Jason Statham's 5 Most Hard-Hitting Action Movie Scenes

Time and time again, Jason Statham has been able to show how tough and magnetic he is on the screen. It takes a certain type of actor to be able to be quite as ruthless and violent while keeping the audience on side. While some Jason Statham roles have bucked his type as an action hero, he’s mostly known for his high-energy action movies. His characters are often conflicted and complicated, with a brooding demeanor, and demons in their closets. He is also one of the more believably skilled movie brawlers of the last few decades, most notably in Statham’s best action movies of the past decade.

Whether he’s taking on a brutal antagonist, an on-off frenemy, or even a giant prehistoric shark, Jason Statham has been able to create high-octane magic on many occasions, leading to the many Jason Statham movies that have struck gold at the box office. Many scenes were lengthy and intricate; others were to the point but ᴅᴇᴀᴅly in their execution. He’s driven people off the roads, pushed them off buildings, and punched them harder than they thought possible.

5

Courtside Smackdown

The Expendables (2010)

In a film so packed with constant explosions and over-the-top action, there is something very visceral about this particular scene. The fact that it’s deeply personal, filled with anger, and specifically designed to intimidate makes Statham feel so much more menacing and dangerous. It’s not a never-ending montage of boats jumping over helicopters, but rather a deeply aggravated man wanting to protect someone he cares about.

As he pulls up on his motorcycle to take on a group of guys playing basketball, he may seem outnumbered, but that is far from the truth. As the muscular men tense up, he nonchalantly takes each one out, with the sounds of joints being fractured, and bones broken. The direct hit to the esophagus is designed to make viewers feel squeamish, and it certainly achieves it.

By the time the knife comes out, the abusive antagonist is the last one, barely standing, and Lee Christmas has the upper hand. While the only thing that gets stabbed is a basketball, it’s clear it took all his restraint not to pierce the bad guy’s heart. It’s a serious scene in a movie filled with many unserious moments.

4

Subway Showdown

Safe (2012)

Juxtaposing an innocent child against a rough and tortured “tough guy” is a trope designed to pull on the heartstrings. Combining a sweet kid with a brutal fighter allows the viewers to see a softer side of the antihero, and gives him something precious to protect. In Safe, the child in question is a math prodigy who is being chased by the mafia, and the brute with the heart of gold is played by a very intense Jason Statham. His demeanor throughout the film is on edge but focused, and it comes through in the sequence on the subway.

The scene has everything; a tense period of waiting for the bad guys to show up, a daredevil jump onto the subway carriage, and some painful-looking face-to-face violence. As the young Mei witnesses the carnage, the audience knows that he’s doing it all for her. As one of the star’s more underrated films, there is a lot to enjoy about it. The way he smacks one of the thugs into the subway handrail is not only one of the most brutal-looking moments of this fight scene, but of the movie as a whole.

3

The Freefall

Crank (2006)

In one of his most unrelenting roles, Jason Statham’s Chev Chelios must fight against the clock to cure himself of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly virus that forces him to keep his adrenaline high at all times. This, in turn, treats viewers to multiple high-octane spectacles where the hero takes on a host of thrilling challenges.

While some action scenes need to include multiple casualties and explosions, some hit hard because of their seeming simplicity.

While some action scenes need to include multiple casualties and explosions, some hit hard because of their seeming simplicity. This thrilling finale scene sees Statham fall out of a helicopter mid-fight, along with the bad guy who he promised to kill.

As they both fall to their seeming deaths, the scuffle continues and Chev Chelios breaks his opponent’s neck despite the fact the situation they’re both in would probably see him meet a similar fate. As he continues to fall, he makes a rather touching phone call, making it one of the most high-voltage action sequences in his career. And that blink at the end was chef’s kiss.

2

Hobbs vs. Shaw

Furious 7 (2015)

Jason Statham has taken on many antagonists. He is usually able to dispense with them and that’s the last they are ever, but there have been a select few who have been lingering rivals. Deckard Shaw and Hobbs have had a tumultuous relationship, to say the least, and whenever they face off, it’s a spectacle to behold. Before their spin-off, which fully embraced their chemistry, there had been a few notable fights that saw them flex their muscles as well as their wit, most notably in Furious 7, Jason Statham’s highest-grossing movie to date.

Pitting two such capable opponents against each other allows them to unleash their fighting skills to their fullest potential. The fight is a masterclass in choreography, brute force, and the artistry of martial arts. Both Statham and Dwayne Johnson are powerhouses in their own right, and seeing them go head-to-head is thrilling with each hard-hitting punch and bruise-inducing kick.

1

Greased Fighting

The Transporter (2002)

Though the trope of one man against a whole group of goons has its pitfalls, when done well, it can keep viewers on the edge of their seats. That’s exactly what happens in one of Jason Statham’s most iconic action films, The Transporter. When tasked with protecting whatever precious cargo he’s tasked with transporting, he comes across many unsavory characters.

His mission sees him take on multiple opponents in a garage, where he makes use of everything at his disposal. In this instance, a whole lot of grease. The scene plays out like a well-planned-out dance with each person playing an important role. But, while poetic in a way, it’s also grueling and painful-looking, with many hits landed.

It may start out a bit haphazard with everyone struggling to find balance among the slippery circumstances, but as it goes on, it gets more violent by the second. After a hard-hitting series of punch-ups, machine guns come out to shift the playing field dramatically. The Transporter franchise is packed with thrilling action sequences that are some of Jason Statham’s best.