Review of The Mechanic (2011) by Anne H — 14 Jul 2011

A movie starring Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop, is just an action movie made for Jason Statham fans. I am sure the producer of the movie had a wish list which include, make a movie with Jason Statham in it.

The movie as I said is just an action movie interested only in gun battles, killings and not much attention placed on the script or dialogue.

The Mechanic is a remake of a 1972 Charles Bronson picture of the same name, Jason Statham is trying hard to carve his name on the wall as one of the men you'll be calling when making an action movie, but I think and stand to be corrected that he is far from the greats of Arnold, Stallone, Jackie Chan, and others you may want to add.

Arthur is, in the film's terminology, a mechanic aka an assassin who carries out assignments for a nameless syndicate which kinda have an endless target list.

He has two bosses, one of whom, Dean (Tony Goldwyn) an uptight looking, Donald Trump talking mistake of an actor and his old crippled mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) whom he is quite fond of.

The wheelchair bound, Harry returns his affection and even showing some paternal concern for Arthur. The movie starts where we see Arthur in Colombia, where he'd neatly dispatched a drug lord in the film's opening scene which I have to say was masterful way to kill someone.

We then notice a twist of faith which leaves Harry dead.

Arthur then in a way or exactly became the mentor of his mentor's estranged son Steve (Ben Foster, who starred alongside Woody Harrelson in The Messenger), a screw loose on the edge (and as this movies always seem o put them mistake of a son) who is bent on avenging his father's murder.

The movie is actually directed by Con Air's director Simon West and, seems too conventional to be a movie made in the year 2011. Lacking what it needs the most emotions. Directors alike have found out that audience like to be in the actors shows not just watch him act like a Zombie sent to take out people.