The Mechanic

Director Simon West's remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson action-thriller features a buff, stone-faced Jason Statham playing Arthur Bishop, the best hit man in the business, which entitles him to a swanky place to live, a muscle car, and the company of high-priced prostitutes. Adhering to his own strict, if amoral, code of ethics, Bishop takes out his victims and disappears into his treetop home in a Louisiana bayou. When wheelchair-bound Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland)—Bishop's mentor and good friend within The Company—falls under suspicion by the organization's head honcho, Mr. Dean (Tony Goldwyn), Bishop is dispatched to kill McKenna. After carrying out the assignment, a regretful Bishop befriends McKenna's surly, estranged son Steve (Ben Foster), impetuously taking him on as his protégé, setting the foundation for a male-buddy plot with multiple opportunities for grunting, grappling, explosions, and body slams. West's frantic direction routinely telegraphs what's going to happen, so there's little suspense to be found amidst the mindlessly brutal mayhem. Worse, unlike the original, the conclusion here opens up the possibility of a sequel. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted and extended scenes (11 min.), a “Tools of the Trade: Inside the Action” featurette (8 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a so-so action remake.] (S. Granger)