A Working Man

Levon's Trade (A Working Man)

A Clumsy Knock-off Missing the Mark

★★½☆☆

A disappointing action collaboration that fails to recapture the magic of its predecessors.

Directed by David Ayer and written by Sylvester Stallone, A Working Man (also known as Levon's Trade) feels like a clumsy, often frustrating knock-off of genre staples like Taken and John Wick. Despite the high-caliber talent involved, including star Jason Statham, the film struggles with an infuriating amount of superfluous backstory and secondary setups that fail to lead anywhere worthwhile.

"Watching this film one is reminded of how tight a film like Taken was with its building, suspenseful action... and how great John Wick was with creating believable, worthy villains."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Action Assembly

• Director: David Ayer
• Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone (Based on Chuck Dixon's novel)
• Starring: Jason Statham, David Harbour
• Thematic Roots: Vigilante Justice / Retired Specialist

Choreography Without Heart

The film is not a total loss, as David Ayer attempts to "put lipstick and rouge on this mess" with well-choreographed action sequences. However, these moments of entertainment are buried under a journey that can be painful to sit through. Unlike Statham’s previous outing in The Beekeeper, there is simply no heart in the story to make the audience care about the stakes or the characters involved.

💡 Production Trivia

• Stallone/Statham Reunion: This film marks another collaboration between the two action icons following the Expendables series and Homefront.
• Literary Origin: The story is based on the popular "Levon Cade" series of thrillers by comic book writer Chuck Dixon.
• Ayer/Statham Duo: This is the second consecutive collaboration for Ayer and Statham following their success with The Beekeeper.

✅ Pros

• Well-choreographed, professional action sequences.
• David Ayer's visual direction tries to elevate the material.
• Statham remains a reliable, physical presence.

❌ Cons

• Infuriating amount of superfluous, go-nowhere backstory.
• Unintentionally humorous and annoying antagonists.
• Lacks the narrative heart or tension of Taken or John Wick.

🏆 Final Verdict

There are definitely better materials available from Stallone, Statham, and Ayer. I'd recommend seeking out their previous hits rather than holding this "disappointing mess" against them. For die-hard fans only.

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