Jason Statham's Mutiny Debuts With Horrible Rotten Tomatoes Score

Mutiny is no Beekeeper

Jason Statham, the master of the mid action movie, has a new film out this week. While Mutiny won't be released in theaters until Friday, critic reviews are out now, and they paint a disappointing picture of Statham's latest.

Mutiny is directed by Jean-François Richet, the visionary behind 2023's Gerard Butler and Mike Colter vehicle Plane. It stars Statham as a guy with vaguely ex-cop or special forces experience on board a human trafficking boat trying to transport women and children. Statham — you'll never guess — beats the evil guys up. That's basically all there is to it. The movie is a cool 95 minutes, meaning there isn't much need for anything but action sequences. Mutiny is another entry in the Statham action portfolio, joining the likes of The Transporter, The Mechanic, The Beekeeper, A Working Man, and Shelter.

While Statham's action flicks have a charm all their own, and have earned some praise from critics in the past, Mutiny is not having similar luck. Rotten Tomatoes currently has the film sitting at 41% with 22 reviews. That's certified rotten. Most critics aren't holding back their disdain for Mutiny, with one review saying the film "has so little personality that you could place it in a bus station, and the experience wouldn't change one bit. Nobody involved seems to care, and neither should we." Matt Goldberg at Commentary Track chimed in, saying that Mutiny "feels like a waste" of Statham's talents. There's a difference between good schlock and bad schlock, with Statham often delivering the former. It's too bad Mutiny seems to be the latter.

There are, however, some defenders of Mutiny. Owen Gleiberman writes in Variety that "It’s all in the timing — the rhythm of revenge murder that’s perfect, because it’s done by any means necessary. Jason Statham is keeping that dream alive." Ian Sandwell at Digital Spy gets to the heart of Mutiny, saying that "It won't convert anybody who foolishly isn't a fan of 'Jason Statham gets revenge', but everybody else will have a damn good time." That is a sentiment that probably clears up for readers whether they'll enjoy Mutiny or not. It's Statham killing guys on a boat; you know if you like it already.

Mutiny lands in theaters on Aug. 21.