Well folks Im back with a new review, it's been 10 days since i posted Young Bruce Lee and in that time ive watched films that didn't really need or warrant a review, but i though this one Did. So here we go... ladles and Jellyspoons i give you....THE MECHANIC (2011)Check out the review after the jump...
“Murder is only killing without a license.” - DEATH WISH (1972)
The Movie hitman lives a quiet peaceful existence when not being paid to whack some stoolie or some government official. They sometimes have a sudden change in conscience or fall in love which in the killing game is usually a no. They are cool, efficiant killing machines, Apart from Martin Blank who has a lot of issues and they would blow you're fucking head off if the price was right. The Hitman has been around in cinema for a long time. Going back as far as 1946 with Robert Siodmak's The Killers, The Hitman or professional killer has become more of a myth in the movies, instead of being men hired by the mob to take out a rival, they've developed into some sort of mystical being, Alain Delon's Character of Jef Costello in Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 film Le Samourai is to western audiences the originator of the cool, calculated killer, and most films since has used this idea of a hired killer being the silent type. Infact John Woo has said that Chow Yun Fat's Character in The Killer is based on Delon. Then you have the 'enforcer' a man, who is hired to injure or mame aswell as kill, usually are on the mob payroll and the best example of an 'enforcer' would be Michael Caine's Carter in Get Carter (1971). But in 1974 Charles Bronson brought a character to the screen that was a killer but also had a humanistic quality about him. The film was The Mechanic and it was directed by Michael Winner (yes the E-Sure fella) and that film has just been remade by Con Air director Simon West and it stars Jason Statham and Ben Foster. Below is my review for the remake.
The plot is pretty straight forward, Statham plays Arthur Bishop, the best of the best of professional killers. He is assigned a new target, his friend and mentor Donald Sutherland happens to be that target. After his death, Sutherland's son, played by the awesome Ben Foster turns up. He wants Statham to teach him the ways of the hitman. Statham agrees and they set about taking out specific targets. One target is a fellow hitman who has a thing for young single men, although I doubt he would ever admit to being gay, Foster goes in undercover to take him out. Well things go wrong and they end up having a rather brutal fight that seems like an almost shot for shot remake of Alabama and Tony Soprano's motel room brawl from True Romance. Well it's safe to say that foster comes out the victor. Then it's onto the next target, A cult leader who is actually a junkie is the mission for the crosshairs. Well as before, things don't go according to plan. There is a brilliant gun battle set piece ontop of and down the side of a hotel that is incredibly well staged. Well obviously Statham and Foster survive. The then realise that 'The Company' has set them up and decide to go after its leader, played by Tony Goldwin (Kuffs) and in another exceptionally well staged action scene our lads finally get the dude and empty lots of bullets into him. There is obviously a twist that you will see coming a mile off but im not gonna tell you anymore as it would spoil the whole 'fuck off, oh come on...really?' feeling you'll get when you watch it.
As usual Jason Stathem has his usual Im a badass motherfucker thing going although this time he's a little more resolved and even though your's truly is Pro-Statham he definitely aint no Charlie Bronson. But he does have this screen presence, unlike Crank, Death Race and The Transporter movies, The Mechanic doesn't have the sarcastic one liners the cockney kickboxer usually does as this time around he's more on the serious side, but still a badass, and like I said he is the best of the best...long story short, don't fuck with the Stath. The one thing I have noticed since the first Transporter flick is that he is nolonger required to do an American accent which is a relief because Frank Martin in Transporter 1 had a really dodgy one which is why I guess they changed him to a Brit in the sequels. Whoever though the bloke who hated pikey's would be a world class action star, which is what he is, although I do fear he's gonna hit his peak and follow Seagal into DTV hell, I hope this aint the case.
Ben Foster, probably the single most underrated actor working in films at the moment. He steals pretty much everything he's in, 3:10 To Yuma a case in point as he is second fiddle to Russell 'every role I play is a variation on gladiator' Crowe and Christian 'Im welsh I am' Bale and completely owns them both as the psychotic Charlie Prince and the even more insane Mars Krupchek in Hostage. Foster pretty much brings all the talent and Intensity to his roles and The Mechanic is no exception, Watch this guy and tell me he couldn't be in the same league as Daniel Day Lewis or 70s/80s DeNiro.
Old pro Donald Sutherland turns up at the start as Statham's friend and mentor and Foster's father, and although he's not for long does bring a sense of old school class to the film.
The Mechanic was directed by Simon West, best known for Con Air (the film about putting bunnies back in boxes) and the first Tomb Raider film and you can tell from the opening 10 minutes that this was directed by a 90s action movie maker, the sun drenched water, the speed boat, it's like watching something out of '95 and West does a bloody good job, it does change into a more modern looking film afterwards but at least this is a big screen action film not directed by a French man or a former music video director or Michael Bay and like I stated, the action scene's are very well handled. There are no slow motion shootouts, there are some slow motion diving through the air scene but all the gun battles are staged in real time which a big plus as it gives the film a more realistic feel. I Think Michael Man brought back the realtime gun battle in his films Heat (1995) and Collateral (2004). But well done to West for making a good, well made and surprisingly brutal action film.
So im going to end this review now and while it does sound incredibly cliche'd, it is infact a great film, maybe not on the same gritty level of the Bronson original but Foster is by far a better actor than Jan Michael Vincent and the film somehow works. It's got fantastic action, some pretty good acting from both Statham and Foster (no surprise there) and is just great entertainment. Definitely worth a look for action fans and Statham fans and maybe for people who have never heard of Ben Foster. Highly recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment