Mechanic thrills but goes through the motions
If there was ever any doubt that Jason Statham is this generation’s Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger The Mechanic lays such question to rest — for good.
Helmed by action veteran Simon West ( Laura Croft: Tomb Raider Con Air ) The Mechanic provides little in the way of new material in the scope of action flicks. Essentially West utilizes Statham’s persona as an action icon fittingly which if you’re a Statham fan is a great thing. Like Stallone or Schwarzenegger in their heyday Statham plays the same character he does in all his recent film outings: A tough strong-jawed badass who envyingly fills out tight sweaters or high-collared jackets to a T. If action with a predictable storyline is what you seek then The Mechanic is the movie for you.
A remake from the 1972 Charles Bronson vehicle the film follows Arthur Bishop (Statham) an elite company-man assassin who lives a solitary life in the Louisiana bayou. He’s an industrious professional who conducts his hits with the utmost attention to detail – sometimes an assignment requires sloppiness to send a message while others must be made to look like an accident so no one is the wiser.
But Bishop’s structured profession — and life — takes a U-turn when his next assignment is to kill friend and mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland). Bishop a man who never asks questions completes his task. But when McKenna’s son Steve (Ben Foster) becomes hell-bent on learning Bishop’s profession a guilt-riddled Bishop agrees to teach him the tricks of the trade. The two become a Batman and Robin-like killing team but the closer the pair becomes the closer Steve comes to learning Bishop’s ugly secret.
Indeed The Mechanic is a straightforward no-brainer action thriller. Little if any character development is built and even the “plot twist” is entirely foreseeable. Another pitfall is the misuse of Foster. No stranger to action movies Foster typically offers an offbeat and unique spin to his characters notably in Alpha Dog and 3:10 to Yuma. Here however he seems to do the minimum with what the script offers.
Although his portrayal of the bitter and vengeful son is acceptable a man with Foster’s talents could have been better utilized (although here one usually doesn’t expect Oscar-winning performances). In addition Sutherland’s brief appearance comes across as a cash grab.
What The Mechanic does offer however is fantastic high-wire stunts excellent fight and chase sequences picturesque cinematography and efficient directing. There’s a high content of gruesome and gory scenes too which gives the film a grittier feel than your average Hollywood action drama.
Statham although giving a play-by-numbers performance is successful at what he does. True he stretches more bicep muscles than acting ones but he also doesn’t do anything less than what his fans might expect.
The Mechanic offers a break from the litany of Oscar-buzzed movies bombarding theatres at this time of the year. It’s a film more built for the summer blockbuster season but for those seeking something simple and fast-paced it’ll go down smooth.
