The Mechanic

CBS Films

Rated R

Running time: 93 minutes
































Click below to watch The Mechanic trailer.



In CBS Films The Mechanic, Jason Statham is a "Mechanic" - otherwise known as a hit man. When his mentor Donald Sutherland is killed, Statham reluctantly takes on Sutherland's hothead son Ben Foster as his trainee as they both go after the people responsible for Sutherland's death.

A remake of The Mechanic that starred Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent, this movie shows that being a Mechanic is a profession and the type of "hits" Statham is required to do is almost an art form. I like the quote that "the best jobs are the ones, nobody ever knows you were there." While I have never seen the original film - and granted one of the reasons I saw this current film was that someone that I have worked with in Hollywood, Richard Wenk, co-wrote the script - I liked how Statham trained Foster, stressing the homework and surveillance as well as the weapons training. Stathan and Foster basically become a professional choreographed team, despite Foster's rashness. There is also more characterization in the movie than I had expected for this film, as really the film is more about the almost father-son relationship between Statham and Foster. Sutherland is a memorable character as Statham's mentor, while Tony Goldwyn is not as smarmy as I wanted him to be as the head of the company that Statham works for - especially when you consider the many millions each contract hit is worth.

The direction by Simon West is typical for his action and seamier side of life - although putting both styles together is almost too schizophrenic for the film. The people getting shot in the film can also be rather graphic. Considering the amount of mayham and destruction that was carried out amongst the streets, it was unbelievable to me that no police forces were anywhere around to try to handle the situation. The climax is not as satisfying either - as the bad guy just basically runs away, instead of trying to fight Statham and Foster. The tag can also be depressing to see as it was for me, as you have grown to care about the characters.

Rated R for violence, nudity, and sexual situations. Running time: 93 minutes

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

 Pancho's Movie Reviews