Quick Thoughts on "The Mechanic" (Simon West, 2011)

The Mechanic is an action film starring Jason Statham. Actually it is a re-make of an old Charles Bronson film. That pretty much sums it up. Statham once again plays the methodical, steely and graceful assassin who can do things that no human should be capable of. He plays Arthur Bishop, a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and a unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets to make it appear to be an accident or suicide. When he must kill his long-time mentor and friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) his emotionless demeanor is tested. He completes the job, but not without questioning the suspicious motives behind his ordered elimination. Steve (an always excellent Ben Foster), the alcoholic and troubled son of Harry, soon gets involved, wishing to take down those responsible. He is accepted by Bishop to be his protege. He is originally not aware that Bishop had killed his father, however he soon develops his own suspicions. He is instructed to complete a series of training, before he is given his own assignment. The plot is quite well developed and there was definitely room for the emotional struggles of regret and revenge to work their way into the story, but the latter half abandons the characters and is full of sporadic brutal violence, awful dialogue (at times) and an array of action genre cliches. The interrelation between Statham and Foster is quite enjoyable and their solid performances certainly drive the film, but they become just vehicles of methodical violence and incredible escapism. Foster is actually much better than his character is written to be. The Mechanic will please action fans, but there is no reason why this film needed to be made.

My Rating: 2 Stars (D+)