Beekeeper (2024)
Expose the corruption. Protect the hive.
I had some choices, but tonight we get the newest of those choices. I’m easily sold by trailers - if it looks like something I’ll enjoy, it normally is. Sometimes a trailer will get you with the old switcheroo, pitching one thing and actually having a movie that delivers something else. Tonight’s flick though? Nah. This thing is honest as honest can be. Get ready to protect the hive, tonight we watch The Beekeeper.
A beekeeper has a friendly relationship with his neighbor - a lady he claims is the only one to ever really care for him. While he’s out making some honey from his hive though, our old lady neighbor is subject to a computer scam that wipes out all of her accounts, savings, and even the charity fund she was part of. Apparently buckling under the weight of everything that’s happened, she ends up offing herself - which indirectly leads to a run in between her daughter and our beekeeper when he shows up for dinner. Some details mentioned, some favors called in, and a new meaning to beekeeper. There’s a path of vengeance that’s just as easy to call a trail of justice with a mountain of unjust bodies in it’s wake, and it’s name is the Beekeeper.
This thing feels as classic action movie as it can get. Sure, the dialogue our actors are delivering might feel a bit less goofy, but the team on this thing knows just what they were doing. Our lead plays it solid, as though he has had years of experience with these kind of roles (note: he has). Our supporting cast on the good guy side? Entertaining - perhaps not entirely needed for the main story to play out, but providing an ample amount of humor and human elements to the beekeeper’s warpath that at times has him feeling far more like a nimble Terminator than it does a random fella - which of course the movie and trailers all sort of put that out there anyways. Insert your “Jason Bourne” jokes here, but the actors all do a real good job, honestly even a good amount of the villains.
Not all of that credit can go to the actors i don’t think. I know some people are of the feeling that some folks just have a punch-able face, but the main villain has such a quick turnaround from introduction to you wanting him to get belted without doing anything directly evil that I assume at least some of it is in the writing. That said, characters aren’t bad. Yes, the main isn’t going to give you much in terms of development - the dude is a one-tracked train hell bent on justice for the hive - but the side characters get to do a bit more than that. Well, maybe not so much most the bad guys - but even a few of them get to have some moments. The most pleasant as far as human characters go is probably the FBI team, who gets plenty of good character interactions and some pretty funny lines. The dude of the duo might as well be my spirit animal.
Friendly neighbors
Action is pretty dang solid in here. Heavy hits, some pretty brutal ones without getting too overly gut-churning graphic. If you like action flicks, the trailer should probably be enough to sell you on this one. It works in some pretty neat details as well - like our hero’s penchant to not kill people who don’t deserve it. The cutting and overall presentation during these is pretty good as well, and I’m sure someone is doing a good job of having an eye for action flicks with a good future to come. There are weapons and some gunplay in here, but the focus is mostly pretty one sided fisticuffs for most the movie - not that that has ever stopped me from enjoying it. You could say that it’s a bit retro for some people’s tastes, but it fits the movie really good and gives us some nice and easy stuff to follow while still being pretty visually interesting.
Costumes are pretty modern, which does lead to my age old “they do a good job but you won’t even notice.’ Set dressing are fun, and we do get some visually different spots for action. Some are a little samey but really not so much that you feel like you are in the same place the entire movie. Props are all fitting and work well within all the action scenes. We do have some costumes that are more interesting than others, usually in terms of the badguys who get quite wild in the final act - and folks usually are unique enough that you aren’t confused as to who is who during scenes. Effects from the violence is pretty well handled as well, looking good enough without being too overly realistic.
Audio is fine here. Balance? Well done - no problems hearing line deliveries here. There is some quiet lines at the earlier parts of the movie, but there’s not a lot of background action or anything to make it hard to hear. Things feel lively enough as far as background sound work goes, and when it comes to action scenes it’s a lovely soundscape to hear. The music that’s here is largely playing it’s role well, adding to the mood and background sound. Admittedly, there’s also probably more for the thinking person in this than would originally be thought. The whole “protect the hive” part is a bit of commentary on it’s own, with it’s theology built out later in the movie to be more plain about it. It’s a nice touch, and it does wonders to help you get more enjoyment out of what the main character is doing.
Sparta! kick
This movie was a blast. At no point was i really bored, and the action and cinematography were quite well done. Characters were a pretty diverse bunch, with some growing on you more than others while some immediately put you straight into how you should really feel about them. I’d recommend it to the action fans out there, but other’s might get some enjoyment out of this as well with it’s sometimes spy-flick feel. Fun characters, good action, and some underlying justice to rock it all out to - exactly what the trailer sold me on.