Not all Jason Statham vehicles are built the same. Certainly there's an element of interchangeability between them, depending on whom it is he's punching: is it cyber scammers ("The Beekeeper"), sharks ("The Meg" and its sequel) or The Rock ("Hobbs & Shaw," the "Fast" movies)?

But just as important is the movie's tone, and "A Working Man's" is hopelessly grim, which makes this murky vigilante fantasy a slog to wade through.

Statham, technically 57 years old but still looking the same as he did in 1998's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," plays Levon Cade, an ex-British military commando who now works as the leader of a Chicago construction crew. When his boss Joe's (Michael Peña) teenage daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas) is kidnapped by human traffickers, Joe barely has to ask twice before Levon is hunting down the bad guys one-by-one.

The screenplay, by Sylvester Stallone and "The Beekeeper" director David Ayer, is unambiguous and callow, an excuse to crank up the bloodletting. But it sets up a chain of villains that turns that bloodletting into a chore, as Cade has to fight so many layers of thugs — including one gang that is holed up in the back room of a Joliet dive bar, where the leader sits on a chrome throne — that his mission becomes boring. And he certainly seems to be taking his time getting to Jenny.

Cade lives a hilariously spartan existence, sleeping in his truck before finally forking over some cash for one of the grungiest hotel rooms this side of squatting. Yet Ayer is averse to having any sense of humor about him or his actions. This is Very Serious Subject Matter and is not to be treated lightly.

The final showdown takes place in a dilapidated country house where the scumbag attendees are dressed like they're at a Great Gatsby party, and the moon is hanging so low it looks like it's going to start rolling down the street. It's poetry for those looking to cosplay their violent revenge fantasies, while everyone else can long for the relative tranquility of "The Beekeeper," "The Meg" or the "Fast" movies.

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‘A WORKING MAN’

Grade: D

MPA rating: R (for strong violence, language throughout and drug content)

Running time: 1:56

How to watch: in theaters

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