The Mechanic (2011)

An elite hitman teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.

Director:

Simon West

Writers:

Richard Wenk (screenplay), Lewis John Carlino (screenplay)

Stars:

Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Statham	...	Arthur Bishop
Ben Foster	...	Steve McKenna
Tony Goldwyn	...	Dean
Donald Sutherland	...	Harry McKenna
Jeff Chase	...	Burke
Mini Anden	...	Sarah
James Logan	...	Jorge Lara
Eddie J. Fernandez	...	Lara's Guard (as Eddie Fernandez)
Joshua Bridgewater	...	Car Jacker
John McConnell	...	Vaughn
Christa Campbell	...	Kelly
Joel Davis	...	Husband
Mark Nutter	...	Mr. Finch (as Mark Anthony Nutter)
Ardy Brent Carlson	...	Bell Hop
Lara Grice	...	Mrs. Finch

Storyline

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can't turn his back on Harry's son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

---

Plot Keywords:

apprentice | assassin | mentor | disobeying orders | gas station | 

---

Taglines:

Someone has to fix the problems.

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Mechanic Needed" photo of Harry that Bishop sees on his laptop is a publicity still of Donald Sutherland at the 2009 Palm Springs Film Festival Awards Gala. Another still from this event is the primary photo of Sutherland's IMDb page.

---

Goofs

In the overview shot of the airport in Chicago, we see Continental and Delta airplanes in liveries that have not been used for at least 10 years. Also, the Continental 747 is not a model that they have flown for some time.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Arthur Bishop: What I do requires a certain mindset. I do assignments; designated targets. Some jobs need to look like accidents. Others must cast suspicion on someone else. A select few need to send a clear message. Pulling a trigger is easy. The best jobs are the ones nobody even knows you were there.

---

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Badass Jason Statham Moments (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Chicken Bone
Written by Brant Curran Slay and Benjamin Brooks Reynolds
Performed by Chickasaw Mudd Puppies
Published by Canebrake Music (BMI)
Courtesy of Chickasaw Records

User Reviews

Good Enough For a Late Night Flick

I just got back from seeing a late night showing of The Mechanic. After having a long week, this film did exactly what I wanted it to do...entertain me.

Was the plot original? No.

Was the acting amazing? No.

But... Was the action good? Yes.

Was Jason Stathham in it? Yes.

Can you ask for anything else in an action film these days? It didn't label itself as a milestone of cinematic achievement. It was marketed as an action film, with good death scenes, mildly intriguing characters, and a simple plot and it delivered exactly on cue. Go see this if you just want to see some good action stars kick-butt for a couple of hours. 6/10

Details

Official Sites:

CBS Films [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 January 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mechanic

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,422,006, 30 January 2011

Gross USA:

$29,121,498

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$76,130,093

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Films, Millennium Films, Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1