The Mechanic (2011 film)

{{short description|2011 American action thriller film directed by Simon West}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Mechanic

| image = Mechanic poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Simon West

| producer = {{Plainlist|

David Winkler
William Chartoff

}}

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

}}

| story = Lewis John Carlino

| based_on = {{based on|The Mechanic
(1972 film)|Lewis John Carlino}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Mark Isham

| cinematography = Eric Schmidt

| editing = {{Plainlist|

T.G. Herrington
Todd E. Miller

}}

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Millennium Films
Nu Image
Chartoff-Winkler Productions

}}

| distributor = CBS Films

| released = {{Film date|2011|01|28}}

| runtime = 93 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $40 million{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mechanic.htm |title=The Mechanic (2011) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=2011-04-04 |archive-date=2016-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827013808/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mechanic.htm |url-status=live }}

| gross = $76.3 million{{Cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mechanic-The-(2010)#tab=box-office |title=The Mechanic (2011) |website=The Numbers |access-date=October 24, 2016 |archive-date=December 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204170515/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mechanic-The-(2010)#tab=box-office |url-status=live }}

}}

The Mechanic is a 2011 American action thriller film directed by Simon West, starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn and Donald Sutherland. A remake of the 1972 film of the same name, it centers on Arthur Bishop (Statham), a professional assassin or 'mechanic', who specializes in making his hits look like accidents, suicides and petty criminals' acts.{{Cite web |title=The Mechanic |url=http://www3.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=54702 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322191357/http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=54702 |archive-date=March 22, 2010 |access-date=January 26, 2011 |website=ComingSoon.net |publisher=CraveOnline}}

It was released in the U.S. and Canada on {{nowrap|January 28,}} 2011, where it was praised for its action sequences and Statham's performance. A sequel, Mechanic: Resurrection, was released on August 26, 2016.

Plot

Hitman Arthur Bishop sneaks into the home of a Colombian cartel boss and drowns him in his own pool. Upon returning home to Louisiana, he meets with his friend and mentor Harry McKenna.

Bishop is then assigned by his employer Dean to kill Harry. Dean tells Bishop about a failed mission in South Africa, in which several assassins were killed, the details of which are known only to Dean and Harry. Reluctantly, Bishop kills Harry and makes it look like a carjacking. At Harry's funeral, Bishop encounters Harry's son Steve, whom he later stops from killing a would-be carjacker in rage.

Steve asks Bishop to train him as a hitman; he's instructed to take a chihuahua to a coffee shop each day at the same time, catching the attention of his would-be target, the assassin Burke. As Steve settles into a routine, Bishop takes him to observe a contract killing. Burke eventually invites Steve for drinks.

Ignoring Bishop's instruction to overdose Burke with Rohypnol, Steve goes with him to his house. When Burke begins to undress, he attempts to strangle the much larger man with a belt, imitating Bishop. He fights back, and Steve barely manages to kill him after a lengthy fight. Dean expresses disapproval of Bishop's usage of Steve, which violated the rules of the contract arrangement.

Bishop's next target is cult leader, Andrew Vaughn, whom Steve suggests they inject with adrenaline to simulate a heart attack, for which the paramedics would administer a fatal dose of epinephrine. While Bishop and Steve are preparing for the hit, Vaughn's doctor arrives and administers an IV of ketamine, which would inhibit the adrenaline's effects. The two decide to suffocate Vaughn instead.

After killing Vaughn, they are discovered by the guards, so they shoot their way out then fly home separately. At the airport, Bishop finds a hitman who was supposed to be killed in the mission that Harry allegedly sold out. The hitman reveals Dean engineered the failed mission to cover up his own shady dealings. Bishop realizes Dean framed Harry and that Bishop had been tricked into killing him.

After dispatching Dean's henchmen who ambush him, Bishop learns Steve has also been ambushed at the safehouse. Steve kills his attackers, finds his father's gun and realizes Bishop killed him. Bishop and Steve ambush and kill Dean. When they stop for gas, Steve blows up the truck with Bishop seemingly still inside.

Steve returns to Bishop's and does two things Bishop told him not to: He plays a record on the turntable and takes Bishop's 1966 Jaguar E-Type. As he drives away, Steve sees a note on the passenger seat; it reads: "Steve, if you're reading this, then you're dead." Presumably realizing the car is rigged with a bomb, Steve gives one last laugh before the car explodes, killing him. Another explosion (Bishop rigged the turntable, knowing Steve would use it) destroys the safehouse. In an earlier conversation in the truck Bishop saw Steve carrying his father's gun, revealing Steve knew Bishop killed Harry.

Security footage at the gas station reveals that Bishop had escaped from the truck before the explosion. He gets into a spare truck and drives away.

Cast

Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop
Ben Foster as Steve McKenna
Tony Goldwyn as Dean Sanderson
Donald Sutherland as Harry McKenna
Jeff Chase as Burke
John McConnell as Andrew Vaughn
Mini Andén as Sarah
Stuart Greer as Ralph
Christa Campbell as Kelly
Lance E. Nichols as Henry
J.D. Evermore as Gun Runner
David Leitch as Sebastian
Mark Nutter as John Finch
Lara Grice as Mrs. Finch
Ada Michelle Loridans as Finch's Daughter
Katarzyna Wolejnio as Maria
James Logan as Jorge Lara
Eddie J. Fernandez as Lara's Guard
Joshua Bridgewater as Raymond
Choop as Arthur The Dog

Production

=Development=

Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, producers of the 1972 film, sought to make an update. Pre-rights to the remake were sold in February 2009 at the Berlin Film Festival. Variety reported that the screenplay was written by Karl Gajdusek.{{Cite web |last=Kline |first=Sally |date=2011-01-27 |title=Stathan revs up the action in 'Mechanic' - Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2302825/stathan-revs-up-the-action-in-mechanic/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |language=en-US}} However, the final script is credited to Richard Wenk and Lewis John Carlino (the writer of the 1972 film).

=Casting=

Director Simon West and Jason Statham were announced as part of the project three months later.{{Cite journal |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=May 7, 2009 |title=West gives 'Mechanic' an overhaul |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/west-gives-mechanic-an-overhaul-1118003364/ |journal=Variety |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107120410/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003364 |url-status=live }} Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland were cast alongside Statham in October 2009.{{Cite journal |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=October 14, 2009 |title=Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009959 |journal=Variety |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107120436/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009959 |url-status=dead }}

=Filming=

Filming began in New Orleans, Louisiana, on {{nowrap|October 26}}, 2009.{{Cite news |last=Alexander-Bloch |first=Benjamin |url=http://www.nola.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2009/10/hollywood_comes_to_the_north_s.html |title=Jason Statham back in action locally -- this time in St. Tammany |date=October 26, 2009 |work=The Times-Picayune |access-date=January 26, 2011 |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928145906/http://www.nola.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2009/10/hollywood_comes_to_the_north_s.html |url-status=live }} Filming locations included St. Tammany Parish, the World Trade Center in downtown New Orleans,{{Cite news |last=Scott |first=Mike |url=http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/11/post_27.html |title='The Mechanic' brings eerie scenes to life in New Orleans |date=November 17, 2009 |work=The Times-Picayune |access-date=January 26, 2011 |archive-date=December 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215094908/https://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/11/post_27.html |url-status=live }} and the Algiers Seafood Market.{{Cite news |last=Scott |first=Mike |url=http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/11/post_28.html |title='The Mechanic' film crews to light up Algiers neighborhood for explosive sequence |date=November 18, 2009 |work=The Times-Picayune |access-date=January 26, 2011 |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928145833/http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/11/post_28.html |url-status=live }}

=Soundtrack=

{{Infobox album

| name = The Mechanic: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

| type = film

| artist = Mark Isham

| cover = Mark Isham - The Mechanic.jpg

| alt =

| released = January 25, 2011

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 71:36

| label = MIM Records MIM002

| producer =

| prev_title = The Crazies

| prev_year = 2010

| next_title = The Factory

| next_year = 2011

}}

The soundtrack for the film was released on January 25, 2011, by MIM Records.

{{Track listing

| headline = The Mechanic: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

| all_writing = Mark Isham

| title1 = Barranquilla

| length1 = 1:22

| title2 = Drowning

| length2 = 3:11

| title3 = Bayou

| length3 = 1:17

| title4 = Liquor Fairy

| length4 = 1:17

| title5 = Coffee Shop to Bar

| length5 = 0:46

| title6 = I Want a Meeting

| length6 = 2:31

| title7 = Poisoned the Well

| length7 = 2:07

| title8 = Amat Victoria Curam

| length8 =5:31

| title9 = Looking Back

| length9 = 0:33

| title10 = Carjack

| length10 = 2:35

| title11 = I Wanna Know What You Know

| length11 = 1:44

| title12 = Up Close

| length12 = 2:35

| title13 = Up Close (Alternate Version)

| length13 = 2:34

| title14 = Chihuahuas and Boys

| length14 = 1:54

| title15 = Don't Get in His Car

| length15 = 1:37

| title16 = Anger, and a Place to Put It

| length16 = 3:58

| title17 = An Outside Individual

| length17 = 1:53

| title18 = I'm Not a Reverend (Vaughn's Setup Part 1)

| length18 = 1:14

| title19 = Vaughn's Setup Part 2

| length19 = 4:37

| title20 = Vaughn's Hit Part 1

| length20 = 2:27

| title21 = They're in the Wall (Vaughn's Hit Part 2)

| length21 = 2:45

| title22 = They Played You So Easily

| length22 = 3:47

| title23 = Left Side Cushion

| length23 = 3:51

| title24 = Fingers, Wrist, Elbow?

| length24 = 2:17

| title25 = Save the Fuel, I'm Coming for You

| length25 = 4:46

| title26 = Gun Sting

| length26 = 0:35

| title27 = Vengeance is the Mission

| length27 = 3:16

| title28 = The Mechanic

| length28 = 3:07

| title29 = Original 1m1 (Bonus Track)

| length29 = 1:29

}}

Release

=Theatrical=

The Mechanic was released in the United States and Canada on {{nowrap|January 28}}, 2011. Millennium Films sold U.S. distribution rights to CBS Films for the release. It was expected to perform well with male audiences, with its release a week before Super Bowl XLV.{{Cite news |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/millennium-sells-us-rights-on-the-mechanic-to-cbs-films/5016808.article |title=Millennium sells US rights on The Mechanic to CBS Films |date=August 8, 2010 |work=Screen Daily |access-date=January 26, 2011 |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928150721/https://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/millennium-sells-us-rights-on-the-mechanic-to-cbs-films/5016808.article |url-status=live }} In the United Kingdom, the distribution rights were sold to Lionsgate.{{Cite web|title=The Mechanic|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mechanic-2010|access-date=2020-10-11|website=www.bbfc.co.uk}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

=TV advertisement ban=

In June 2011, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority banned an advertisement for the film from being broadcast on British television. The ban followed complaints from 13 viewers regarding a screening of the advert during the teen show Glee. In its ruling, the authority found that, although the advert was shown post-watershed, it was likely that a large number of viewers under the age of 16 would have been watching Glee at the time, and criticized the "stream of violent imagery" portrayed in the advert.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13600900 |title=The Mechanic film advert banned from television |date=June 1, 2011 |work=BBC News |access-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409114205/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13600900 |url-status=live }}

Reception

=Box office=

The film grossed {{nowrap|$11.4 million}} on its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada. It ended with a North American gross of {{nowrap|$29.1 million}} and {{nowrap|$47.2 million}} in other territories, for a worldwide total of $76.3 million.

=Critical response=

The Mechanic received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 54%, based on 165 reviews, with a rating average of 5.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Jason Statham and Ben Foster turn in enjoyable performances, but this superficial remake betrays them with mind-numbing violence and action thriller cliches."{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mechanic/ |title=The Mechanic Movie Reviews |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=October 30, 2024 |archive-date=April 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411232314/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mechanic |url-status=live }}

On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-mechanic |title=The Mechanic |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 29, 2015 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025143445/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-mechanic |url-status=live }}

Roger Ebert awarded the film two out of four stars:{{cquote|Audiences have been drilled to accept noise and movement as entertainment. It is done so well one almost forgets to ask why it has been done at all.{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Robert |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110126/REVIEWS/110129981 |title=The Mechanic |date=January 26, 2011 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=January 27, 2011 |archive-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011223354/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20110126%2FREVIEWS%2F110129981 |url-status=live }}}}

Sequel

Dennis Gansel directed a sequel, with Jason Statham returning as Arthur Bishop.{{Cite web |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=114585 |title=Jason Statham to Return as The Mechanic |date=February 7, 2014 |website=comingsoon.net |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330131209/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=114585 |url-status=live }}