The Beekeeper has a plot without a story. It lacks character development, subtext, or a proper ending. There's a mission and exposition, but that amounts to the narrative value of a grocery list. The script is nonsensical, formulaic, repetitive, contrived, obvious, and careless. It has cringey dialogue, coincidences, pointless side threads, unearned logistics, tropes, and cartoonish villains. The feeble emotions are blunt, stagnant, and insincere. It reduces vigilantism, political corruption, suicide, and phishing to mere plot devices. The one-note acting is wooden, disinterested, or forced (only Hutcherson is any fun). Overall, The Beekeeper ranges from clumsy to negligent.
Technically, The Beekeeper is arbitrary. Its direction fumbles tension, choreography, violence, and cohesion. The imagery uses dramatic lighting, excessive shakiness, thin composition, and sloppy framing. Its editing adds montages, cross cuts, inserts, choppy pacing, dull momentum, and no falling action. The sound has brief risers, split cuts, emphasis, stings, and sometimes silly combat. Its music is fairly restrained but mostly generic and unimpactful. The production design is try-hard and painfully over-stylized. Its cast has middling fame and inconsistent fit. The glossy CGI undercuts the intensity. Ultimately, The Beekeeper is an inferior version of a superficial product.
Writing: 1/10
Direction: 3/10
Cinematography: 5/10
Acting: 4/10
Editing: 3/10
Sound: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 4/10
Production Design: 4/10
Casting: 6/10
Effects: 4/10
Overall Score: 4.0/10
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