Mechanic: Resurrection

Year: 2016
Genre: Action
Directed: Dennis Gansel
Stars: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Sam Hazeldine, Michelle Yeoh, Tommy Lee Jones, John Cenatiempo, Tony Eddington, Femi Elufowoju Jr., Anteo Quintavalle, Yayaying Rhatha Phongam
Production: Millennium Films

Mechanic: Resurrection doesn't need to exist in any way shape or form. Let's get that off the bat right away. In fact, The Mechanic (2011) didn't need to exist, yet like washed up ambergris or a second season of Reaper (2007-2009), it just showed up one day. Now we have another one only this time instead of a grizzled revenge story, this second helping of the sordid life of Arthur Bishop (Statham) involves a soapy romance and a brother against brother story so recycled it might as well be compost.

Bank Managers!

Since last we saw him, Bishop has been keeping a low profile living in a modest yacht off the harbor of Rio de Janiero. That is until an old villain named Crain (Hazeldine) tracks him down and asks him to take out three people and make them look like accidents. To up the ante, Crain uses a cliched do-gooder named Gina (Alba) as a carrot in a plot-line that should have come across calculated but just comes across as silly. With no choice, Bishop's unique set of skills are put to the test, pitting him against some of the most vile humans on the face of the earth.

Now let's face it, a movie like this shouldn't exactly be plot-heavy. What anyone can reasonably expect is some close-quarters brawling, kinetic gun-play, massive explosions and kick-butt one-liners all to the tune to a soundtrack of pure bluster. Plus, given the amount of supervillain flunkys dying horrifically and shooting for s**t, it's pretty much a given the script for this film was in a producer's back-drawer somewhere marked "Arnold Schwarzenegger Vehicles".

Yet Mechanic: Resurrection tries to be so much smarter than it really is. The intricate planning of each of the protagonists marks demands audience attention, painstakingly creating a collage of premeditation. Yet with each passing moment, it becomes clear that Bishop's meticulousness is less a character detail than a plot device; an excuse to be showy for showy's sake. It's like the film is trying to be A Colt is My Passport (1967) but doesn't have the benefit of having anything interesting to say so it just regurgitates something resembling a low-rent Mission: Impossible (1996-2015).

Mechanic: Resurrection writes a check it simply can't cash, providing a-typical action sequences that include a gondola top brawl, a Devil's Island-type prison break and an amphibious assault of a luxury yacht...twice. The shoddiness of the film shows itself most plainly with each successive explosion which look like they were made by Final Cut Pro students for a senior editing project. The supposed showstopper is Jason Statham grappling against the bottom of a penthouse pool, yet while he was dangling there with superhuman swagger one can't help but think, there's got to be a simpler way to do this and for god-sake light the green screen better!

Also this movie has 0% Lisa Kudrow

If fun can be had from Mechanic: Resurrection it's purely unintentional. The fighting choreography is solid though much of its impact is spoiled by flippant gore and rudimentary gun-play. The cliched romance between Bishop and Gina is syrupy enough to coax giggles, that's if the first twenty minutes of their Thai coast courtship doesn't put you to sleep. Finally, while Bishop is painted as a smart, strong and resourceful character, his actions are commonly anything but. He's pretty much like the scimitar wielding thug in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); he's flashy sure, but next to any audience member with a brain, he's only fun when he's unceremoniously shot down.

Final Grade: F