The Mechanic (2011)
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A professional hitman who specializes in making his kills look like accidents must navigate a web of betrayal and deception after a mission goes wrong.
The story
Arthur Bishop is a professional hitman known as a 'mechanic' who specializes in making his assassinations appear as accidents or suicides. After a successful hit on a Colombian cartel boss, Bishop returns to Louisiana and meets with his mentor, Harry McKenna. However, Bishop's employer, Dean, orders him to eliminate Harry, claiming he is a threat following a failed mission in South Africa. Bishop reluctantly carries out the hit, making it look like a carjacking. Following the funeral, Bishop encounters Harry's estranged son, Steve, and eventually takes the young man under his wing to train him as a hitman, unaware of the complex web of lies surrounding their situation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Arthur Bishop, a professional 'mechanic' who makes hits look like accidents, is ordered by his employer, Dean, to kill his mentor, Harry McKenna, under the guise of a security threat. Bishop carries out the hit and takes on Harry's son, Steve, as a student. During their subsequent missions, Steve becomes increasingly reckless. After they successfully eliminate a target, Bishop discovers that Dean framed Harry and manipulated him into the hit. Realizing he has been betrayed, Bishop takes down Dean's hit squad and helps Steve, who is also ambushed. They ultimately kill Dean together. As they prepare to flee, Steve discovers the truth about his father's death and, in a fit of rage, blows up their truck. However, Bishop had anticipated the betrayal and escaped the vehicle. Steve then attempts to kill Bishop at his home but is caught in a pre-set explosion, while Bishop escapes to start a new life.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Simon West
- Writers
- Lewis John Carlino · screenplay; Richard Wenk · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jason Statham · Arthur Bishop; Ben Foster · Steve McKenna; Tony Goldwyn · Dean Sanderson; Donald Sutherland · Harry McKenna
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- betrayal; revenge; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; tense
- Setting
- Modern day, spanning locations including Louisiana, South Africa, and Colombia.
- Premise and plot tags
- hitman; remake; undercover
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1972 film of the same name
- Franchise connections
- The Mechanic
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances but criticized the reliance on action thriller clichés and violence.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 54% · scale: percentage · review count: 165
- Production trivia
- The film's soundtrack was released in early 2011.; A UK advertisement for the film was banned due to its violent imagery.; The film was released in the U.S. and Canada just before Super Bowl XLV.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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