The Mechanic Review

• 6th Jun 2011

Statham is back in another middle of the road action romp. This time he plays the titular character (just basically yet another name for hitman) who is hired to take out his own boss and friend (Donald Sutherland). After this happens he ends up hooking up with and mentoring said boss’s son (Ben Foster).

Watching the lines of trust get crossed as he mentors this new wannabe hitman is enjoyable enough – but it’s the action that most people have come for. It’s all a bunch of crosses and double crosses and may all be rather forgettable by the end; but it is diverting enough until 6 months pass and the next Statham film is out (and indeed the cinemas just saw the release of Blitz).

Statham doesn’t bring anything new to this role which doesn’t help. Ben Foster just seems to want to add quirky and weirdo type characters to his resume. He is fast becoming the prince of character actors in Hollywood thrillers. He is perhaps a leading man in the making, but perhaps needs to lay off the psycho’s and find someone with a little more gravitas and charm if he is to seduce the system into giving him a lead.

Steven Hurst