The Mechanic

I’m not a big Jason Statham fan, but he does some of his best work to date in this Charles Bronson remake about an assassin taking on the son of his latest kill as a student. Ben Foster proves mighty capable as an action star, bringing some real emotion to the gunfights. Director Simon West—who did the obscenely fun Con Air and a bunch of crap movies after it—packs some good action scenes into his flick, including a terrific finale where all sorts of things and people blow up big time—the hallmark of a good action flick. This movie isn’t great by any means, but those who like their action with a little soul will dig it. I still can’t believe I liked a movie with Jason Statham. It’s been a long time since that happened. Seriously, no actor has improved more than Ben Foster in the last five years. I used to dread his presence in films, and now I can’t wait to see him.