The Mechanic (2011)

★ 6.5 1h 33m 3,553 votes IMDb

Arthur Bishop is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code requiring professional perfection and total detachment. One of an elite group of assassins, Bishop may be the best in the business - with a unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. When Harry McKenna, his close friend and mentor, is murdered, Harry's son comes to him with vengeance in his heart and a desire to learn Bishop's trade, signaling the birth of a deadly partnership.

The Mechanic

Where to Watch

Netflix Netflix
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video
Disney Plus Disney Plus
HBO Max HBO Max
Max Max
Hulu Hulu
Paramount Plus Paramount Plus
Apple TV Plus Apple TV Plus
Peacock Peacock
Showtime Showtime
Starz Starz
Paramount+ with Showtime Paramount+ with Showtime

Rent / Buy

Rent

Apple TV Apple TV Rent
Google Play Movies Google Play Movies Rent
Amazon Video Amazon Video Rent
YouTube YouTube Rent
Vudu Vudu Rent
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home

Buy

Apple TV Apple TV Buy
Google Play Movies Google Play Movies Buy
Amazon Video Amazon Video Buy
YouTube YouTube Buy
Vudu Vudu Buy
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home

Cast

Jason Statham
Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop Age 58 · Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England, UK Jason Statham (/ˈsteɪθəm/ STAY-thəm; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor and producer. He is known for portraying tough, gritty, or violent characters in various action thriller films and has been...
Ben Foster
Ben Foster as Steve McKenna Age 45 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA Benjamin A. Foster (born October 29, 1980) is an American actor. His films include The Punisher (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand and Alpha Dog (both 2006), 30 Days of Night (2007), The Messenger and Pand...
Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland as Harry McKenna Died 2024 · Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada Donald McNichol Sutherland (July 17, 1935 – June 20, 2024) was a Canadian actor whose film career spanned over 6 decades. He was nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performanc...
Mini Anden
Mini Anden as Sara Age 47 · Stockholm, Sweden Susanna "Mini" Andén (born 7 June 1978) is a Swedish model, actress, occasional host, and producer. She was born in Stockholm and began modeling at the age of ten, joining Elite Model Management when...
Tony Goldwyn
Tony Goldwyn as Dean Sanderson Age 65 · Los Angeles, California, USA Anthony Howard 'Tony' Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He's known for his roles as Carl Bruner in Ghost, President Fitzgerald Grant...
Christa Campbell
Christa Campbell as Kelly Age 53 · Oakland, California, USA Christa Campbell (born December 7, 1972) is an American film actress and producer. In 2011, she partnered up with Lati Grobman and founded California based production company Campbell Grobman Films..

Audience Reviews

Per Gunnar Jonsson 8/10 Apr 10, 2017
When Jason Statham is good he is very good. In this movie I think he is very good as the silent, deadly killer for hire. It is a straightforward killer/action/thriller. The story is nothing new but it is a well working story which is nicely executed.

The story is, as I wrote above, not very original. Killer for hire finds out that his next target is his mentor and friend. As the professional he is he executes the job anyway but later discoverers that not all is as is should be. Time for revenge. A simple, straightforward and well working story.

Things are complicated a bit by Bishop taking his friend’s son under his wings. Of course he wants to walk in his fathers footsteps. He is inexperienced but also undisciplined. Something that, not surprisingly, is causing problems.

I do like that Bishop stays a no bullshit hardass killer throughout the entire movie. No whining or silly emotional outbreaks or breakdowns. I also like the unemotional, silent and deadly impression of a professional assassin the he radiates.

There are quite a few fairly well done action scenes in the movie ranging from silent assassinations to the obligatory blow things up scenes. The parts where Bishop and Steves goes after the big bad guy is quite well done with some quite cool stunts without being over the top.

The ending was probably the only thing in the movie that was a bit unexpected. Unexpected in a good way that is. I quite liked the little surprise there.

Overall I as well as my son liked this movie quite a lot. I hope that Mechanic: Resurrection is as good as this one.
The Movie Diorama 5/10 Jan 16, 2020
The Mechanic is unable to fix its mechanically mundane plot. “Amat Victoria Curran - Victory Loves Preparation”. Foreshadowing words engraved on the glossy barrel of Sutherland’s powerful pistol. Euphemism aside, West presents a remake of the Bronson-led action thriller that coincidentally features no vehicle mendings. That’s because, for those of you who aren’t subjugated to criminal organisations (hopefully all of you...), “mechanic” is slang for hitman. Despite Statham being bald and able to glue a fake tattoo of a barcode on that shiny cranium for a “propa laugh!”, unfortunately West was unable to title the feature “Hitman”. And so, he grabbed a wrench and proceeded into remake territory.

For what it’s worth, this is one of his more moderately tolerable features from the past decade. “Mechanic” Arthur Bishop is assigned the task of assassinating his mentor, subsequently taking his troubled son into training as a well-intentioned gesture. Naturally, Statham is slaying men in his wake with any object his eyes glisten towards, most notably a suitcase handle in this one. It’s clumsily edited, instantly forgettable and rarely hones in on the “making hits look like accidents” speciality. Expositional narration throughout, one or two plot twists that uphold no kinetic energy whatsoever and an incredible waste of Sutherland. Not to mention another “mechanic” having a weakness to young boys and small dogs. The two just don’t relate.

Interestingly, the film works when it’s divulging into the life of McKenna’s self-tortured son Steve, portrayed by the enigmatic, under-appreciated and consistent Foster. A reckless individual succumbed to illegal substances and a sleazy lifestyle to suppress his negligent upbringing. Undergoing cathartic vengeance in a bid to soothe the soul. His internal suffering forces his character to be the human component in what is otherwise a mechanical action thriller, packed full of explosions and rapid gunfire. It’s a battle of professionalism between the experienced Arthur and the inexperienced Steve, making for a surprisingly well-executed duel of wits.

The actual assassinations themselves were simple, although somewhat unimaginative, yet realistic. A few questionable moments, including a dumbfounded man glancing over at the tiniest of nuts (calm your mind...) that fell out of a grating, but nothing too outlandish. The utilisation of Schubert’s legendary piece Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major was revelatory, I must confess.

Having said that, The Mechanic is your standard Statham affair. Powered by a sensational supporting performance but weighed down by a mundane plot. Functional if immediately forgettable.

Similar Movies