Director Simon West has been off the big screen radar long enough to properly contemplate the slick little cinematic take-over that is "The Mechanic."
The film's generic poster of a handgun made up of roughly sketched weapons cleverly conceals an ingenious update on the time-honored assassin-with-a-heart genre.
The film is an update of Michael Winner's 1972 original, which starred Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent.
Jason Statham plays ace hit man Arthur Bishop. When he isn't executing high-paid hits for an oily corporate bigwig named Dean (Tony Goldwyn), Arthur unwinds in his nicely-appointed house on a remote New Orleans waterway. Arthur isn't just good at what he does, he's a "machine."
We know this from the way Arthur invisibly dispatches the film's first victim in a heavily guarded indoor swimming pool, where he drowns the home's owner.
"The Mechanic" is a modern grindhouse picture that elevates the genre by allowing its characters to exert the logic of their flaws.
Even an elite assassin like Arthur Bishop can make mistakes. No matter what you do, don't underestimate "The Mechanic."
This is one badass movie.
Rated R. 92 mins.
