The Mechanic: Review By Jami Philbrick

It seems to me that actor Jason Statham has become the "Jean-Claude Van Damme" for a new generation. Granted, I think Statham has better acting skills than the Belgian martial artist but there is a comparison that can be made. In fact, that comparison could also be made with another '90s action star ... Steven Segal. Fellow '90s action stars Bruce Willis or Nicolas Cage could also make apt comparisons but I would argue that their body of work is broader than what Statham has demonstrated thus far, and I believe their acting skills are a bit above his. You could go back further and compare Statham to '80s action stars like, his "The Expendables" director, Sylvester Stallone or former-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but part of the key to their success has been longevity and the jury is still out on that verdict with Statham. You could look at a classic action-movie star from the '60s like Steve McQueen but Statham doesn't quite exude the coolness that McQueen had. Maybe the best comparison would be with '70s action star Charles Bronson, whose quiet, blue-collar, no-nonsense demeanor ignited the screen almost four decades ago, much like Statham. If that is the case, then it only make sense that Statham would remake Bronson's classic 1972 hit-man film, "The Mechanic."

Statham certainly has become our generations on-screen action hero, much the way Van Damme and Segal were in the '90s. While I think Statham has better acting chops than those two actors, he does make similar films. Willis and Cage make very commercial action movies such as the "Die Hard" and "National Treasure" franchises and occasionally broaden out to art house pictures like "Pulp Fiction" or "Leaving Las Vegas," which earn the actors tremendous reviews. Statham has yet to do that and seems to continue to make the same types of movies over and over again, which is fine since the actor seems to be good at it. "The Mechanic" is no different. The film is a slightly average action movie but it does hold your interest and entertain you throughout. The plot is somewhat predictable and if you are a fan of the action format you will probably be able to see things coming before the characters do. Statham is great as the lead character and carries the film as best he can. He gets some help from actor Ben Foster ("The Messenger") who is a fantastic young actor but seems a little bit lost in this film. It's not entirely his fault, as I fear that his character was not fully developed by the screenwriters. Unfortunately, Tony Goldwyn ("Ghost"), who plays the antagonist in the film, is completely predictable as is screen legend Donald Sutherland ("Klute"). But at least Sutherland is interesting in his scenes even if you know what is coming, while Goldwyn seems to be walking through the movie just looking for a paycheck.

"The Mechanic" begins by introducing us to Arthur Bishop (Statham), an expert assassin working for a powerful corporation, which is run by Bishop's mentor Harry (Sutherland) and his partner Dean (Goldwyn). After returning to his New Orleans home from a successful mission, Bishop is given a new assignment from Dean ... kill Harry. Dean explains that someone has betrayed the company and he believes it is Harry, so he must be eliminated. Bishop is reluctant but ultimately carries out the task. At Harry's funeral Bishop runs into Harry's son, Steve (Foster). Steve is a tough but irresponsible young man who wants revenge for his father's death. He is told that his father was killed by carjackers so he gets drunk and goes to the worst section of New Orleans, hoping to find the thugs that killed his dad. Bishop saves Steve and agrees to train him and take him on as his new partner. Bishop shows Steve the ropes of being a hit man and eventually the two take on a case together. But when it becomes apparent that this new job was actually a trap, Bishop realizes that it was Dean and not Harry that has betrayed him. Now Bishop and Steve set out to take down Dean and the organization no matter what it takes. But what will happen when Steve finds out the truth about his father's death and realizes that Bishop was responsible for it all along?

For fans of the original "The Mechanic," there is a lot here that I think you will like. A lot of the movie is the same but just updated for today's audience. Here are some of the major differences between the original and the new film that I thought were improvements. In the new film, Bishop and Harry seem to have a closer relationship, which raises the stakes between the two characters and there is a nice scene between Statham and Sutherland that is not in the original. Another difference is that Bishop and Steve have history together in the new movie, which they don't have in the original, and that also adds a lot to the film. Here are some of the changes that I don't think work. In the original, Bishop realizes much earlier that Steve is plotting against him and looking for revenge against his father. In the new movie, Steve doesn't figure it out until the very end of the film and it leaves no room for tension. In the original, you can feel the distrust in the air between these two men and it helps to build towards the conflict at the end of the movie. Without that tension the end just seems like it is out of left field. Also, the ending is different in the new film and it is less satisfying. I want to be careful to not give too much away about the new movie so I will just say that in the original, both men die at the hands of the other. It was a gutsy and groundbreaking way to end the original film back in the '70s. I guess in today's day and age, you can't do that, as the new film's conclusion is much different and seems like a cheap, "Hollywood Happy Ending."

That being said, there are things that I enjoyed about this movie, like the fact that it knows what it is and it's almost shameless in that fact. In the beginning of the film, when it is setting up who Bishop is and his life style, he returns from a killing and has sex with a hooker he picks up in a bar. The scene is wonderfully graphic and over-the-top. It fits the tone of the movie perfectly and sets up who Bishop is. We also see in the opening scenes how Bishop lives. His meticulously clean, post-modern home, with antiques like vintage sports cars, a record collection and love for classical music, also paints a great picture for us of who this character is. You get the feeling from the opening scenes that director Simon West ("Con-Air") knows exactly what type of movie he is making. The action is well done and the script holds together, for most of the film, only falling apart in the final moments. Say what you will about Statham, but he truly has a knack for making action films and is not only a believable action star but a decent actor, something that his predecessors like Van Damme and Segal could not claim. In the end, would I recommend you rush out to the theaters to see this movie? Well, probably not. But if you are planning to go to the movies this weekend and are looking for something fun and frivolous to watch, you could do a lot worst than seeing this movie. If you like somewhat mindless action movies than you'll definitely like this and it's worth renting on Netflix or watching on cable in the future for sure. "The Mechanic" might not be the most memorable movie of the year but it is an entertaining and fun action film that fans of the genre will probably enjoy.