A Working Man - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

A Working Man



Movie:
4K Video:
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Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:

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Movie
No one is going to accuse Jason Statham of trying to supplant Robert DeNiro or Daniel Day Lewis as one of the most nuanced actors in Hollywood. Much like Arnold, Sly, or Van Damme, Statham has carved out a niche for himself as the rugged ex super commando who has to kick some butt to save the day. He’s dabbled back and forth over the years between making big-budget blockbuster action films and DTV films. Still, he strangely enough has managed to stay out of the “DTV only” hell that other actors like Cuba Gooding Jr, Steven Seagal, and Van Damme have resigned themselves to over the years. He may not be headlining as an A-list action star anymore, but he still manages to get decent theatrical roles. It’s just lately they’re all the same thing. Kinda.

In yet another iteration of Jason Statham punching people in the face, Statham plays Levon Cade, a hard-working ex-SAS operative who now lives day to day trying to make ends meet so that he can gain full custody of his daughter, Merry (Isla Gie). Cade has been supplanted as the primary parent by his dead wife’s father, who deems Cade unfit for fatherhood due to his past anger issues. Being a trained killer and having a short temper, it was easy for the wealthy psychologist grandfather to keep his daughter away from him. However, his simple fight for parental rights has to take a back seat when his boss, Joe (Michael Pena), finds out that HIS daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas) has been kidnapped after a girls' night out. Calling upon the only person who has the capabilities of doing what the cops can't, Joe begs Cade to do what he does best.

As you guessed it, Cade has a particular set of skills. Skills that make him a nightmare for people like….yeah, you get the rest. In true Taken fashion, Cade goes scorched earth, hunting down the men who saw Jenny last. Essentially, he kills his way up the top of the ladder until he gets to the man in charge. But instead of Albanian sex traffickers ala Taken, we have Russian mobsters who are sex traffickers. Meaning the difference between A Working Man and Taken comes down to Jason Statham punching and shooting people in the face, vs. Liam Neeson punching and shooting people in the face. And frankly, I don’t care. A Working Man isn’t going to win any awards or revitalize Statham’s career, but it’s a fun (and dopey) action movie that caters directly to Statham’s physical prowess.

As I said, A Working Man is simply a Taken clone with Jason Statham growling at the camera like usual, and utilizing his martial arts skills to make a highly kinetic action movie. Yeah, I know the movie is not a GREAT movie, but it feels like it came from about 10-15 years ago when action movies were still fun. Statham has always been capable of great physicality in his fights, and despite being almost 60 years old, still moves extremely well. Comparing directly against The Beekeeper (his last big action role), I have to say the fights are better, Statham looks less haggard and worn. Not to mention the fact that the film is slightly less silly than The Beekeeper. It’s more concise, and the action isn’t as cartoony. Sure, there’s plenty of John Wick level super commando killer action, but again, I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so I have no problem with it. Jason Statham puts out an entertaining action flick, and he’s still doing a solid job. I’m in.




Rating:

Rated R for Language




4K Video: Video:

I couldn’t find much about the master used, but A Working Man was shot entirely on Arri Alexa cameras, and from what I could dig up, a native 4K master (at least according to Blu-ray.com). Either way, the end result was superb. A straight-up up digitally excellent film that features sharp clarity, strong color replication, and artifact-free for the most part (I saw some minor banding twice, but only in brief flickers, so this is more me telling you that it was there vs. something you should look out for). Fine details are exemplary, showing every bit of stubble on Statham’s face, as well as bits of debris and shattered glass in the club shootout. The flick tends to be a bit on the dim side due to being shot mostly at night or inside dingy bars, but outside shots look quite nice as well (albeit a tad gray in my opinion). Not perfect, but really stinking close to it.







Audio:

Warner’s action movie tracks are usually pretty good, and A Working Man is no exception. Sporting an energetic Atmos track, the mix does exactly what you would want in a film where Jason Statham hits people and shoots them. It’s wild, kinetic, and full of bombastic energy as Cade tears his way through level after level of the Russian mob’s goons until it all climaxes with a gigantic battle inside a barn. Guns are powerful and filled with deep LFE, while the surrounds are basically in constant use with the fights. Although I did notice that the track could get very quiet and talky from time to time. Especially in the first 15 minutes or so, where Cade and Merry are talking about parental visitation issues. But even then, there’s a surprising amount of surround activity from the ambient environment. You can hear jackhammers and construction workers yelling in the distance, or the rumble and rustle of traffic in the city. Big time scenes like the shootout at the end or the club scene where Jenny gets kidnapped are going to be the pinnacle points of the film, but overall, this is an excellent action movie track.







Extras:

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Final Score: ​

A Working Man is the cinematic equivalent of McDonald's or In ‘n Out. It’s not exactly great food, and really not even good food. But my goodness, does it hit the spot when you’re up late at night and want to watch Jason Statham slaughter about 50 bad guys while snarling out of the side of his mouth. Warner’s 4K UHD looks and sounds fantastic, but like pretty much every Amazon/MGM-produced film, there are ZERO extras on board. Still, a fun watch if you like Statham and what I would consider a machismo-filled guilty pleasure. Fun, but cheesy, watch.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jason Statham, Michael Peña, David Harbour, Jason Flemyng
Directed by: David Ayer
Written by: Sylvester Stallone, David Ayer, Chuck Dixon
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Studio: Warner Bros
Rated: R
Runtime: 116 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: June 10th, 2025

Recommendation: Cheesy, Fun Watch

 

[Todd Anderson]

"A Working Man is the cinematic equivalent of McDonald's or In ‘n Out."

 

[Todd Anderson]

This movie is right in my wheel house