The remake of the ’72 film, “The Mechanic,” stands alone as thrilling and action-packed, but when compared to the classic it falls short.
Jason Statham plays the lead role of Arthur Bishop, who is an emotionless hit man with good intentions.
Once corruption starts within the agency he works for, Bishop finds an interest in an old friend’s misguided son, Steve McKenna, played by Ben Foster.
As soon as McKenna starts learning the trade, Bishop’s fine-tuned methods of assassination start to go astray.
The film is filled with clever and ruthless action scenes and insights into Bishop’s mindset for killing, building a connection to the character.
Many scenes were changed or just cut out from the original in order to integrate new technology and current problems.
The most disappointing change to the film is the personalities of the main characters.
Charles Bronson originally played Bishop, who was an older, more refined man with high-class tastes, instead of the cold, machine-like muscle man Statham portrays.
The remake depicts McKenna as a foolish man who cannot do anything right and sees the assignments as an outlet for his revenge and anger. ?
As long as you don’t compare it to the original too much and appreciate it for its more modern take with more extravagant action and up to date characters, it’s worth the trip to the movie theater.