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After my horrible experience with "The Green Hornet," I was hoping that the next trip to the theater would be worth the money. "The Mechanic" answered my prayers.
Jason Statham has successfully marketed himself to the Hollywood studios through channeling either an angry, doped-up Chev Chelios or the elusive Bond-inspired Frank Martin. If he's not kicking ass and taking names, he's just a British dude who's in on some sort of scheme vis-a-vis "Snatch" and "The Bank Job." I have to give the guy some serious credit for continuing to push out decent action movies, and "The Mechanic" is just another example of his more-than-awesome movie persona.
This time around, Arthur Bishop is a skilled hitman who makes it a point to be strategic and smart. Rather than being just another gun-for-hire, Arthur knows how to tweak his kills so that a hit is not suspected. When confronted by his employer to eliminate his friend and mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), Arthur does what he's expected to do.
Enter Ben Foster (yes, the geek from Disney channel's "Flash Forward"), the delinquent adult son of Harry. Riddled with guilt, Arhur decides to take Steve McKenna under his wing and show him the ropes. Once Ben Foster comes into the picture, the movie really starts to get going. As Steve and Arthur complete jobs together, they seriously tear shit up - and if you ask me, there's nothing better than a couple of angry hitmen with lots of money and lots of gadgets.
The story is surprisingly fluid, although predictable. But what do you expect?
Ben Foster is awesome, and he's very believable in every role he takes on. Statham sticks with what works for him - he kicks ass, gets some ass, and then kicks some more ass.
"The Mechanic" is a decent movie. The action sequences are well done and not too choppy, it doesn't drag on, and it's a new take on the whole hitman thing. I haven't seen the Charles Bronson original, but I'm assuming the 2011 remake is a modern improvement. Props to both Statham and Foster for giving me the first legit theater experience of the new year.
My final thought?
VICTORY LOVES PREPARATION.
Excellent! I'm glad the Mechanic was worth seeing! I had some major doubts, thinking that it WOULD be just another hitman movie that we've seen 1000 times before, but now I'm completely intrigued. I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteSolid review and per the usual, very witty. You definitely have a well refined quip to your writing that is both thoughtful and engaging. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteLike Hufstader, I was skeptical of this film, but you definitely paint a picture of a film that is worth a watch. Sometimes, all I want out of a film is unadulterated entertainment. This movie seems to fit that bill. Plus Statham is a superb baddass!