While an uncanny amount of action automatically can cover up minor shortcomings in some movies, it can’t salvage the Mechanic remake from being a complete failure. 
 
The Mechanic is a remake of a 1972 Charles Bronson movie about the complicated relationship between an assassin and his “mechanic wannabe” partner. Jason Statham, known for his slew of plotless action movies (Crank, Transporter, etc.), plays Arthur Bishop, the main hit man, who specializes in murders that look like accidents or frame other individuals.
 
The main tension in the movie comes in the training of his partner Steve (Ben Foster) who’s tied to Bishop’s work through a twisted series of events. The action unfolds as their relationship continues to develop as they complete assassinations as a team.
 
The Mechanic was obviously trying to appeal to the young male audience, and it obviously worked, seeing as the trailer had me interested. However, no amount of action could blind the average viewer from the slew of other problems in the Mechanic. The acting is poor, the plot is old and predictable, and the writing is horrendous. 
 
That being said, there are a lot of explosions, a lot of blood, and an extreme amount of violence. I haven’t seen a movie this violent in a long time. Some points were so brutal I found myself wincing in my seat. Whether that is a bad or good thing is up to the viewer, but it actually got a little excessive for me personally.
 
There were some great “guy” moments, and some great lines, but as a whole, the Mechanic falls short in about every manner. I was expecting a plot less, explosion heavy movie, and the Mechanic still failed to leave me feeling satisfied. As far as shoot-em-up movies go, the Mechanic remake is definitely a pass.