Parker

Parker is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Taylor Hackford and written by John J. McLaughlin. Starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, the film is adapted from Flashfire, the 19th Parker novel written by Donald Westlake under the pen name Richard Stark. Primarily set in Palm Beach, Florida, Parker marked a departure for Hackford, who hoped to make it his first film noir. The film, produced on a $35 million budget, was conceived following Westlake's 2008 death, when producer Les Alexander secured the rights to it. The film was premiered in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2013 and was released in the United States on January 25, 2013, where it generally received mixed reviews with many critics feeling the film as a poor adaptation of the book, and typical of Statham's sub-par action films of the past few years. Many found Statham well-fitted for the role of Parker and praised Lopez for providing comedic relief. It grossed $46 million worldwide at the box office. Parker premiered on Netflix in the United States on March 2021, and a week later was briefly the #1 film on the streaming service. Plot Parker is a professional thief who is asked by his mentor Hurley to take charge of a job with a crew he doesn't know, consisting of Melander, Carlson, Ross, and Hardwicke. They succeed in robbing the Ohio State Fair, but Hardwicke alters part of Parker's plan, resulting in an unnecessary death. Enraged about the killing, Parker refuses to participate in a jewel robbery they offer. Needing his share of the Ohio loot to finance the bigger job anyway, Melander tells Hardwicke to kill Parker and they leave him on the side of the road. Parker survives and is picked up by farmers. After escaping from the hospital, Hurley directs Parker to New Orleans, where Hardwicke's brother tells him the crew are in Palm Beach, Florida.