Clay dispatches his adversaries with characteristic Statham aplomb, which, apologies to Nicole Kidman, is why we come to this place.

Much of it is illogical, preposterous over-the-top ridiculous, which is what makes it such a guilty pleasure and one of Statham’s and Ayer’s best films.

Off we go. Like, way off, leaving even the notion of reality behind like a burned-out barn full of busted honey jars. In its place, a hero who makes James Bond look inconspicuous and John Wick look vincible.

The worst thing about The Beekeeper is that it’s just another functional action movie. It tries so hard to keep a straight face when it should be laughing at itself so the audience can too.