Over at Moving Pictures, I reviewed the Simon West/Jason Statham remake of the classic Charles Bronson thriller The Mechanic.
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| The recent incarnations of “True Grit” and “The Mechanic” showcase radically different attempts at remakes of classic American films. The former, under the skilled guidance of the Coen brothers and the superior acting of Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld, stays true to its source, often matching or exceeding the original by almost every artistic and aesthetic measure, propelling the movie into the pantheon of great Westerns. With the updated “The Mechanic,” director Simon West and star Jason Statham create a forgettable film that bears little resemblance to the 1972 Charles Bronson thriller, managing to mire the potentially exciting picture in 92 minutes of boredom and stupidity. |
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| None of this surprises since the script by Richard Wenk (“16 Blocks”) and Lewis John Carlino (crafter of the original “Mechanic” screenplay) overly relies on coincidence and unexplainable scenarios to move the story. At times laughable, the dialogue employs stereotypes right from Thriller Writing 101. Save for one brief scene late in the picture, the same holds true of the action sequences, which display a lack originality and tend toward the tedious. |
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| In his first action movie since 2001′s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” West, whose pedigree includes “Con Air” and “The General’s Daughter,” exemplifies the continued decline of the once-lauded American action film. “The Mechanic,” much like the vast majority of 21st-century thriller movies, promises plenty of pyrotechnics, blood and very little entertainment. |