The Mechanic

I'm inclined to give 'The Mechanic' the title of best average action movie I've seen. It's got all the makings of your typical cheesy actionfest, which includes a very macho protagonist, a one-dimensional villain and some very over-the-top beat-up sessions.

But luckily, this isn't all there is to this popcorn flick: In the centre of things is a quite engaging and not-so-unoriginal storyline that is so suprisingly interesting that is almost feels out of place.

"In the centre of things is a quite engaging and not-so-unoriginal storyline that is so suprisingly interesting that is almost feels out of place."

But of course, a proper storyline is nothing without a squad of capable actors to accelerate the events to their unavoidable conclusion.The most noticeable performance here is by the supporting actor, Ben Foster (X-men, Alpha Dog) who plays a very familiar role as a slightly passionate, slightly insane wannabe assassin. Even though this is the type of character that we're used to seeing him play, it's one he plays really well as he injects the film with a definite sense of emotional intensity. 

While the emotional spin seems a bit out of place in a pure action film, it does help make the movie stand out in the crowd of B-grade action flicks. I should also probably mention that this is one of the protagonist's, Jason Statham (Crank, Transporter) best films to date. A brief appearance by Donald Sutherland in the beginning of the film makes you sit up in your seat and helps draw initial attention to what is happening. 

The Mechanic remake won't win Director Simon West (Con Air, Tomb Raider) any awards and probably won't be remembered for years to come, but as a proper distraction, it works perfectly. 

Highlight: Amateur assassins can be a bit rough in their initial approach, as proven in the movie during a failed hi-jacking incident.

This might end in someone dying.

Rating: 3 Meerkat Tails