The Mechanic (2011)

I am a big fan of Jason Statham. Sure, many of the movies he is in are poorly written and filmed but you can never fault his commitment to the roles he often chooses to play. He always gives you 110% - the proverbial poster boy for the 'full retard' school of acting. Just watch 'Crank' and it's sequel if you don't believe me.

In this movie he is reliably cut to shreds as he plays an assassin (Arthur) who can kill anyone, anywhere at anytime. He can get in and out of the most secure facilities with nary a notice. It's a thing of well timed beauty to watch. I mean how precise does your planning have to be to KNOW that there will be a boat passing under a bridge at the exact moment you need an escape vessel?



The story is pretty simple. The ultimate assassin, who always works alone, is forced to take on an apprentice who is the son of another assassin (these guys all work for an assassination corporation) who Arthur is contracted to kill. Donald Sutherland is the fellow assassin and the only real friend that Arthur has. After fulfilling the terms of his contract, Statham's character tries to make up for what he has done by taking his friend's son (Ben Foster) under his wing and teaching him the 'business' of killing. This puts him on the outs with his corporate overlords and then the fun really begins.

Of course this is all fanciful stuff and totally unbelievable but it's fun. The plot devices may be well worn but their execution is fresh. The bad guys get what is coming to them and that is always satisfying. Jason Statham can play these parts in his sleep. He practically invented the 'dangerous grumpy loner' character. His commitment to the stunt work is also impressive. This is a sequel to the Charles Bronson movie of the same name but this one is far more energetic than that 70s action classic.

7/10