Friday, January 28, 2011

Movie Review: THE MECHANIC

THE MECHANIC
2011
R



The Mechanic is a 2011 action film directed by Simon West that's a remake of the 1972 film of the same name that stars Charles Bronson. In the 2011 version, Jason Statham plays Arthur Bishop, a highly-trained hitman - known as a "mechanic" for his ability to "fix" problems - who is systematically used by his company to kill important targets. When he is given the task of killing his longtime mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), Arthur reluctantly agrees. Soon afterward, Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) comes into the picture wanting Arthur to teach him how to be a mechanic. Through a grueling series of training exercises, and ultimately an attempted hit of his own, Arthur crafts Steve into a worthy hitman. When he learns that his new boss Dean (Tony Goldwyn) had simply wanted to remove Harry from his position, Arthur takes Steve on a trip to exact a little vengeance.

Okay, seriously, I will watch absolutely anything that's starring Jason Statham. There's just something about him that's so quietly charismatic that it's hard to keep your eyes off him while he's on-screen. He's the action start of the 21st century, and therefore the action star of my generation. Sure, past generations have had the likes of Arnie and Sly Stallone, but we get Mr. Statham. Personally, I think we won out.

The storyline is pretty predictable, but it's still fun to see just how everything unfolds. We get nearly non-stop action, which is good because this movie doesn't really carry much in terms of intellect. All brawn and no brains, as I like to say. You can see the finale coming a mile away, but it's still a completely satisfying ending. Just don't go in expecting to have to think too hard. It's not worth the effort.

The acting is actually pretty good, too. I mean, Jason Statham is Jason Statham (I know it seems like I have a little bit of a man-crush on the guy, and you're probably right), but Ben Foster brings a little bit to the table as well. The supporting acting isn't anything to rave about, but most of the supporting cast doesn't last long enough to make much of a splash anyways. It's really the Statham and Foster show, and both command the screen very, very well, making for an interesting and entertaining pairing.

Like I said: don't go into The Mechanic expecting more than guys killing other guys with big guns and bombs; otherwise, you'll be sorely disappointed. Just go in, kick back and enjoy the ride. I personally enjoyed it very much.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B-
2 Thumbs Up

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