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Reviews
STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable 5 Stars
Excellent 4 Stars
Good 3 Stars
Poor 2 Stars
Tragic 1 Star

POSTER ART
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FILM DETAILS
Certificate
15
Cast
Jason Statham
Ben Foster
Donald Sutherland.
Directors
Simon West.
Screenwriters
Steve Salerno.
Running Time
92 minutes

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The Mechanic
Statham grows a conscience


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Plot
The story focuses on a highly-skilled but emotionally detached hitman (Statham) who plans to retire when a young man (Foster) asks to be trained up in the profession. But is revenge on their minds?


Review
The Mechanic
A remake of Michael Winner's 1972 slow-burner, about a hitman who grows a conscience after being contracted to kill a friend, seems a logical step for The Stath, whose perma-frown is a natural successor to Bronson's inscrutable screen persona, even if Simon 'Con Air' West's take doesn't have the guts to open with 15 dialogue-free minutes. The action is a long time coming, and even then it's pretty tame fare after the adrenaline rush of Crank. But with Ben Foster in the role of protégé (played in the original by future Airwolf star Jan-Michael Vincent), a classy supporting turn from a wheelchair-bound Donald Sutherland and some inspired plot twists, it's a cut above the Eurotrashy Transporter sequels, and may offer Britain's most popular export since Cheryl Cole a promising new franchise.


Verdict
Better than The Transporter but not as much fun as Crank.


Reviewed by David Hughes

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Your Reviews

Average user rating for The Mechanic
Empire Star Rating

The Mechanic Review

Jason Statham and Ben Foster turn in enjoyable performances, but this superficial remake betrays them with mind-numbing violence and action thriller cliches. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by the film man at 01:29, 29 February 2012 | Report This Post


The Mechanic Review

Jason Statham and Ben Foster turn in enjoyable performances, but this superficial remake betrays them with mind-numbing violence and action thriller cliches. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by the film man at 01:29, 29 February 2012 | Report This Post


The Mechanic: Review

The Mechanic is an alright film. Had very good fighting scenes and Jason Statham did a good job for his performance. Theproblm with the film is that it wasent amazing and some scenes are just quite boring. I would recommend this film to be a rental. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Edward9630 at 02:19, 08 August 2011 | Report This Post


Dark, Brutal,Action, Thriller with lots of explosions.

The storys simple on this one, Statham is Arthur Bishop an assassin with tiny shreds of a heart, who is conned into killing his best mate, Donald Sutherland by the "Agency" so Statham out for bloody revenge, seeks the assisstance of Sutherlands troubled son, played with charm by Ben Foster, but the trouble with the Mechanic is that everyone is underwritten even Statham. Mini Aden is Stathams love interest and is woefully underwritten, despite being a likeable character, DAMN YOU WRITE... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by lewisb548 at 13:17, 06 August 2011 | Report This Post


RE: The Mechanic

I caught up with this last night and thought it was a solidly made and entertaining bit of fluff. Jason Statham does his usual gruff hardman schtick and Ben Foster is good as his twitchy apprentice. However, Tony Goldwyn is sorely underused here. The man knows how to do the sleazy bad guy, but his screen time barely adds up to 15 minutes in a 85 minute movie. But he does get to deliver the best comeback in the entire movie. Nothing to write home about then, but it's a decent little ti... More

Posted by MonsterCat at 22:36, 09 June 2011 | Report This Post


i would give this more a 3.5 but as i cant im going higher to a four. Def worth a watch ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by bigdog1000 at 01:13, 14 February 2011 | Report This Post


RE:

The original is terrible. Especially the bit where Bronson tries to give Keenan Wynn a heart-attack by chasing him. ... More

Posted by rick_7 at 12:36, 11 February 2011 | Report This Post


Good. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by reminn at 23:41, 04 February 2011 | Report This Post


Normal 1time action

look above ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Sanya at 23:24, 03 February 2011 | Report This Post



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