Codec: HEVC / H.265 (79.3 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
If we compare the world of cinema to boxing, "The Mechanic" would be a professional fighter, but a middleweight. It would have a hard time competing with heavyweight blockbusters, but it would be at the top of its weight class. On the one hand, it has almost nothing to claim if you look at the movie seriously and thoughtfully. It doesn't have a clever script, sharply memorable images or a huge budget... But is that why we love movies with Jason Statham...? Of course not. We would like more explosions, chases and polished faces in every frame, and there is plenty of that in the movie....
The very word mechanic is used here as a hired killer who leaves absolutely no trace. In the first minutes of the movie the main character Arthur proves it by killing a nameless scoundrel right in his own swimming pool, under the gaze of the guards. The killing is done in a very talented way that unwittingly makes Statham associate with the computer-generated Hitman (not to be confused with the shameless movie version). So passes his life, until one day the superkiller does not meet the son of the man he killed. The guy is not only characterized by unmotivated violence and desire for revenge, but also has certain data to become another mechanic. And so Arthur takes on the task of training the young man....
That's not to say it's weird, but the script is mostly predictable, as it uses already existing staples of past action movies. Moreover, the fact that the movie is a remake is not the main thing here. There is nothing really unexpected in the movie, although some scenes are really cool. For example, the fulfillment of the first task of the student, and the adrenaline-filled finale. It is because of the finale that the movie is positively memorable. The point is put exactly where it needs to be. You can clearly see that not the last person in the action movie genre is at the helm. It seems that director Simon West is still trying to surpass his debut - "Air Prison", but so far, he has not succeeded. But the attempt is not just successful, but rather excellent.
If you have seen at least one movie with Jason, you can already guess what to expect. His image has not changed one iota. It is still a stone unshaven face, which often kills with bare hands or improvised objects, sometimes using firearms. He doesn't joke, and he hardly smiles at all. Thankfully, over the years of his career, the audience has already gotten used to all this. Against his background especially favorably looks Ben Foster. His filmography is full of various images, and in this movie he was no less bright and lively. He shows a real emotionality, and the little dramatic that is present in the movie comes only from him, because the comrade Sutherland is too little.
But overall, "The Mechanic" is a solid, well-coordinated action movie, which in today's world of special effects is difficult to compete with, but it tries its best. If Simon West had released it right after the debut "Air Prison" everything could have been different.