The Mechanic
We need a new Great American Action Hero. The seventies gave us Bronson and Eastwood who begat Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s cranium cracking that echoed throughout the eighties. They, in turn, handed the baton to Van Damme and Seagal who slapped a few wimps then dropped the ball entirely in the late nineties. Since then we have been left with sad attempts by flesh bags like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, an ex-wrestler who, for some reason, never seems like he’s really kicking anybody’s ass. It’s like he’s faking it or something.
There is one man who has been making some good fight flicks in the last few years, however, and his name is Jason Statham. He looks like Bruce Willis’ volatile younger brother and has an amazing ability to sell a kick to the throat that is greatly appreciated during this Age of Gutless Wonders. He is worthy of the title Great American Action Hero. It’s just too bad he’s British.
Statham’s new movie, The Mechanic, is right on page with what he’s been delivering. Here he plays Arthur Bishop, an expert hit man who specializes in making his “assignments” look as if they have passed on by accident. He is a lonely man living on the bayou in New Orleans and has been at “the game” for too long. When his mentor, Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) dies, Bishop begins to question his occupation and the people that pay him to “kill” complete strangers.
At the funeral, Bishop meets up with Harry’s son, Steve (Ben Foster) and, in an attempt to cure his alienation, agrees to teach him how to kill for money. Bishop instructs Steve how to be a “mechanic,” a meticulous technician that uses his head when taking his mark out. Steve is eager to learn and once he gets a taste for blood he realizes that vengeance is his only desire. He wants his father’s murderer dead and Bishop is the only man who can give him the chance to reap his revenge.
Statham doesn’t reinvent himself here but he is plenty believable with his constant scowl that makes him look as if he needs 800mg of ibuprofen. His career has ranged from the legitimate (Snatch, The Bank Job) to the mindless (Crank, The Transporter) and The Mechanic fits right into the mindless mold to be sure. This is high velocity violence that stays true to the genre. Ben Foster is the one that runs away with everything here. Foster has a raw energy that has fueled nearly every one of his performances to date (30 Days of Night, The Messenger). He is operating on a special level that reminds me of Johnny Depp or, more recently, James Franco. I hope the future is bright for Mr. Foster. I like to watch him work.
Not all is fun and guts. Director Simon West (Con Air, TV’s The Cape) shoots the action very claustrophobic and tight. This results in shaky, hand-held images that make it hard to tell what is going on at times. The story is rather predictable but you can blame the original 1972 feature (starring Chuck Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent!! Netflix it now!) for that. The structure is lopsided and the ending is too abrupt and slight. Also, be warned: this movie is incredibly gory and never shies away from the “money shots”. The impact is shown and the blood flies everywhere. This could be a deterrent but if you enjoy films like this, I doubt it is. It could be said that The Mechanic delivers the thrills that the good old action movies used to give us.