes ahead and performs such a scene without any prior preparation.
In many of our current projects like ‘The Expendables’, when we’re on a helicopter, it’s often filmed against a green screen. However, in the case of ‘Crank’, we were actually inside a real helicopter.
A green screen seems like the safer choice, but for Statham, the more dangerous the situation, the more appealing it becomes. There’s little dissent, save possibly from his wife.
4 Scaling a High Rise
Mechanic Resurrection (2016)
In the movie titled “Mechanic: Resurrection”, Jason Statham continues to impress as a golden-hearted assassin, and Jessica Alba fits seamlessly into her role as his love interest. Arthur Bishop (Statham), now living incognito in Brazil, is drawn out of retirement when an old enemy abducts Gina (Jessica Alba). In a notable sequence, he mirrors Tom Cruise’s daring Burj Khalifa leap by climbing a skyscraper and carrying out a murder in the swimming pool of a Sydney-based tycoon.
Better than Cruise?
In terms of cinematic gratification, the murder of the Sydney billionaire, who was involved in trafficking underage sex workers, is one of the most fulfilling scenes ever depicted on screen. Although Tom Cruise’s stunts frequently receive more acclaim, Jason Statham executes his action with a greater degree of finesse. He manages to bypass the high-security penthouse apartment and shatters the glass at the bottom of the overhanging pool, causing the tycoon to fall fatally.
Speaking with Screen Rant, the British actor confessed that he experiences goosebumps when faced with specific kinds of altitudes, but he doesn’t experience a typical “vertigo sensation.” He further explained that one must grow accustomed to such situations.
3 Somalia Chase Scene
The Expendables 3 (2014)
Building upon the triumph of its predecessors, the skillfully assembled Expendables 3 offers an exciting mix of action, camaraderie, and banter. Essentially a guy’s get-together, everyone works in unison. As the team pursues Mel Gibson’s arms dealer character Conrad Stonebanks in Somalia, Lee Christmas (Statham) is depicted speeding in a truck on screen. Though everything appeared smooth on set, things were considerably more chaotic off-camera.
Statham Almost Drowned
Above all else, the actor takes great pleasure in driving, yet on this particular day, a turn of events took a disastrous turn. As Screenrant reports, a faulty brake sent the truck hurtling off the pier during filming and into the sea. In a near-fatal situation, Statham’s strong swimming skills and quick thinking allowed him to escape through a window and swim to safety. Given these circumstances, it’s no surprise he was chosen for the role in The Meg.
2 Mechanical Shark Battle
The Meg (2018)
In this thrilling deep-sea tale, titled “The Meg“, realism is emphasized through the creative employment of numerous handheld cameras and an off-the-cuff filming approach. Here, Jason Statham portrays Jonas Taylor, a diver renowned for his swimming skills surpassing those of Aquaman. His mission involves rescuing a submersible crew that has been besieged following an encounter with a colossal, 75-foot prehistoric shark. As the moments pass, it’s time for Taylor to confront this fearsome creature directly.
Not a Real Shark, But Still a Dangerous Move
The Hollywood Outbreak unveils that the acclaimed British action actor indeed fought against a robotic shark in the movie. However, the perils were no less genuine due to the strong tides and the swift maneuvers of the mechanical beast, which aimed to provide an exhilarating Man versus Creature conflict.
They guide it in one direction and then secure it onto a pulley in another. Since it’s submerged, there’s immense resistance, making it difficult to move easily, much like trying to be pulled forcefully while underwater – everything inside you wants to go one way, but the water’s mass pushes back strongly against your body.
There is only one question at this point: what can’t Jason Statham do?
1 Warehouse Car Chase
Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
In a playful tribute to its original series, Hobbs & Shaw offers an exhilarating, audience-delighting ride, fueled by a clever script and humorous acting. The characters of law enforcer Luke Hobbs (portrayed by Dwayne Johnson) and mercenary Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) are irresistibly appealing as they pursue a villain with cybernetic enhancements who calls himself the “Black Superman.” As anticipated, it’s Statham behind the wheel, not a stuntman, during a high-speed chase through a Ukrainian warehouse.
Do It Many Times, and They’ll Make You Do It Again
In conversation with the New York Post, director David Leitch stated that he was confident in placing the actor in potentially hazardous situations, knowing full well that he could manage it.
“It’s Jason driving. Because he’s so good, we felt comfortable putting him in that position.”
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-27 17:32