Jason Statham stars as Arthur Bishop in ‘The Mechanic.’ The film opens in theaters everywhere today. | Courtesy of CBS Films
In “The Mechanic,” Jason Statham plays a man by the name of Arthur Bishop.
With heavy concentration, intense skill and patience, he takes his targets out in ways other than just pulling a trigger.
When Bishop’s mentor, Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) is killed, McKenna’s disappointment of a son (Ben Foster) confronts Bishop to show him how he can be a mechanic to avenge his father’s death.
After some convincing, Bishop agrees to show him the ways of being a successful assassin. They begin working together on assignments.
Tony Goldwyn also makes an appearance as Bishop’s employer, Dean, who does not approve of him bringing in an outside man on his jobs.
The plot thickens as the movie goes on. Enough action scenes, explosions and brutal violence makes for a jolting movie experience until the final frame.
Being a remake of a 1972 action flick of the same name starring Charles Bronson, director Simon West does a better job this time around — which is saying something in regards to his last success with “When a Stranger Calls.”
The modernization of “The Mechanic” takes a new direction, but hangs on to the key plot points of the original film with enough room for extra twists and turns.
Fans of the original will not be disappointed with the remake.
Ben Foster is in his element as Steve McKenna, a turbulent, reckless individual bent on revenge — and always resorting to violence.
Scenes of heavy drinking allow for noteworthy cinematography, blurring the picture, focusing in-and-out to exemplify the drunken stupors he resorts to.
Shoot-‘em-up action movies are released at a rapid pace, but what makes “The Mechanic” different is that the assassinations are plotted out in specific ways and do not necessarily always end with the same old outcomes.
The abundance of gripping scenes, the overall gritty nature and tone of the movie is countered with comedic relief that gives a nice balance — and prevents the film from being overly violent.
This movie marks Simon West’s best since “Con Air,” and fans of that movie along with movies similar to “The Transporter” trilogy will surely enjoy “The Mechanic.”
Statham’s character has reflections of Frank Martin from “The Transporter” action movies, but it works for this role as well.
Foster plays a good character, as he’s had experience in roles like these before — his most notable performances include “Alpha Dog” and “30 Days of Night,” and he’s no less impressive as a substance-abusing assassin trainee here.
If you’re looking for something to see this weekend that doesn’t take much thought — one that will allow you to just turn off your brain for an hour and a half — “The Mechanic”will fill in the void with an extra dose of shock value.
It keeps the audience engaged in the continuously violent, nerve-racking plot and provides a good supply of laughs.
All of the elements — the director, actors, writers, cinematography and music — work well together to make for a gratifying movie experience that’s worth the time and money.
Yeah, I agree it was a good movie. Both Statham & Foster gave convincing performances. The twist at the end was great. All that said, I still like the orginal better.