The Mechanic - Movie review

Dir: Simon West Cast: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland

The Mechanic - Movie review

The Mechanic
A; Action
Dir: Simon West
Cast: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland
Rating: **1/2

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: This film might just have been called HOW TO BE A HITMAN or something as vague. But this remake of a Charles Bronson flick decides to name it the same as the original.
The story is more or less the same as well. An efficient hitman, Arthur Bishop (Statham) excels at getting the job done without leaving a trace of him ever being there. He works for a very rich man and dispatches his victims swiftly, no questions asked. However, when it comes to his last kill, Harry McKenna (Sutherland), killing his mentor/surrogate dad doesn't come easy. He does it, though. It's a job, after all.
Soon after, Harry's estranged son, Steve (Foster) comes calling. The reckless, angry young man wants to learn the tricks of the trade from the man his dad considered a son. A reluctant Bishop finally gives in and takes in the young man as his apprentice.
Several gunshots, explosions and bash-ins later, comes the time of reckoning. But you already knew that, didn't you?u00a0

WHAT'S HOT: Foster acts as the perfect counterfoil to Statham's cold, calculated killer. Where Statham's Bishop lives by a code, Foster's Steve has no such hangups. The action scenes are numbingly effective, right from the big bangs to the hand-to-hand combats. If hardcore action is your kind of thing, you'll like it. This one's a sleepwalk for Jason and you see that, but it's Foster who compels him to bring his A-Game. Thankfully, there's no cheery repartee that gets this to degenerate into a buddy flick. Thankfully. There's clever dialogue and Also at 90-odd minutes, its quick, precise and done with.

WHAT'S NOT: After a while, you question the need for repetitive scenes. There's way too much in terms of gratitious violence. And then there's the predictable ending. Also, one would like to have seen Donald Sutherland on screen a little longer.

WHAT TO DO: The Mechanic does a good tune-up job. Park yourself in this workshop, action junkies. The rest of you, go watch a mush flick.