The Mechanic movie review (2011)

The Mechanic (2011)

Brief review: Simon West brings this nicely-executed action thriller, that follows an elite hit man, as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims. Though "The Mechanic" starts out a bit sloppy and somewhat moody, it picks up speed and energy very soon, to turn itself into a clever, gripping, uncompromising and spectacularly-violent action flick, that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end. "The Mechanic" may lack originality, but its cliche-ridden plot is compensated by a fantastic cast, some atmospheric visuals and West's creative direction and action staging. The action itself is one of this film's main strengths - the shooting scenes are high octane, the stunts are spectacular, and the fights are extremely well-choreographed and brutal as hell. Jason Statham is perfectly cast for his role as the harsh and cold-blooded professional assassin, Arthur. He's silent with his words, but very expressive with his eyes and body language. Ben Foster often steals the show with his tough, yet emotionally-powerful performance as the troubled Steve McKenna. His character is as enigmatic as he's engaging, and you can't help but being captivated by his screen presence and undeniable charisma.

Overall summary: Despite suffering from some pacing issues and an uneven editing in its first half, "The Mechanic" proves itself a thrilling and thoroughly entertaining kinetic action flick with brains, that delivers everything it promises.. and then some.