Redemption AKA Hummingbird [2013]

Whenever I see that another Jason Statham movie is out (this guy practically invented a genre called Statham-movies), I have mixed feelings about it. First of all, I know that I will be entertained and the movie will be watchable, but on the other hand it’s so rare to see Jason in some other role than a thug that shoots and beats everybody around him (granted, there’s less shooting in this one). Redemption or Hummingbird is a movie that is a rather crude blend of several influences. It’s got that comic-book story and characters, neo-noir atmosphere that colors everything much darker than it should be and a setting that reminds me of a Sleeping Dogs video game. Speaking of the setting, although it takes place in Soho, London, it looks like it’s set in Hong Kong in the golden age of kung-fu movies.

After an unfortunate incident in Afghanistan that ended up with the rest of his unit getting killed, we find Joey Jones, the only survivor, in London, living his days as crack addict and a hobo. Him and his lady friend Isabel, share rocks and a box in which they live in. One night, a couple of local gangsters try to rob two of them, and in the chase Joey runs to the top of the nearby building where he sneaks into a vacant apartment. Home of a successful model who’s away for a couple of months, this new found property convinces Joey turn his life around… It’s easy to change your appearance and manner, but yourself is a task that is mighty difficult, as Joey will soon come to understand.

I wrote earlier that this movie has a Hong Kong, kung-fu vibe and an obvious nod to that was the fact that Joey (Statham) got a job in a restaurant and ended up beating the shit out of some disrespecting customers. There are two things that are missing from this movie, one is a bit more humor (the spoon scene was hilarious), and the second one are those prolonged shots that are supposed to generate emotional tension and make you connect to the characters. This shouldn’t prevent you from checking out this movie, and if you are in the mood, there’s another Statham movie out called Parker…

Director: Steven Knight

Writer:  Steven Knight

Cast: Jason Statham, Agata Buzek, Vicky McClure, Benedict Wong, Victoria Bewick, Sang Lui, David Bradley

Fun Facts: Hummingbird was almost entirely filmed throughout the hours of night. Filming sites included popular streets for homeless people and apparently sometimes even involved them. Statham stated that before filming started there was a lot of research into the mental health issues of the main protagonist. Some ex-servicemen were asked about their own experiences they had.

Rating:

IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1893256/