Jason Statham has become a Libertarian’s wet dream. This is how millions of Americans picture themselves: independent, rugged, self-sufficient, living completely society-free yet wanting for nothing and able to take out an entire seal team on no warning with a can opener and some dental floss. In Shelter, Jason has his own house on an island off the coast of Scotland. He has been hiding there for years, living only on his wits -oh, and the weekly shipment of mainland groceries, of course. But aside for the fact that he cannot grow, slaughter or harvest any of his daily rations, sure, he’s totally independent.
Today, Michael Mason (Statham) lives alone on this island. It seems like one those places that is perpetually sweater weather. It’s unknown whether Mason has heat or running water. My guess is no on both counts. That said, he has a pretty nice house, equipped with its own ready-made boat launch which is necessary when his delivery ship goes down. Mason manages to save teenaged Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), but fails to save her father. He then nurses her to health and refuses to disclose her name. Names are optional when you’re the ideal Libertarian. “Mason” hasn’t even named the dog.
The problem with saving Jessie is that now living completely off the grid is no longer an option. As with pretty much every Jason Statham film, there’s a question of: “What’s the big secret?” You see, in every Statham film, we have to figure out both why he’s private and why he has the ability to kill people like he’s doing the dishes. Turns out the very second Mason hits town, he’s caught on camera. MI6 has his info, location, and is sending an elite team to kill him within 60 seconds. I swear we’ve seen this exact Jason Statham plot like seventeen times already.
Oh, and of course, Mason is innocent! He’s being framed by a higher up with a grudge! He appears on MI6 specs as a dangerous domestic terrorist. MI6 might regret the lives lost in trying to eliminate this “terrorist.”
Jessie is the wild 
card here; she is Libertarian kryptonite. It’s not easy to take down seal teams while babysitting a teen, but Mason is on it! Oh, and thank goodness, because up to this point, I would have been unable to distinguish this Jason Statham from any other Jason Statham.
If you feel you’ve seen this picture before it’s because you probably have. Shelter isn’t a bad watch, but it is hindered by the dozen or so Statham films that look exactly like this one. I’d certainly rather watch this picture than any of his Expendables garbage, but that’s barely a recommendation. In fact, it’s not one at all.
There once was an assassin named Mason
A hermit, cuz he couldn’t show his face in
Public, he was hunted
By men, lives now stunted
Yet another silent-but-deadly role for Mr. Jason
Rated R, 107 Minutes
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Writer: Ward Perry
Genre: Movies where we pretend like these are things that could happen
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Libertarians, especially violent ones
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Realists
