Mechanic(s)

The Mechanic, 2011, Simon West (Con Air) -- Netflix
The Mechanic: Resurrection, 2016,  Dennis Gansel (We Are the Night) -- Netflix

Conversation in the car the other day, "I never really liked action movies, but current movies such as John Wick have redefined what used to be a critically maligned genre." I didn't say that and he didn't say that, but that is what the conversation distilled down to. I tried to add in, but was shouted down, as they are wont to do, that every age of "action movie" had its John Wick and also, conversely its Chuck Norris flick. But I would also go as far as saying, dispensing with the Asylum level of flick, even the most terrible of genre action movie has gotten... better ?

Note: I am crafting above paragraph to see whether said coworkers in said car even read this fucking blog. Probably not. Fuckers.

The Mechanic is a re-make of a 70s Charles Bronson movie; I have no idea if it was John Wick 1972 or just the dross we speak of above. Never saw it, never really heard of it. But Bronson was the epitome of the dumb action movie "hero", not as terrible as Chuck Norris or Steven Seagal, but close. Many would probably lump Jason Statham into that place now, for better or worse. I think he is a cut above, carries a certain amount of charm to his roles. In this movie, he portrays Arthur Bishop, a mechanic, a hit-man, an assassin for hire with the ability & flair to make his kills look like they need to. If it has to be an accident, a simple hit, or an elaborate kill that sends a message, that is what he does.

After an intro kill that establishes his style, he is sent his next objective -- kill his mentor & friend Harry (Donald Sutherland). Harry has been accused of botching a job on purpose leading to the deaths of three operatives (other hit men) and pocketing a couple of million bucks. Bishop doesn't argue the details, and for some odd reason, either does Sutherland. And thus he dies.

Bishop is not happy about it, and his guilt leads him to take Harry's son Stephen (Ben Foster, Hell or High Water) under his wing. Stephen is angry, but he always was, and the only thing Bishop can do is turn his anger into the one skill he has -- killing. What makes this a cut above how other, more terrible movies, would have done it, is that its not a cut scene, or montage, but the full second act. We establish the characters, let them get to know each other and keep with the style of the movie. Its a nice bit, not spectacular but enjoyable.

And then the third act comes along, which lets the movie slide into the expected gutter. Its not that its entirely bad, its just .... typical. Foster and Statham hold their own, but its all about shooting and... well, I admit, was entirely forgettable. I don't even really remember what happened, other than Bishop discovering he was betrayed and punishing said betrayer. The movie comes to a close when Stephen realizes it was Bishop who killed his father, and despite their complete disconnect, he kills Bishop.

Or does he. Of course he doesn't.

And along comes The Mechanic: Resurrection. This is the movie that completely embraces its entirely pedestrian stroll into action flick territory. Whereas the first movie at least wanted to recreate a 70s actioner with some style, and attention to detail, this is ... just an action movie. Again, its not terrible its just ... typical. Even Statham cannot raise it above its mediocre status, Hell, not even Jessica Alba can help me out here.

This one tries to add to Bishop's history, drawing him out of his "retirement" and back into the game. His old friend from childhood wants him to kill three Bad Guys and uses Alba as a plant, a manufactured motivation. Even Michelle Yeoh comes along for the ride, briefly, to coax Bishop into doing the movie.

This is where I wonder why; why can't they at least try. In the 80s and 90s I was exposed to tons of Arnie and Stallone style action movies where the plot only led us from one explosion to the next, from one bad guy (small letters) being blown up and shot and killed in such boring ways, it just became a body count. Sure Wick has a HUGE body count, but the behaviour is wrapped up by style and flair and an emotive portrayal of the violence!

We are not yet in the age where actioners cannot be looked on without any derision. Even the best of them rely on a certain staging, a basic set of plot points that are familiar. Even Wick started with a "you killed my dog, prepare to die !!!" But I really wish they could just not be lazy. Plug & Play productions, like Asylum or Uwe Boll are one thing, but lazy movies are another.