Mr. Tough Guy Jason Statham has made a name for himself in Hollywood by playing the same character in possibly 50 different movies. Snappy, unstoppable, foul-mouthed, unflinching-in-the-face-of-danger, and surprisingly competent at all kinds of combat and combat-adjacent activities, Statham’s characters never change, but keep entertaining audiences. Jason Statham is the anti-Tom Cruise, in that he appears in low-budget action movies without much evolution in his style or range, but continues to be a reliable action hero who stars in well-performing films every year.
Jason Statham’s “profession” movies are known for the role of the everyman who launches into action after provocation, and never stops landing blows until his goal is met. However, his best “profession” movies are heist films, a subgenre which might not be as big a fraction of Statham’s filmography today as when he started, but continues to be ᴀssociated with him. Director J.C. Chandor, most famous for A Most Violent Year and recently Kraven the Hunter, the final movie in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, made a heist movie six years ago that would have perfectly fit into Statham’s filmography.
Triple Frontier Is A Heist Movie That’s Perfect For Fans Of Statham-Style Action
It Follows Former Special Ops Soldiers
Much like Jason Statham’s most famous characters, the main characters of Triple Frontier are well-trained people who have the skills necessary to hold their own in melee and long-range combat, and to commandeer any vehicle they want. They are ex-military personnel, members of a special-ops group that was part of the Delta Force. They all have particular quirks that immediately remind one of Jason Statham’s best action heroes.
The Crew In Triple Frontier |
||
Character |
Current Profession |
Actor |
Tom “Redfly” Davis |
Realtor |
Ben Affleck |
Santiago “Pope” Garcia |
Military advisor |
Oscar Isaac |
William “Ironhead” Miller |
Motivational speaker |
Charlie Hunnam |
Benjamin “Benny” Miller |
MMA fighter |
Garrett Hedlund |
Francisco “Catfish” Morales |
Pilot |
Pedro Pascal |
With such a diverse group of people with unique specializations, it is no surprise that a heist goes awry due to the over-eagerness of one of the members. The constant hiccups in the plan, caused by Redfly’s greed, work as the ideal setups for action set pieces that will satisfy Jason Statham’s fanbase. With a rain of bullets and punches, memorable stunts, foul language, and blows you feel landing on you through the screen, the set pieces could have easily been from a Statham film as well.
Each of these people is the exact same as or very similar to someone Statham has played at some point in his career.
However, what makes Triple Frontier the perfect heist movie for Statham fans beyond the similarity of the setpieces is the similarity in character design. Each of these people is the exact same as or very similar to someone Statham has played at some point in his career, and they could all be the protagonists of their own Jason Statham-style “profession” movie. The diversity in their current-day professions proves how diverse their interests and skillsets are, and explains why they work well as a team, but disagree on almost everything.
Triple Frontier Is An Underrated Movie In Pedro Pascal’s Filmography
His Larger Movie & TV Roles Overshadow Triple Frontier
While Triple Frontier did enter the Netflix Top 10 a couple of years ago, it continues to be an underrated movie. While the comparisons to Statham’s films might suggest to those who haven’t seen it yet that it’s frivolous and formulaic, Triple Frontier is more serious than you would expect. Most of the action set pieces are laced with a sense of dread that adds a somber tone to what could have easily devolved into the typical big blockbuster Hollywood action movie.
Moreover, while it never focuses on that as a theme, Triple Frontier subtly comments on America’s treatment of its veterans and the consequential existential dread they experience about their role in society once their duty is over. Pedro Pascal has been in some of the greatest action shows ever, like Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us, and is set to join the MCU with Fantastic Four: First Steps this year. So, Triple Frontier will possibly never get the recognition in his filmography that it deserves, and might continue to be his most underrated action film.