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Before we finish out the 50 Greatest Action Sequences, let’s take a moment to recognize the work of an actor who has established himself as a modern action icon.

And let’s simultaneously give loyal reader Newtlet her prize for winning the Denzel Washington trivia contest.

Jason Statham: A Filmography

Women want him. Men…yeah, I’d do him. But what’s most interesting about Statham is that he fits into the Chuck Norris mold of action iconography (put bluntly, the white guy who knows kung-fu) in an age where Chuck Norris is only enjoyed ironically. But Statham love is irony free. He’s one of the few viable images of traditional American masculinity (without virtue of being American, mind you) in an age of vulnerable geek heroism.

It helps that he started out with some indie cred. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch introduced us to, not an action hero, but a crime hero. What’s more, they gave us characters (well, character, it’s essentially the same guy in both) who got by on wits, not fists. So, we got to know Statham The Mind before Statham The Body (though, admit it, you were looking at The Body the whole time).

Aside from a forgotten role in a forgotten film his next appearance would be his first in a Big Hollywood Film, if a John Carpenter sci-fi thriller really counts. But hey, he’d arrived. The One would then introduce him to the action genre proper, though Jet Li would do most of the heavy lifting.

Next came Mean Machine, a Brit Longest Yard that would reunite him with Lock, Stock alums Vinnie Jones and Jason Fleyming - and have no other notable qualities whatsoever.

Next came Statham’s chance to prove he could carry a film (and a small Asian woman). While it didn’t quite afford him the opportunity to traffic in the snappy repartee of his Guy Ritchie films, The Transporter did afford him the opportunity to kick lots and lots of ass. Finally that martial arts background would pay off. The film established that Statham could both fight and drive like a motherfucker. This would become important later.

The Italian Job, which finally put him onscreen with some B+ list stars, continued the development of Pole Position Statham.

Collateral began his love affair with one word titles that begin with the letter “C.” It also put him onscreen with Tom Cruise for like, two seconds, and kids, there was a time when that was a good thing for your career.

Cellular gave him the chance to play a villain. And use a cell phone. One imagines.

Transporter 2 proved that he could still kick ass, not that that really needed proving, and that he could open a sequel.

Revolver, um, really wasn’t his fault.

London saw him return to the indie Brit scene without anyone really noticing.

Chaos continued the C-word meme while simultaneously proving he could do straight-to-DVD with the best of them. The best of them in this case being Ryan Phillipe and Wesley Snipes.

Statham then appeared briefly in The Pink Panther reboot, but the less time spent in that film the better.

See? Even Dwight Yoakam can’t keep his eyes off the awesomeness that is Statham.

Crank saw him back in the lead, mingling the fuck you swagger of his early films with the fuck you kicky-punchy of his later films. The movie itself was, shall we say, problematic (or, put another way, xenophobic and misogynistic like an issue of Maxim circulated exclusively in the Red States) but Statham sunk his teeth into it, solidifying his rep as an action star for August/September if not June/July just yet.

The following August he was in War, showing his progress from supporting player to co-star in a Jet Li film.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale demonstrated that, sooner or later, everyone ends up in a Uwe Boll film. I would call this a low point for Statham, but look who else was in that movie:

Ray Liotta
Leelee Sobieski
Ron Perlman
Matthew Lillard
Burt Reynolds
Kristanna Loken
Claire Forlani
John Rhys Davies (Sallah, man!)

Nobody came out clean on that one.

Next came the critically acclaimed The Bank Job which will start a new title meme for Statham when The Brazillian Job comes out next year.

What’s next for Statham? Well, he’s supposed to play a character named Frankenstein in Paul W.S. Anderson’s Death Race 2000 remake, which is called…wait for it…Death Race. Pole Position Statham lives!

Next year he’ll exploit his sequel-readiness with Transporter 3, Crank 2 and the aforementioned Brazillian (Job). But if you ask me, the next role he should play is a Bond villain. Tell me that wouldn’t rock.

I leave you with #51 in the 50 Greatest Action Sequences. From The Transporter, ladies and gentlemen, I give you…

OILY STATHAM!