The Mechanic is the usual Jason Statham movie. It doesn't break new ground and can swing from pretty dull to exciting. Statham and Ben Foster work fine together and there are a couple of gripping scenes but I probably wouldn't watch this again. Oh and of course it doesn't take a ballsy ending. **

What do you mean by "it doesn't take a ballsy ending?" Like...it doesn't go in a ballsy direction at the end?

Rent the original.

The ending to the original had an ending you don't usually see in action films today.

well 50 % on RT isn't bad for this type of movie????

The Mechanic (2011)
49% Average Rating: 5.6/10
Reviews Counted: 100
Fresh: 49 | Rotten: 51

Directed and written with no style, no wit, no verve, The Mechanic stalls after the first lap.

It all starts out with a couple of cool sequences (the synchronized swimming & then Donald Sutherland), but quickly turns into a rather nasty piece of work. It's not just mean, it's depressing.

The fight scenes are poorly staged and sloppily filmed and edited. The dialogue is flat. What little flashes of humor escaped were quickly stepped on by the relentlessly dull and unlikely screenplay.

The Mechanic is the worst Jason Statham movie I've seen - - and I'm a huge fan of our reigning action movie king. Even the JS himself seems listless and off rhythm here. But his "costar" Ben Foster was far worse. I see a career for him as a character actor playing hobbits, creeps, and angels, but he sure ain't no lead actor material.

In the age of Crank and In Bruges, this kind of bland lazy filmmaking is not welcome, especially in the crime action genre.

The Mechanic is a wreck.


2 out of 5.

What was the ending of the original?

This was your typical Jason Statham movie - fun but forgettable.

I thought it was pretty lame, which is unfortunate because I was looking forward to see it. Jason Statham and Ben Foster do well together, but that doesn't make up for a lame plot and I thought it was pretty slow, spare for a few decent action scenes. Wait for DVD.

5/10

In The Mechanic, British action star Jason Statham is Arthur Bishop, one of those elegant assassins so often featured in movies. Oh, sure, Bishop will shoot, stab, strangle, drown, or otherwise eviscerate his target, but he leads a serene life when not on an assignment. He listens to classical music on vinyl in his secluded Louisiana home. He spends lazy afternoons in his garage, restoring a Jaguar. And he's tender, but distant with a beautiful prostitute (Mini Anden) he visits now and then. His compartmentalized life is upended, however, after he shoots his wheelchair-bound mentor (Donald Sutherland), whom he is told is a traitor. Into his life comes Steve McKenna (Ben Foster), the old man's wild-eyed, vicious-tempered disappointment of a son. To assuage his guilt, Bishop agrees to train the eager Steve in the hitman arts.

As directed by Simon West (Con Air), The Mechanic is unambitious, but well-oiled pulp. West uses both of his stars very well. Statham's characteristic laconic cool and stoutness is complemented by Foster's loose ferociousness. The action sequences are exciting and should easily satisfy Statham's core audience, though the highlight is an extended, house-destroying slugfest between Foster's character and his oversized first mark (Jeff Chase). While mostly serious (or as serious as such a film can be), there are delicious hints of gallows humor throughout, including one zinger of a threat uttered by the main villain, played by journeyman Tony Goldwyn.

It's not destined to win any Oscars, but because of its well-matched stars and well-crafted action sequences, The Mechanic is an easy enough film to recommend.

B

Surprisingly enough, it's rather terrible.

The Mechanic is a great. I liked it from start to finish. It starts off with a nice introduction of Statham's character and develops into a very good film along the way. The sequence and execution of the set-up to get his employer-turned evil wacked is wonderful and puts it with the top tier of action films for me. It might be the best Statham film I've seen and it has Ben Foster in a great role too (even I'm generally not a fan of him). The score is perfect, it has a good story and is all put the together very well in a super neat action film. I've generally always had a liking to Simon West's films and this is no doubt one of his best.

A-

Nice! Glad you love it.

I find this movie to be pretty damn underrated now, especially compared to the last couple of Statham action movies. Loved what they did with Ben Foster here and the action sequences are exciting yet so damn visceral at the same time.