Parker 2013

Critics score:
41 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: Parker's vengeance isn't thrilling, there's a pointlessly developed non-love triangle, even the glam settings look cheap, and the tough-guy exchanges are inexplicably flat. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: Statham is stepping into a well-known persona. But he's not exactly pushing himself outside his comfort zone; he's on auto-pilot here, despite the obvious physical demands of the part. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: If "Parker" is, in the end, business as usual, it is also a pretty good deal. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: For an old-fashioned crime thriller, you need real pros. Mr. Statham is to acting what Taco Bell is to nutrition. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: The most distinctive thing about "Parker" is its title. Read more

Soren Anderson, Seattle Times: Under Hackford's direction, there is more to "Parker" than explosively staged action sequences (though there are plenty of those). Read more

Josh Modell, AV Club: Though Parker starts off fairly strong, the action gets more predictable as it meanders toward its conclusion. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: "Parker" should have stayed parked. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The movie is a morals-free procession of bang bang bang! and blood blood blood!, and men slamming each other with blunt objects and slicing each other with blades. Read more

Laremy Legel, Film.com: Poster quote: "Parker," a film that's a little better than you'd expect! Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: Screenwriter John J. McLaughlin has rendered a faithful adaptation of "Flashfire," one of the 24 novels filled with Parker's meticulous schemes and personal machinations. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: It's made with such skill and smarts that it stands above such eye-rolling blow-'em-up fare as Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Last Stand. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: "Parker" winds up with the worst of both worlds: It's pointlessly violent and nauseatingly cute. Read more

Bruce Diones, New Yorker: A cool, violent, efficient adaptation of the taciturn anti-hero (the creation of Donald E. Westlake, writing as Richard Stark), who's out to restore order in a bloody world in his own bloody way. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: In a world of pumped up, hyped-up action stars, Statham is one of the few who looks like a genuine man of action. Like Parker, he gets the job done. And then he moves on. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, NPR: You can use electricity to make ice, which is pretty much what Statham does in Taylor Hackford's jaggedly satisfying thriller, Parker. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: A little more effort -- from anyone -- might be nice. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: "Parker'' is watchable chiefly for Statham, who exudes effortless cool and excels in hand-to-hand combat, as well as demonstrating his skill at wielding some very unlikely weapons. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Take that, Nicholas Sparks. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The action scenes are crisply directed, brutal, and invigorating. There are several of them and, in the aftermath of two, Parker is left a bloody mess. Read more

Peter Sobczynski, Chicago Sun-Times: Although working with material that is lackluster even by his standards, Statham manages to demonstrate a commanding screen presence that cannot be dismissed. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: A formula action movie that hits its formula marks as if no one expected more. I do expect more. So do Westlake fans. This Parker spits in our collective eye. Read more

Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail: Hackford struggles to find an equivalency for Westlake's spare, hard-boiled prose. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: It's not very often you can blame a bad movie on a secondary character. Jennifer Lopez earns that dubious distinction in Parker, dragging down what would otherwise be just another generic Jason Statham actioner. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: If you've ever wanted to see the camel that's the result of that proverbial horse-building committee, check out Parker -- and the hump, you'll pardon the expression, is the character played by Jennifer Lopez. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: Overall, it gets by, but bets are hedged when single-minded efficiency and ice in the veins would have been enough. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Hollywood hasn't butchered Parker-which is to say that it has let him remain a butcher. Read more