Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez coast in bloody thriller 'Parker'

"Parker" plays like the bloodiest promotional video ever made for Palm Beach tourism. Stabbings, explosions and furniture-smashing brawls occur at some of the ritziest locations within the sun-splashed, pastel-soaked slab of Florida opulence.

The city is the setting for an elaborate, $50-million jewel heist as well as some revenge doled out with machine-like efficiency by Jason Statham.

As the title character, the antihero of many of the novels by Richard Stark (the pseudonym of the late Donald E. Westlake), Statham is stepping into a well-known persona. But he's not exactly pushing himself outside his comfort zone. He's on auto-pilot here. Parker is the kind of thief who lives by a civilized, self-imposed code -- one he expects others to adhere to as well. But this is the character Statham always plays: quietly cool, dryly British, powerfully lethal.

Parker has been double-crossed by his partners (including Michael Chiklis and Wendell Pierce) on a robbery of the Ohio State Fair. Although these guys have serious mob connections, he seeks his revenge by tailing them to their next job: hitting the auction of major jewels that belonged to a late Palm Beach society maven.

Jennifer Lopez costars as local real estate agent Leslie Rodgers, who's been struggling financially and emotionally since her divorce. When Parker pretends to be a rich Texan looking for a vacation home (complete with a big ol' cowboy hat and an obviously fake drawl), Leslie shows him around and hopes for a hefty commission. But once she starts snooping into her intriguing new client's background, she learns too much and wants a piece of the action.

Lopez gets a couple of amusing lines and theoretically is here to provide some comic relief as the wide-eyed fish out of water. But playing weak and girlish isn't exactly Lopez's strong suit, and she never functions as a potential romantic interest for Parker because it's been well-established that he's in love with Claire (Emma Booth), the daughter of his g! rizzled mentor (Nick Nolte).

So basically, J.Lo is just on board to turn around slowly in a polka-dotted bra and panty set and display her world-famous derriere. It, too, is a popular tourist attraction.

More Details: 'Parker'

*

out of four stars

Rated R; violence, language, brief sexual content and nudity

1 hour, 58 minutes