Statham's action hero shtick is elevated by a surprisingly moving father-daughter dynamic in "Shelter"

 

Jason Statham is a world class overachiever. Debuting in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (way back when in1998), he has since found international stardom as a Stallone-Schwarzenegger-Seagal clone, of sorts. In the new action thriller Shelter, he plays (for who knows how many times) a bad-ass former government special agent, Michael Mason. Mason kicks ass first and asks questions later, while living in isolation on an island off the coast of Scotland. 

When his hideout is compromised, he is forced to go on the run, as numerous assassins and government agents chase him. But he's no longer alone. In tow is the young Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), a girl whose only family member has been killed, and whom Mason feels he needs to protect, at all costs. Along the way, they form an unusual bond. Their dynamic is the best part of Shelter.

Unfortunately, despite its few genuine thrills, the movie succumbs to way too many cliches. The mysterious assassin sent to eliminate Mason and Jessie, for some reason, is a gifted sharpshooter from afar; except when he's firing at the two main characters from up close (often from waaaaay up close). In such cases, he can't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Shelter is a mixed pleasure, and will be enjoyed only by the most devout Statham fans. There are worse movies out there, I suppose, but that's not saying much.

☆☆