The Mechanic

The assassin thriller has a limited number of variants, and if you’ve seen enough of ‘em you can pretty much pick the entire plotline of a new one. Tangentially a remake of the Charles Bronson vehicle from 1972, The Mechanic is no exception, the cross and double-cross are all obvious from the get-go and there’s not a lot new on show. But just because a story has been told a million times before doesn’t mean it can’t still be enjoyable, and thankfully this is. Full credit goes to Statham and Foster who are both interesting to watch on screen. Statham is the classic journeyman actor. He’s solid and reliable, and much like his character Arthur, the consummate professional. You know what you’re getting with him, and it’s always fun. Foster, on the other hand, is a far more varied character actor and his take on the emotionally-troubled Steve is the star turn of the film. He resents Arthur since his father chose to mentor Arthur whilst abandoning him, so he’s got anger issues, daddy issues, transference and all that jazz. The character study is limited, but Foster’s performance lifts it well above what you expect from a throwaway action/thriller.

And then there’s the action. Simon West has done a few action flicks before, but after the debacle that was Tomb Raider, I’m surprised that he’s been allowed back in the driver’s seat. The time in film purgatory (spent mostly directing for television) seems to have been good for him, because the story and action are both sharply directed. The geometry of a given fight is never confusing, the plague of extreme-tight-close-up-shakycam is thankfully absent, and the plot moves along at a good clip too. This is a thrillingly well executed action film. There’s even a credit at the end for an “action designer” which shows how seriously they took their staging, and as a result several of the sequences are so good that I have to say this is a must for connoisseurs of the action set-piece.

The Mechanic is hardly revolutionary but it’s a heap of fun and rooted in two solid performances. It’s highly recommended if you’re in the mood for a solid action/thriller.

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