After watching recent releases starring Jason Statham, to say I was apprehensive about watching The Mechanic was quite the understatement. You know, I actually enjoyed it. Nowhere near as over the top as Crank or the Transporter sequels. This movie seems to be more of the spiritual successor, or replacement, for the poor Timothy Olyphant vehicle Hitman (which is ironic considering the role of Agent 47 was custom built for Statham). Much more a thinking man's actioner, The Mechanic follows the story of a professional hitman, employed by the U.S. government. He eventually has to do a job that hits a bit too close to home, he takes on an apprentice, and the movie goes from there. Lots of story and set up, brutal action, and a great sense of style come together in a really fun action film. This movie doesn't fall into the trap of simulating a lot of action through a bunch of jump cuts, making it feel like the old school Charles Bronson flick instead of a seizure. What I like the most, is the care the filmmakers go through to set up the assassinations, having them appear to be accidents or of natural causes. A wise man once said "any fool can shoot a gun, but it takes skill to hunt." I couldn't agree more.
Jason Statham reels his usual antics back in this film, coming across as intelligent and calculating. A wonderful change of pace. Ben Foster (Angel in X-Men: The Last Stand) was great as Statham's newly minted partner. Both men brought a seriousness to the film that may have been turned into sarcasm or comedy by others. Donald Sutherland and Tony Goldwyn both have small, but meaty roles that contribute nicely to the story.
A lot of fun throughout, The Mechanic is a throwback movie to the heyday of 70's action. Good story still goes a long way towards an entertaining film. Watch and enjoy. 8.25/10.
See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
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