Too many Jason Statham movies! Help me pick 5 Stathams to watch!

Crank 1 is a must watch!

I've heard of only s few of these movies because your right, most of these movies blend together into a beautiful mush of Stathem kicking ass. However! I would say that BOTH Crank 1 and 2 are amazing movies. Now they are both pretty dumb (especially 2 if I remember correctly) but they are a very good kind of dumb.

If you don't want an action Jason Statham movie, go with Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Honorable mention fast 7

But without question the crank movies are a wonderful level of stupid.

@lawgamer: Thanks. I should have mentioned I've seen pretty much all the movies he was in pre-Italian Job era and anything like Fast & Furious where the movie or franchise is bigger than he is.

Snatch is easily the best movie he's been in.

Mechanic 2 already came out? Huh, guess I need to dig that up, first one wasn't *too* bad, even if it wasn't just him kicking ass in that.

First Crank is the top recommendation, obviously. That and Crank 2 especially leave all those other listed movies in the dust with their energy and insanity.

Crank is only Jason Statham vehicle I have to recommend. The 1st Transporter isn't bad.

The best ones are the ones he's not the lead in.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Snatch
The One
Furious 7
Spy

Expendables not on the list? And I second Fast 7.

Other than that I think Death Race and the first Mechanic (haven't seen the second) are the only things I recommend watching. I actually think the Crank series was okay when it came out but find them incredibly bad now days.

It's not really a "Jason Statham" movie, but once you watch some of these others, watch Spy, because he's AMAZING in it.

Why do you need to watch 5 Statham movies? That's far too many.

It's quite honestly the best movie he's in. Unless the cameo at the end of 6 counts.

This person knows what's up.

Of the ones nobody has mentioned, I remember liking Killer Elite quite a bit. Redemption was also pretty good.

Crank 1 is a dumb action movie. Crank 2 is like, a surrealist arthouse film by comparison. It's really something.

@dgtlty: I saw a preview for Crank 2 on some old DVD I was watching and he was hooking a car battery up to his tongue or something. Since then I've had this empty feeling like I've missed out on so much ignoring his movies all these years, like I should have been sitting middle row in the theater on Friday the night all these movies came out. Five feels like a number I could reasonably tackle before I get sick of them and move on to the next obsession.

Snatch is the main one I'd suggest.

Safe is really good. Way better than it has any right to be. The original The Mechanic is also surprisingly good, with Ben Foster in a strong supporting role. Crank is a proto-Hardcore Henry (and is way better in every way). Crank: High Voltage gets utterly fucking INSANE by the halfway point, like easily one of the most insane mainstream movies ever made, but you have to sit through an absolute truckload of racist, sexist bullshit to get to it (also the soundtrack by Mike Patton is incredible).

Lastly, do yourself a favor and watch Spy. It's fucking hilarious and Statham is easily the funniest part of it.

The One, Snatch, and Furious 7 are also awesome.

Everything else compleeeeetely bleeds together.

@kcin: holy shit I forgot about the One. Definitely watch that!

In my opinion, all you need is:

Crank 1 & 2
Snatch
Lock Stock

The Bank Job is a good flick but not what I want out of a Statham movie, which is covered by the 4 movies listed above. ...now that I think of it, these five might be the only Statham movies I have ever watched.

Someone didn't vote for Crank O_o

Crank 1 and 2, Transporter 1 and 2, and Snatch.

I would also recommend Spy to see Statham basically play a parody of himself.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is probably my favourite. Snatch is also really good. Out of those listed I would watch Crank. If you really like it then watch Crank 2 but it is basically the same movie just with a slight twist. Death Race was okay if I recall. Those are the only Statham movies that I have enjoyed. He does not generally make very good movies.

Where's London? ;)

Snatch is a riot.

Chop it off

Snatch and Lock Stock, also Cranks

This might end up being a bigger undertaking than I thought but so far I'm gonna watch:

For sure:

Crank, Crank 2, Transporter 1, The One, Spy, Death Race, and London (which I'm surprised I didn't uncover during my Chris Evans kick, did see Cellular though)

These will go on the back burner probably:

Safe, Revolver, Bank Job, Mechanic 1 and 2, and Killer Elite

I'm surprised War with Jet Li hasn't generated any reaction because that sounds like a good time on paper but maybe The One has me covered.

I second this opinion...

i liked the italian job. im a sucker for heist movies. jason isnt the lead but he is in it!!

Just watch the first Crank five times in a row.

Crack 1 without a doubt. I have only seen the second one once when it was in cinemas and I remember really disliking it. I may have a different opinion if I rewatched it now but I remember think that while crank 1 had just the right level of stupidity, crack 2 felt like it was trying WAY too hard to top the first one.

I also really like the Bank Job, Lock Stock and Snatch. Furious 7 is great also.

Transporter movies are good, never watched crank cause i heard it was bad. The one with jet li is dope too, a bit before he got famous i think.

also the expendables, I liked all of them honestly but maybe it's the nostalgia.

@oursin_360: They're both in The Expendables and War and they were both pretty famous at that point. Not sure what movie you're referring to.

And yeah the first Crank and Transporter films are real good and real dumb. I'm not the biggest fan of Guy Richie films but if you want something less ridiculous go with those.

I can't vote for any of them. He's at his best in Snatch and after The Italian Job he just hasn't clicked for me

The first time I saw him was in The One which I bought because it was a Jet Li movie. That was 16 years ago. I think he is good in anything, he is THE martial arts action hero of the 21th century. Since Jackie Chan and Jet li have gotten too old.

@utterances: London is pretty good, not great. Statham and Evans are both very good in it. Turns out Statham can act, he just doesn't get so many roles to do it in.

Please tell me you saw Push when on your Chris Evans kick. It's well worth it.

Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch are actually pretty good movies full stop. For his stupid over the top action stuff both The Transporter and Crank movies should have you covered. Emphasis on Crank. For comedy his performance in Spy is the best I've seen.

Why are Snatch and Lock,Stock not on this list? (Lock stock is the better film but has less Statham). Neither are action Statham but they are good films

@captain_insano: Because:

So there goes Lock Stock, Snatch, The One, Expendables, F&F, etc.

My money's on The Bank Job, followed by the Transporter stuff, followed by the Crank movies, in descending order of chaos.

DO NOT watch the Transporter "series", just watch the first one.

@dagas: I think Unleashed/Danny the Dog is the best of his western films. I just rewatched it recently and it's still fantastic.

@lawgamer: Came to second this. Lock Stock is Guy Ritchie's best movie, imo. But Snatch is fantastic as well. Can't say I've ever seen any other Statham movies.

@flippyandnod: I did watch Push, it's easily one of my favorite movies from the last ten years or so that I haven't been watching a ton of movies. I love finding movies that were generally not well regarded that just totally work for me.

Crank 1 and 2 are must watch movies. You should also watch Crank and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels as those are two of the best movies ever made.

Fast 7 is you haven't seen it yet is great, and Jason Statham is basically the protagonist of the The Expendables movies (Well, he's the only guy to get character development at least).

Also probably don't watch past Transporter 1, they get really terrible after that.

Crank 1

Transporter 1

Death Race.

.

The Statham trifecta is ironclad.

If you hate yourself you could watch, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.