''The Mechanic'' is a 2011 American

action thriller The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

directed by

Simon West Simon Alexander West (born 17 July 1961) is an English film director and producer. He has primarily worked in the action genre, most notably as the director of the films ''Con Air'', ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'', ''The Mechanic (2011 film), Th ...

, starring

Jason Statham Jason Statham ( ; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor. He is known for portraying tough, gritty, or violent characters in various action thriller films, and has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2 ...

, Ben Foster,

Tony Goldwyn Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...

and

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024) was a Canadian actor. With a career spanning six decades, he received List of awards and nominations received by Donald Sutherland, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award ...

. 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. It was released in the U.S. and Canada on 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 Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...

Arthur Bishop sneaks into the home of a Colombian cartel boss and drowns him in his own pool. Upon returning home to

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, 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 South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, 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 Carjacking is a robbery in which a motor vehicle is taken over.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is usually i ...

. 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 A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

Burke with

Rohypnol Flunitrazepam, sold under the brand name Rohypnol among others, is a benzodiazepine used to treat severe insomnia and assist with anesthesia. As with other hypnotics, flunitrazepam has been advised to be prescribed only for short-term use or by ...

, Steve goes with him to his house. When Burke begins to undress, he attempts to

strangle Strangling or strangulation is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain by restricting the flow of oxygen through the trachea. Fatal strangulation typically occurs ...

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 Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone and medication which is involved in regulating visceral functions (e.g., respiration). It appears as a white microcrystalline granule. Adrenaline is normally produced by the adrenal glands a ...

to simulate a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

, for which the paramedics would administer a fatal dose of

epinephrine Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone and medication which is involved in regulating visceral functions (e.g., respiration). It appears as a white microcrystalline granule. Adrenaline is normally produced by the adrenal glands a ...

. While Bishop and Steve are preparing for the hit, Vaughn's doctor arrives and administers an IV of

ketamine Ketamine is a cyclohexanone-derived general anesthetic and NMDA receptor antagonist with analgesic and hallucinogenic properties, used medically for anesthesia, depression, and pain management. Ketamine exists as its S- (esketamine) a ...

, 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 A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding phys ...

and takes Bishop's 1966

Jaguar E-Type The Jaguar E-Type, or the Jaguar XK-E for the North American market, is a British FMR layout, front mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars, Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its sleek appearance, advanced technologies, ...

. 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

as Arthur Bishop * Ben Foster as Steve McKenna *

as Dean Sanderson *

as Harry McKenna *

Jeff Chase Jeff Chase (born Jeffrey L. Sniffen; January 17, 1968) is an American film and television actor who played for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League. Chase was born in Paterson, New Jersey. Raised in Totowa, New Jersey and West Pate ...

as Burke * John McConnell as Andrew Vaughn *

Mini Andén Susanna Clara Elisabeth "Mini" Andén (born 7 June 1978) is a Swedish model, actress, occasional host and producer. Biography She was born in Stockholm and began modeling at the age of ten, joining Elite Model Management when she was fifteen. S ...

as Sarah *

Stuart Greer Stuart Greer (born December 2, 1959) is an American retired character actor. Education Greer began acting in stage productions while a student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before being accepted into the Professional Workshop at ...

as Ralph *

Christa Campbell Christa Campbell is an American actress and producer. Campbell is best known for her roles in ''2001 Maniacs'', ''Mozart and the Whale'', ''Lonely Hearts (2006 film), Lonely Hearts'', ''The Wicker Man (2006 film), The Wicker Man'', ''Cleaner' ...

as Kelly * Lance E. Nichols as Henry * J.D. Evermore as Gun Runner *

David Leitch David Leitch (; born November 16, 1975) is an American filmmaker, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and actor. He made his directorial debut on the action film ''John Wick'' (2014) with Chad Stahelski, though only Stahelski was credited. He la ...

as Sebastian * Mark Nutter as John Finch *

Lara Grice Lara Grice (born August 11, 1971) is an American actress who has appeared in more than 50 movies, notably ''The Reaping'' (2007), ''The Final Destination'' (2009), ''Girls Trip'' (2017) and '' Body Cam'' (2020). On television, Grice has had recu ...

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 Irwin Winkler (born May 25, 1931) is an American film producer and director. He is the producer or director of over 58 motion pictures, dating back to 1967's '' Double Trouble'', starring Elvis Presley. The fourth film he produced, '' They Shoo ...

and

Robert Chartoff Robert Irwin Chartoff (August 26, 1933 – June 10, 2015) was an American film producer and philanthropist. Early life and education Chartoff was born on August 26, 1933, in New York City, the son of Bessie and William Chartoff. His family was ...

, 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 The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

. ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that the screenplay was written by

Karl Gajdusek Karl Gajdusek (born 30 July 1968) is an American screenwriter, producer, and playwright. He was the showrunner for the first season of the Netflix series ''Stranger Things'' and the co-creator of the TV series '' Last Resort'' with Shawn Ryan. T ...

. However, the final script is credited to

Richard Wenk Richard Wenk (born May 6, 1956) is an American film screenwriter and director best known for his work on ''The Equalizer'' film series (2014–2023). Early life Wenk was born in 1956 in Metuchen, New Jersey. He graduated from Metuchen High Sc ...

and

Lewis John Carlino Lewis John Carlino (January 1, 1932 – June 17, 2020) was an American screenwriter and director. His career spanned five decades and included such works as '' The Fox'', '' The Brotherhood'', '' The Mechanic'', '' The Sailor Who Fell from Grace ...

(the writer of the 1972 film).

Casting

Director Simon West and

were announced as part of the project three months later. Ben Foster and

were cast alongside Statham in October 2009.

Filming

Filming began in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, on , 2009. Filming locations included St. Tammany Parish, the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...

in downtown New Orleans, and the Algiers Seafood Market.

Soundtrack

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

Release

Theatrical

''The Mechanic'' was released in the United States and Canada on , 2011. Millennium Films sold U.S. distribution rights to

CBS Films CBS Films Inc. was an American film production and distribution company founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of CBS Corporation and was considered a Major film studio#Mini-majors, mini-major studio up until 2019. CBS Films originally was planned t ...

for the release. It was expected to perform well with male audiences, with its release a week before

Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

. In the United Kingdom, the distribution rights were sold to

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

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 Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...

''. In its ruling, the authority found that, although the advert was shown post-

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

, 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.

Reception

Box office

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

Critical response

''The Mechanic'' received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

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." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, 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".

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

awarded the film two out of four stars:

Sequel

Dennis Gansel Dennis Gansel (born 4 October 1973) is a German film director and screenwriter. Life and career Gansel was born in 1973 in Hannover, where he graduated from high school in 1993. Gansel worked in the festivals for film and television and chose ...

directed a sequel, with

returning as Arthur Bishop.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mechanic, The 2011 films 2011 action thriller films 2011 crime thriller films 2010s American films 2010s English-language films American action thriller films American crime thriller films American films about revenge American buddy action films English-language action thriller films Films about contract killing Remakes of American films The Mechanic films Films set in 2010 Films set in Colombia Films set in New Orleans Films set in swamps Films set in Chicago Films shot in Detroit Films shot in New Orleans Films shot in Louisiana Films directed by Simon West Films with screenplays by Lewis John Carlino Films with screenplays by Richard Wenk Films scored by Mark Isham Films produced by Irwin Winkler Films produced by Robert Chartoff CBS Films films Nu Image films