Jason Statham’s forgotten action thrillerSafecontains a prototype version ofJohn Wick’s"Gun Fu" action. TheJohn Wickmovieshave had a major impact on action cinema in the last decade. The franchise’s use of long takes and intricately choreographed action has led to manyJohn Wickripoffs- but none have reached the level of the Keanu Reeves saga. Before helming the original movie together, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch were famed stuntmen and second unit directors who worked on projects likeThe Expendablesand Jason Statham movies likeThe Mechanic.
Stahelski served as the second unit director forSafe, a fast-moving action thriller where Statham’s ex-cop has to protect a young girl from Triads, Russian gangsters and corrupt cops.Safeis no lost classic, but it’s a very entertaining Statham action vehiclewith slick shootouts and action sequences. Leitch confessed in the 2025 documentaryWick is PainthatJohn Wick’s"Gun Fu" style was developed forSafe. Despite being shown a test of it in action, neither Statham nor director Boaz Yakin felt this style fit the tone of their film, so it wasn’t used.
Safe Contains An Early Example Of John Wick-style “Gun Fu” During The Restaurant Fight
Pieces of John Wick’s fighting style can still be found in Safe
Stahelski and Leitch loved the Gun Fu previs that was made forSafe, and while they were bummed it was rejected, they knew they could save it for another project. Still, the film has a fight sequence in a restaurant involving Statham’s Luke being attacked by Triads that features some of the Wickian fighting style.Leitch points out inWick is Painthat thisSafefight features an “introduction” to the Gun Fu concept.
It’s the introduction of it, you know, in that one fight in the restaurant. There’s just like a couple of moments where, like, you see Gun Fu come to life.
Safe’srestaurant fight definitely has some stylistic similarities toJohn Wick,but it’s not fully evolved either.Instead of long, sleek takes,Safe’sfight has lots of shaky cam and quick cuts. It does feature some of Wick’s trademark moves, including disarms, body flips and, of course, headshots. Luke even gets creative with his surroundings and uses a dinner plate as a weapon.
In truth, had Stahelski and Leitch never mentioned that Gun Fu was originally developed forSafe, it’s doubtful anyone would have spotted these similarities.Visually and tonally,SafeandJohn Wickareverydifferentfrom each other.Safeis like a modern version of a gritty 1970s crime thriller that dials the action way up, but it still takes place in something approximating the real world.John Wickis intentionally very stylized, so it’s acceptable that one man can kill dozens all by himself.
Safe Was The Wrong Movie To Introduce John Wick’s Fighting Style
Jason Statham was right to have “notes” on Gun Fu
TheSafeprevis scene inWick is Painlooks great, and it’s clear why the stunt team was excited about it. That said,Safewas just the wrong project to introduce it. As Leitch pointed out,Statham was more than capable of pulling off the moves, but he had “notes” following the previs and felt it wasn’t right forSafe. Maybe the film would be better remembered that it had featured Gun Fu, but it would have jarred badly with the story being told.
There’s also the question of why a former cop and cage fighter had developed such a balletic style of fighting in the first place.It could be a nice full-circle moment for Statham to appear in the upcomingJohn Wick 5and test out Gun Fu for himself, but there are no signs of that happening (so far).Safeitself arrived at a point where Statham was cranking out mid-budget action thrillers likeParkerandHomefront, and it got somewhat lost in the mix.
David Leitch would later direct Jason Statham in the 2019Fast & Furiousspinoff,Hobbs & Shaw.
Safegrossed over $41 million theatrically on a budget of $30 million (viaBox Office Mojo), so it wasn’t much of a hit. The film is ripe for rediscovery, though, as it’s better written and directed than viewers might be expecting. If nothing else,Safedeserves to be something more than a footnote in the history of theJohn Wickfranchise.
John Wick
Cast
John Wick is a 2014 action thriller featuring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman. The film follows John Wick as he emerges from retirement to avenge the loss inflicted by a group of gangsters, setting the stage for a relentless pursuit and exploration of a shadowy underworld.
Safe
Safe follows former elite agent Luke Wright, played by Jason Statham, who becomes the protector of a young Chinese girl with a valuable numerical code. As they evade multiple factions, including the Triads, Russian Mafia, and corrupt New York City officials, Wright finds himself reintegrating into his former life of violence. Directed by Boaz Yakin, the film encapsulates a high-stakes narrative of survival and redemption.
