Today’s quick review: Mechanic: Resurrection. Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) has given up the life of an assassin and retired to the tropics, using his presumed death to maintain a low profile. But his peaceful life is interrupted when Crain (Sam Hazeldine), an enemy from Arthur’s past, catches up with him. Now Arthur must take out three more targets or else Crain will kill his girlfriend Gina (Jessica Alba), an aid worker caught up in Crain’s scheme.
Mechanic: Resurrection is an action movie and the sequel to The Mechanic. Jason Statham reprises his role as Arthur Bishop, an assassin who specializes in making his kills look like accidents. He’s joined by Jessica Alba as Gina, a kind-hearted woman forced to lure Arthur out of retirement, and Michelle Yeoh and Tommy Lee Jones in minor parts. Mechanic: Resurrection is a standard action film set apart mainly by its particular blend of stars and stunts.
Mechanic: Resurrection’s best feature is its action. Arthur Bishop’s skill set lets the film indulge in both guns-blazing action and more thoughtful, methodical assassinations. None of the stunts are all that innovative, but they are exciting and they do make good use of the film’s exotic locations, including the heights of Rio de Janeiro, the shores of an island in Thailand, and the outside of a pricey Sydney skyscraper.
But Mechanic: Resurrection struggles to make its story stick. Like many action movies, the premise is a thin justification for the action scenes the filmmakers had in mind. But Mechanic: Resurrection makes less effort than most to disguise this fact. The transparently linear plot doesn’t detract from the fun, but it does undermine the movie’s attempts at an emotional story, making it a predictable and shallow watch.
The story side of the film is hurt further by an unimpressive script. The romance is a rushed, token affair; what might have been good chemistry between Jason Statham and Jessica Alba is hamstrung by weak lines for them to work with. Crain is underdeveloped as a character, a paper-thin villain who serves only to advance the plot. The story as a whole lacks the careful planning, expansive world, and heart of The Mechanic.
Still, Mechanic: Resurrection is a fine pick when you’re in the mood for a popcorn action flick. It offers little in the way of story, and its stunts are outclassed by other films in the genre, but it has enough in the way of raw spectacle to entertain. For a more polished Jason Statham action flick, check out The Transporter. For one with a similar premise and a more mature tone, try Killer Elite.
5.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent action coupled with mediocre writing and a linear plot.