6.2/10
114,031
181 user 175 critic

Parker (2013)

Trailer
1:51 | Trailer
A thief with a unique code of professional ethics is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew's latest heist.

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writers:

John J. McLaughlin (screenplay), Donald E. Westlake (novel) (as Richard Stark)
Reviews
Popularity
2,192 ( 132)
1 nomination. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Statham ... Parker
Jennifer Lopez ... Leslie Rodgers
Michael Chiklis ... Melander
Wendell Pierce ... Carlson
Clifton Collins Jr. ... Ross
Bobby Cannavale ... Jake Fernandez
Patti LuPone ... Ascension
Carlos Carrasco ... Norte
Micah Hauptman ... August Hardwicke
Emma Booth ... Claire
Nick Nolte ... Hurley
Daniel Bernhardt ... Kroll
Billy Slaughter ... Ohio State Fair Security Guard Ben
Jon Eyez Jon Eyez ... Jack
Carl J. Walker Carl J. Walker ... Ohio State Fair Accounts Manager (as Carl Walker)
Edit

Storyline

Parker is a thief who has an unusual code. He doesn't steal from the poor and hurt innocent people. He is asked to join four other guys on a job. They pull it off flawlessly. They tell Parker that what they got can help them set up another job which will net them much more. But Parker doesn't want to join them and asks for his share. But they need it all so they try to kill him. They dispose of his body but someone finds him--he is still alive--and takes him to the hospital. After recovering he sets out to get back at the ones who tried to kill him, another one of his codes. Despite being told that they are working for a known mobster which he was not aware of, he still wants to go after them. He learns where they are and poses as a wealthy Texan looking to buy a house. So he hires a real estate agent, Leslie Rogers to show him around. He is actually trying to find out where they're holed up. And when he finds it, he sets out on his plan to get them. But when they learn he is alive, ... Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

To get away clean, you have to play dirty.

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language throughout and brief sexual content/nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Parker calls his girlfriend and her phone displays a caller ID of (504) 723-2343, which, when Googled, is the phone number of a Louisiana film crew person with the last name of Parker (who doesn't appear to have worked on this movie). See more »

Goofs

During the fight in Parker's hotel room the TV is smashed repeatedly. Every time it is hit you hear glass cracking as if it were a CRT monitor. Modern LCD, OLED, or Plasma would sound more like plastic than glass. See more »

Quotes

Leslie Rodgers: How do you sleep at night?
Parker: I don't drink coffee after 7.
See more »

Connections

References The Young and the Restless (1973) See more »

Soundtracks

Going Back to Texas
Written by Donald Heyden (BMI)
Performed by Scott Hall
Courtesy of Love Cat Music
See more »

User Reviews

 
Statham Makes a Great Parker
26 January 2013 | by bobliptonSee all my reviews

As a fan of Donald Westlake's writing -- he did the Parker books under the pseudonym of Richard Stark -- I have long been bemused by the inability of film makers to adapt his work for the screen. Westlake wrote for the screen himself, and the Parker books are nothing but action and plot. Yes, there's character, but you figure it out from what Parker and his associates do.

With this, the fourth attempt to film a Parker novel, the film makers have found a practical if surprising choice for the title role. Jason Statham is not an actor of great oratorical powers, but he is a great physical actor, and he moves constantly like an angry tiger in a cage. The choice of a caper which is set largely in Palm Beach, with its artificial, pointless display of wealth and no other reason for existence is the perfect backdrop for the ferocity of Parker in his battle with Michael Chiklis' Melander; Jennifer Lopez' clueless Leslie, who gets caught up without understanding what is going on, gives the audience a good point of view.

Director Taylor Hackford is not a great director, but he is a highly competent one. Sixty years ago he would have been a major director for a studio, setting and working in the house style. Give him a story he can work with and he will hit all the notes, efficiently and effectively, and he has done so here. If the Parker of this movie is different from the Parker of the books, a bit more philosophical (although it comes down, in the end, to the tigerish "Do what I tell you and I will devour you last") we need to remember that a movie is not a book. This is not Donald Westlake's Parker, nor even the Parker I see when I read the books. However, it's still a very good one and worth your attention.


95 of 142 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 181 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 January 2013 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Parker See more »

Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,008,222, 27 January 2013

Gross USA:

$17,616,641

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,922,566
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »

Contribute to This Page



Recently Viewed