The Mechanic

Over the years, Jason Statham has gone on to create his own brand of action movies that has a modest following. From ‘The Transport’ to ‘Crank’, his films have a fanbase and not without a reason – they’re consistently entertaining and never awful. And ‘The Mechanic’ is another addition to his arsenal – it’s no different from the previous Statham movies where he plays a hitman, but the addition of Ben Foster as the co-lead and nifty action sequences makes this one that action fans will eat up.

Jason Statham plays the role of Arthur Bishop, who as you guessed it, is a hit man for hire. The only difference this time is that he’s a ‘mechanic’ – an assassin who has to eliminate targets so cleanly that it doesn’t even look like a murder has been committed but just an accident. But when his mentor Harry (Donald Sutherland) wounds up dead himself, Bishop takes it personally and decides to go after the people that killed him. But along the way, Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) wants to take vengeance for his father’s murder and asks to join Bishop in eliminating the culprits. Bishop trains Steve with the tools of the trade before heading to the guys to did the deed, but loyalties are tested on the way.

‘The Mechanic’ strictly works within the Jason Statham movie template for the most part. Statham once again plays a badass assassin capable of high-flying kills in the grandest fashion. The storyline is akin to ‘The Transporter’ and features a predictable path that most action fans will figure out beforehand. But just because these elements are a retread doesn’t mean they can’t make for a good movie since that’s all that counts. And as far as an action movie is concerned, ‘The Mechanic’ easily fits the bill.

Action is something that comes first, and ‘The Mechanic’ has no shortage of that. Right in the opening sequence, Jason Statham effectively drowns his target to death and makes a daring escape without being caught. The action quotient steadily rises all the way towards the end where a grand finale is unabashedly fun to watch if a little tiring. It’s nothing that we haven’t seen before, but there are enough variations to make it appealing to watch and fill audience’s thirst for action. The kill sequences are especially well-done and sometimes even original. The highlight moments are the ones shot on a skyscraper as Statham rappels down with high flying leaps while also shooting dozens of men wanting to end his life. It’s cinematic and well-shot, making for something an action fan will undeniably enjoy.

But something that puts the film a little higher than another Jason Statham movie you could catch on DVD later is the addition of the very underrated and talented Ben Foster as a partner in crime. Last seen as one of the best aspects of another actioner ‘Pandorum’, he really brings a new flavor to the mix and perfectly complements Statham’s sensibilities. As Bishop takes him in and trains him with the skills of a mechanic, we begin to see how different Steve is personality wise and it’s painfully evident with his first kill in an excellent action sequence. His rugged charm and unorthodox personality is in contrast to Statham’s restrained and clean-cut mannerism and the result is an interesting duo. Add in dark secrets that both are hiding and you’ve got a whole new dynamic.

The pacing is fast and there’s not a moment of boredom but clichés are abound, especially when it comes to plot as mentioned before. Any moviegoer will be able to guess the plot twists ages before the movie cleverly tries to reveal them to the viewer. The ending is something very interesting and added a whole new depth to the film and would’ve been the perfect resolution to the story, if only it would’ve stopped at that moment and not added another sequence at the end just for the sake of a sequel and detract from the overall effect of it.

If you’re looking for a raw action experience at the movies, look no further than ‘The Mechanic’. It’s safe and predictable, but it’s well done and one of the better movies of its kind which is a highly uneven subgenre in itself.

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