Parker is a 2013 American crime thriller film directed by Taylor Hackford. Starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, the film is adapted fromFlashfire, the 19th Parker novel, written by Donald Westlake under the name Richard Stark.[2] Primarily set in Palm Beach, Florida, the film revolves around professional thief Parker (Statham), who is double-crossed by his crew. He sets out for revenge on them, travelling to Palm Beach, where he enlists the help of Leslie (Lopez), who assists him in a quest to steal what his former crew, headed by a man named Melander (Michael Chiklis), rob in their jewelry auction heist. As the story develops, Leslie falls for Parker, who remains faithful to his longtime girlfriend Claire (Emma Booth).
Parker marked a departure in Hackford's career, as he had hoped to make it his first film noir. The film, produced on a "mid-30s" budget, was conceived following Westlake's 2008 death, when producer Les Alexander secured the rights to it. Filming in Palm Beach attracted a significant amount of local media attention, and was said to have increased the area's holiday interest.[3] Additionally, Parker's filming in New Orleans helped its local film industry.[4] It premiered in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2013, and was released in the United States on January 25. Reviews have been generally mixed[5] with some film critics finding Statham appropriate and well-fitted for the role of Parker and praising the work of Lopez as providing comedic relief. Many other critics felt it was a poor adaptation of the book, and typical of Statham's sub-par action films of the past few years.
| Parker | |
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| Directed by | Taylor Hackford |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | John J. McLaughlin |
| Based on | Flashfire by Donald E. Westlake |
| Starring | Jason Statham Jennifer Lopez |
| Music by | David Buckley |
| Cinematography | J. Michael Muro |
| Editing by | Andrew Weisblum |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | FilmDistrict |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 118 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $46.3 million |
