Shelter is hardly the worst thing out there – especially following the week in which Mercy released – but it’s redundant even by Statham movie standards.
Jason Statham can be a great action actor, but he’s recently fallen into a cycle akin to Liam Neeson’s post-Taken and pre-Naked Gun period. Whether it’s Beekeeper, A Working Man or The Meg 2, he just seems to be playing variations of the same Die Hard knockoff—a real pity given Statham’s proficiency for grit in Snatch or even comedy in Spy. Shelter is a particularly dreary new addition to this lineup in how it initially seems to be doing something new, only to fall into the same yawn-inducing traps that are getting far too old at this point.
Statham plays an unnamed lighthouse keeper – later identified as Michael Mason. He lives on his own on a tiny island off the coast of Scotland, accompanied only by his dog, of whom he hasn’t even bothered to give a name. He’s supplied every so often by a boat that drops off food and other items, usually by the boat captain’s niece Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), but he maintains a stubborn distance from them. That is, until a storm sinks the boat off the coast of his island. Mason saves Jessie, but not her uncle. As such, he keeps her on the island to aid her recovery.
As inferred, this is actually an intriguing premise at first. It’s implied that Mason hasn’t had much contact with anyone in ages and is in a self-imposed exile. Having a stubborn recluse interact with someone as inquisitive and unashamedly herself as Jessie creates an intriguing dynamic, as both can grow into new people through their interactions.
However, their relationship is framed as a surrogate father-daughter connection rather than as people surviving a difficult situation together, whether the storm or later plot developments. It’s an ill-fitting frame, seeing as Jessie spends the first act trapped on the island, with Mason refusing to let her leave, which lends an unintentional but disquieting air of creepiness. The actors have solid chemistry, but had their dynamic been portrayed more as friends than as family, there would have been more opportunities to capitalise on it.
Despite the title implying that the characters will be bearing the storm for much of the runtime, the film quickly abandons this idea for the run-of-the-mill material we’ve come to expect from Statham movies. It turns out Mason was once a Black Kite – a highly trained military operative with deadly skills. MI6 – led by a paranoid Bill Nighy – has thought him dead for years, yet discovers his survival by chance, resulting in soldiers storming the island. Mason and Jessie escape, but they know MI6 will be sending everything after them. Thus, Mason sets off to kill others before he’s killed himself, all while trying to get Jessie away from the carnage safely.
While this development is unlikely to faze those who just want to see Statham make quips and beat up bad guys again, it’s disappointing to see a film that initially seemed a little different fall back on the tired allure of familiar tropes and formulaic set pieces.
Some of the action scenes are, in fairness, well directed and shot. One sequence near the end, where Mason and another Black Kite drop their guns and square off by a London pier with only their fists, is particularly fun as the fluid camerawork keeps the blows gritty. A car chase through muddy Scottish forestry is also visceral, with the intensity of the crashes and swerves palpable.
Yet the film still makes the same mistake as past Statham pictures by giving its hero no semblance of vulnerability, aside from maybe the odd scratch or wound. There is never any doubt whether or not Mason will get revenge on those who wronged him, or if he will save the day or come out alive. Perhaps that’s the hidden appeal of these films that a cynic like me is missing. But where are the stakes? How is something this by-the-numbers predictable in any way exciting beyond short-term bursts?
Even if every action scene was a nail-biter, it’s in service to a convoluted, hollow plot. On top of Mason trying to get Jessie away from MI6’s prying eyes – via human traffickers by the way, which doesn’t help the underlying discomfort of the film – you also have a grander conspiracy within MI6 itself.
Nighy’s deputy, Roberta (Naomi Ackie), finds herself undermined by an outside source, especially as she digs deeper into who Mason actually is, while Nighy and the British Prime Minister attempt to keep the agency’s debacle under wraps. Ackie brings a certain tenacity to the role, but her character and this side plot as a whole feel underdeveloped while simultaneously cutting into the central plot involving Mason and Jessie. Nighy is clearly having fun in a more antagonistic role, and it’s always nice to see the underrated Daniel Mays, as he plays an ex-computer hacker with charisma and a measured sense of wisdom. But there are simply too many feelings of “been there done that” permeating the picture to indulge in its performances or the odd fun setpiece.
Shelter is hardly the worst thing out there – especially following the week in which Mercy released – but it’s redundant even by Statham movie standards. Even if the actors have decent chemistry and a few action scenes are well filmed, far too much of the film feels interchangeable with numerous generic action movies from the past few years. It doesn’t inspire many thrills or offer much in the way of thematic food for thought. It’s not even bad enough to inspire bafflement or annoyance as The Meg 2 did. Quite frankly, it’s just dull. If you’re that desperate to see Jason Statham punch people and make quips again, then surely you’d be better off just rewatching Safe or The Transporter?
Shelter is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
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