Parker

While he was alive, mystery writer Donald E. Westlake fiercely guarded his hardboiled, highly principled anti-hero character known as Parker, featured in 24 of his novels. Westlake died in 2008 and his estate is clearly not as protective, since muscled actor Jason Statham has become the titular master criminal who righteously operates within a specific code of honor: “I don't steal from anyone who can't afford it, and I don't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it.” In the opening, Parker's cohorts bungle a robbery at the Ohio State Fair, resulting in an unintentional fatality, but they get away with the money. Instead of splitting it five ways (as previously agreed), the gang wants to invest in their next job, but Parker refuses. So they shoot Parker, leaving him for dead—only he survives. Ignoring warnings from his barely intelligible mentor (Nick Nolte), Parker vows vengeance, tracking down his duplicitous former associates, who are plotting a heist in Palm Beach. Wearing a 10-gallon hat and speaking with a Texas twang, Parker becomes involved in a partnership with a curvaceous, cash-strapped Florida realtor (Jennifer Lopez), and he enjoys an ostensible love interest in a woman (Emma Booth) who becomes the target of an assassin from Chicago, but she escapes, and the subplot goes nowhere. Director Taylor Hackford has crafted what amounts to an underdeveloped, uneven, low-budget B-movie, a muddled crime-action thriller that—unlike Westlake's writing—deserves to be quickly forgotten. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Taylor Hackford, a “Bringing the Hunter to Life” making-of featurette (8 min.), a “Who is Parker?” character featurette (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the production segments “The Origin of Parker” (4 min.) and “Broken Necks and Bloody Knuckles” (4 min.), plus a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)