The Mechanic

2011 "Someone has to fix the problems."
6.5| 1h33m| R| en
Details

Arthur Bishop is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code requiring professional perfection and total detachment. One of an elite group of assassins, Bishop may be the best in the business - with a unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. When Harry McKenna, his close friend and mentor, is murdered, Harry's son comes to him with vengeance in his heart and a desire to learn Bishop's trade, signaling the birth of a deadly partnership.

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Reviews

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable
Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!
FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
tvsweeney-39052 This remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film of the same name appears at first like a typical Jason Statham film...lots of action and violence. It's only after it gets a bit into the film that the differences emerge, when the hit man agrees to train his mentors aimless and vengeance-bent son. The speed with which the youngster accepts a killing routine is a little surprising, making one wonder if he's more aware of what happened to his father than he lets on. Because of this, one fully expects a confrontation and showdown between the two and dreads the outcome.There's little of the usual Statham tongue-in-cheek, for he portrays this character as ice-cold and utterly alone, except for one wistful moment when he's tempted by a waterfront friend to buy a boat he has for sale and simply fail away. Because of that, one wonders why he tolerates his "trainee's" divergence from the way their kills are set up, each one bringing the deaths, previously going unnoticed or classed as accident, into the public eye with devastating attention.Here's where the twists come in, making this a bit different and an enjoyable film.This film was viewed as a DVD rental and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
Tss5078 In recent years, Director Simon West has become known for turning simple action movies into big hits, thanks his unique story lines. The story doesn't actually mean as much in action films as it does in other genres, because as long as people are getting killed and things are blowing up, most action fans are satisfied. Simon West wasn't and in recent years, he has given us some great stories to go along with the amazing action. His most recent film is actually a remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson classic, by the same name. The Mechanic is a code name for CIA hit-man, Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham). For years, the Mechanic has gotten the job done without question, until one day his next target is revealed as his mentor. The stories are similar, but the special effects and action moves are much more intense, and we have Jason Statham to thank for that. This man has single handedly taken action films to another level. For those unfamiliar, the man speaks several different languages, is trained in dozens of forms of fighting, and he's quick with a joke, many of which are unscripted. Every film Statham does is entertaining for his tremendous moves and unpredictability. The Mechanic gives Statham the chance to show off his talents and for that, I loved it, but trying to modernize the original story without changing it all that much, makes things feel a little outdated. I found many things to be tame by today's standards and the film itself does suffer because of it. Statham is paired with Ben Foster and that's problematic for the film as well. Foster is not known as an action star, he's the complete opposite of Statham, and in this case opposites do not attract, they had no chemistry whatsoever. In my opinion, Jonathan Rhys-Myers or Alex Pettyfer would have been a much better choice, but I am just a reviewer. That being said, the Mechanic isn't a bad movie, it has all the moves and wit of a typical Statham movie, but the story is more than a little outdated and aside from Statham and Sutherland, the casting left a lot to be desired.
RbDeraj I will keep this review like the movie: short, fast paced, and grabs your attention. The movie is sure to keep you entertained, yet there is nothing memorable about it. The plot is very stereotypical of a "secret agent" action film, where there is a double-crosser in an organization and our hero/hit-man tracks them down to hand out his justice. Some of the action is over the top which could have been replaced with some character development or a more intricate, thought through plot . They concluded the film with a quick ending and no explanation for the actions that occurred. In conclusion it was an entertaining action packed 93 minutes, but lacked substance.
brchthethird While no one would ever mistake THE MECHANIC for a great movie, for the most part it's a competently done hit-man/mentor film that makes good use of Jason Statham and never overstays its welcome. The scenario is something that's been done many times before: an experienced (sometimes aging, but not in this case) hit-man takes a younger person under their wing as a protégé, and eventually they have to confront each other in some way. Not only has this been done before, but this film is a remake of a 1970's one starring Charles Bronson. Not having seen that one, I can't compare the two, but I also won't debate the merits of this new version existing in the first place. It is what it is, and for what it's worth I thought it was enjoyable, if slightly mundane, way to pass 90 minutes.The character development is kept to a minimum, as is common for films of this type. Jason Statham's character is (obviously) the most fleshed-out person, but Ben Foster gets enough to do and plays off of Statham's character quite nicely. The one person I thought was underused was Donald Sutherland, as Statham's mentor and Ben Foster's father. He only got two scenes, but he still made the most of his limited screen time. Generally speaking, the acting was decent across the board. Even the main villain, despite being underwritten and a bit generic, was well-played.However, the area where this film possibly dips into some murky territory is the ridiculous levels of violence it chooses to show. With the exception of when Statham's character is introduced, there is no subtlety to his process, nor does it go about things in a methodical way to show the intricacies of his profession. Instead, the young upstart basically drags him down and the audience gets treated to explosions of blood and gore that would feel more at home in a "torture porn" movie. I suppose that it's another genre trope that the more experienced professional starts to lose his touch a little bit once he takes on a student, but there are some truly ridiculous scenes between the two as they mow their way through all of the bad guys that are coming their way.Still, this was enjoyable enough due to Jason Statham's charisma and the levity which Ben Foster brought to the proceedings. I wouldn't hate it if they teamed up again for another movie. And barring the, at times, excessive violence, this timeworn story was told with some efficiency, if a little light on originality. Recommended mostly if you're a Jason Statham fan.