The Mechanic

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The Mechanic

R

Released Jan 28, 2011

1h 32m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

54%

Tomatometer

164 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

One of an elite group of assassins, Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) may be the best in the business. Bishop carries out his assignments with precision, detachment and adherence to a strict code, but when Harry (Donald Sutherland), his close friend and mentor, is murdered, Bishop vows revenge. Harry's son (Ben Foster) comes to him with vengeance in his heart and a desire to learn Bishop's trade, signaling the birth of a deadly partnership.

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Critics Consensus

Jason Statham and Ben Foster turn in enjoyable performances, but this superficial remake betrays them with mind-numbing violence and action thriller cliches.

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Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

The Mechanic gets a low score even by the abysmal standards set by Statham and the kinds of films he assembly-lines.

Rated: 1.5/5

Apr 3, 2019

Full Review

Leah Rozen

TheWrap

Statham, he of the chiseled physique and sexily receding hairline, holds his own here, doing what he has to in scenes and no more -- which is perfect for a movie like this.

Oct 7, 2011

Full Review

Una LaMarche

Observer

The Mechanic is like a Beretta loaded with blanks -- quick and brutal but ultimately empty.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 4, 2011

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

With director Simon West’s remake, it becomes apparent that apathy no longer makes for an admirable protagonist or even a dynamic one.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 3, 2023

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Tends to be more perceptive than active, extracting the most it can from the original. [Full review in Spanish]

Oct 7, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Underneath its grittier, hyper-violent, modernistic shaky-cam exterior, it's still a Jason Statham movie - for better or for worse.

Rated: 6/10

Nov 30, 2020

Full Review

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Izan K

good, and the sensation of explosions and action is felt, but maybe the thriller seasoning is a little lacking

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

Full Review

John W

One of the best Statham movies. Hard action and a surprisingly good story for this kind of movie. Good twists at the end. Top action thriller

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

Full Review

Madam D

Of course it is violent, but the action sequences were pretty good. Easy to guess the plot as it proceeded.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/25/25

Full Review

Leaburn O

Standard Statham but a pretty decent one in the end and thankfully there weren’t twenty subpar sequels, though this is a Charles Brunson remake itself. Watched on Film4.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/25

Full Review

acsdoug D

It's been a while since I saw the original Charles Bronson version, but I think I liked that one better than this one.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/18/24

Full Review

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Simon West

Director

Jason Statham

Arthur Bishop

Ben Foster

Steve

Donald Sutherland

Harry

Tony Goldwyn

Dean

Jeff Chase

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Synopsis

One of an elite group of assassins, Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) may be the best in the business. Bishop carries out his assignments with precision, detachment and adherence to a strict code, but when Harry (Donald Sutherland), his close friend and mentor, is murdered, Bishop vows revenge. Harry's son (Ben Foster) comes to him with vengeance in his heart and a desire to learn Bishop's trade, signaling the birth of a deadly partnership.

Director: Simon West
Producer: David Winkler, William Chartoff, René Besson
Screenwriter: Richard Wenk, Lewis John Carlino
Distributor: CBS Films
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Nu Image
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Some Sexual Content|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 28, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 5, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.1M
Runtime: 1h 32m

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