Jason Statham gives another display of his hard-hitting action chops in his latest film. Portraying a struggling father sleeping in his car, working a construction foreman job, he is striving to secure legal fees to gain custody of his daughter (Isla Gie) from her grandfather. Despite his everyday worker status, he's forced to reveal his exceptional fighting skills when a gang endangers one of his workers, witnessed by his boss' daughter Jenny (Arrianna Rivas).

However, when Jenny mysteriously disappears from a local bar, her parents (Michael Peña, Noemi Gonzalez), fully aware of Statham’s exceptional military background, tearfully appeal to him to find her. Initially reluctant, he eventually channels his inner tough guy persona to infiltrate the ambiguous depths of Chicago's criminal underworld, pretending to be a drug dealer to uncover the whereabouts of Jenny whom he suspects is taken by a human-trafficking division of the Russian mob.

In collaboration with director David Ayer, whom he worked with on The Beekeeper, Statham delivers the action-packed performance in this film that could have been a Sylvester Stallone feature years back. Based on Chuck Dixon’s book Levon’s Trade, with Stallone co-writing the screenplay and serving as a producer, the film brings the first of a series about Levon Cade to life. Statham plays the Brit adaptation of the ex-black-ops soldier turned vigilante.

The narrative unfolds through perilous encounters with an assortment of bad guys, including Russian criminal chief Wolo, performed energetically by Statham’s Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels peer Jason Flemyng. Among the other villains are Wolo’s son Didi (Maximilian Osinski), faithful henchmen Viper and Artemis (Emmet J. Scanlan, Eve Mauro), and substantial drug dealer Dutch (Chidi Ajufo).

Resonating testosterone-infused machismo that director Ayer has aced in his past works, A Working Man gratifies fans with the usual Statham appeal: fights, quips, and charisma. Despite an over-extended run time and some repetitive moments, the movie also offers its share of eccentricities, such as chuckling moments courtesy of Stallone and distinctive characters like Cade's blind former military comrade Gunny, portrayed by David Harbour.

Lastly, the female characters, like Cade's dauntless daughter and the kidnap victim Jenny, add a dynamic touch to the narrative, presenting strong personalities who can hold their own in the midst of chaos.