Review: Mechanic Resurrection

A terrible sequel to a so-so movie, Mechanic: Resurrection sees the return of Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop, a professional assassin skilled in making his kills look like accidents.

Last we saw Bishop, he had escaped from the murder attempt of his duplicitous partner, who also happened to be the son of the mentor he was tricked into killing. Living on a boat in Rio de Janeiro, Bishop seems content in retirement having replenished his beloved record supply, which he meticulously cleans before playing it on the record player. Trouble comes knocking one day in the form of the Courier (Thai actress and pop star Rhatha Phongam, who also appeared in Only God Forgives), who sidles up to him at an outdoor restaurant with an offer from her boss, Crain (Sam Hazeldine). Bishop is to kill three men or Crain will expose the fact that Bishop is alive and well and not dead as everyone believes.

Bishop initially refuses, evading the Courier and her henchmen by jumping from the balcony of the restaurant onto a funicular and then onto a passing glider. He surfaces in Southern Thailand, where he takes refuge on an island resort run by friend Mei (Michelle Yeoh). Here he encounters Gina (Jessica Alba), who turns out to be reluctant bait dangled by Crain (if she doesn't help with Crain's plan, then he'll kill everyone in the shelter for victims of human trafficking that she helps to run). Since they fall for each other within hours of spending time together, Bishop is forced to carry out Crain's orders or else Crain will kill Gina.

It's remarkable how much of a slog the movie is. The original wasn't particularly impressive, but it got the job done. At times, screenwriters Philip Shelby and Tony Mosher seem to forget that Mechanic: Resurrection is meant to be an action movie. The set-up takes far too long to establish and it's genuinely mind-boggling how a formidable action star like Yeoh is sidelined. This role is far beneath her talents. The same goes for Alba, herself no slouch when it comes to kicking ass. Here she mostly gets manhandled by Crain's goons, occasionally throwing a kick or two but mainly waiting around for Statham to rescue her.

As for Bishop's assignments, the only memorable sequence is the one that's already featured front and center in the trailers, that of a kill involving a glass swimming pool jutting out from the top of a 76-story building in Sydney. The target's floor is meant to be impenetrable, but then again so was the Malaysian prison located 70 miles out to sea in shark-infested waters that housed the warlord that was Bishop's first target. Naturally, Bishop finds a way - there wouldn't be a film otherwise. If only Mechanic: Resurrection didn't feel so tenth-rate.

Mechanic: Resurrection

Directed by: Dennis Gansel

Written by: Philip Shelby, Tony Mosher; based on characters created by Lewis John Carlino

Starring: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh, Sam Hazeldine, Rhatha Phongam