Believe me, I’m an avid fan of Jason Statham and won’t refuse to watch a film in which his muscularity appears. In addition, I also realise that a real Jason Statham movie won’t ask much effort from your brain. Most of his films are brainless movies in which a lascivious, well-formed beauty occurs from time to time. In addition, Statham’s talents as an action figure and practitioner of martial arts is extensively demonstrated in these movies. And that’s exactly what you can admire in Mechanic: Resurrection.
The film has just begun and Statham already needs to dig up his fighting techniques. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is of a pitifully low level. It’s rather a mind below zero movie with a totally meaningless and paper thin story, ridiculous developments and forced interactions between the main actors.
Well, there’s always something to complain about. Statham playing a character part as in Hummingbird with less emphasis on the action, is also a reason for some to start grumbling. And in this movie there’s a lot of fighting going on. But isn’t that actually the main reason why we watch a Staham movie? Those brutal fight scenes where he uses every attribute he can lay his hands on? An absence of high quality dialogues and his static facial expression is part and parcel. The problem lies in the overarching story interwoven with the three subplots. The three murders Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) has to commit in a sinecure way (so that it looks like an accident) have been worked out masterfully. It’s like watching three MacGyver episodes. And the second one is the most hallucinatory and impressive one.
The movie’s weaker half is the romantic part where Statham needs to show his sensitive side. He can use his triceps and biceps convincingly. But this stands in stark contrast to the use of his heart muscle. It seems rather contrived. However, if you look at the appearance of Jessica Alba, you totally understand that the adrenaline in Statham begins to function in a very different way. Alba is a beautiful appearance and luckily (for the male audience) there are many exotic beaches used as a scenery, making it mandatory for her to walk around and swim in bikini. Sadly, her part is limited to playing as a bait for Bishop. And obviously she demonstrates her feminine vulnerability constantly. Until a fury in her emerges and suddenly she masters effective combat techniques.
Ultimately, Mechanic: Resurrection is just a pure action movie that serves as demonstration material for Statham’s ability as an action figure. The landscapes are beautifully portrayed. The three murders technically may not really be feasible, but are still imaged in an ingenious way. Jason Statham plays the cool guy who’s forced to rescue the damsel in distress. Jessica Alba looks appetizing. And Tommy Lee Jones shines as wealthy arms dealer who has the appearance of an old hippie. These are all the positive remarks in a nutshell. If you have no problem with the fact they’ve put the focus in this movie solely on the mindless action moments and the rest is nothing more than an empty box, you’ll be safe with this film.
Mechanic: Resurrection is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and on-demand.
Peter Pluymers
For more of Peter Pluymers’ movie reviews, check out My Opinion as a Movie-Freak
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
