Mechanic: Resurrection

Mechanic: Resurrection

Starring Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh

Directed by Dennis Gansel

The Story:
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is one of the best assassins in the world, making his kills look like accidents.  He's been in retirement in Brazil for a few years until he's brought out of hiding by Crain (Sam Hazeldine) and his men, who want Bishop to kill three of his competitors.  Bishop refuses and flees to Thailand to stay with his friend Mei (Michelle Yeoh).  While there, he meets Gina (Jessica Alba), who was forced by Crain to get close to Bishop or he would kill the kids at the orphanage Gina works at.  When Gina gets taken, Bishop agrees to do the kills to ensure her safety, and comes out of retirement to do what he does best.

The Synopsis:
When someone close is kidnapped, a killer-for-hire is forced to kill three elite targets.  Thus was the story of the Jason Statham/Clive Owen thriller "Killer Elite," and since it worked so well the first time, they stuck with the same story for the sequel.

Wait, this isn't "Killer Elite 2?"  Well that's a surprise.  At least it still has Jason Statham in a traditional shoot-em-up action flick with absolutely no story, character development or decent acting.  Essentially, this is a Statham film through and through, and if you enjoy his over-the-top action antics, you'll enjoy this as well.  Going into the film, you know you're not about to see Oscar-caliber talent (Tommy Lee Jones aside).  What it turns out to be is a throwback to the classic 80s style action made modern thanks to Statham's amazing acrobatic abilities - especially for a man about to enter his fifties.

The story itself doesn't really make a lot of sense.  Bishop has been in hiding until he's discovered somehow in some way, and he refuses to re-enter the field.  He travels to Thailand to find out who's behind everything, and meets Gina, who works for his enemy but only because she's being threatened to.  The two meet and fall in love in one day apparently, because she's kidnapped the next day and he'll do whatever it takes to save her life.  If I met someone in one night and they were kidnapped and I had to kill three people to save her, I don't know if I would be so gun-ho about the idea.  Unless, of course, it was Jessica Alba.  So I guess that does make sense. 

The three kills are highly elaborate and complicated, and shows Bishop has the brains to back up the brawn.  The first person he has to kill is in a seemingly impenetrable prison on an island.  The second kill takes place in the man's pool, which is situated on the side of a high-rise building hundreds of feet in the air.  This one was most thrilling to me personally because I'm scared to death of heights and seeing Statham suction-cupped under the glass pool suspended in the air freaked me out, plus I have no clue why anyone would want a pool with a glass bottom where they can see how high up they are.

The third kill is the most interesting, and we're finally treated with Tommy Lee Jones (who receives third billing in this film yet doesn't appear until two-thirds of the way in), who gives an offbeat eccentric performance that hearkened back to his "Under Siege" days, and was one of the highlights of this film.  All the while, Bishop plans his revenge against Crain, who keeps Gina aboard his multi-million dollar yacht. 

So the story itself is rather bland and typical, and the acting is on-par with the story.  Statham sleepwalks through his performance like it's an old hat, and since he's pretty much typecast into this type of role (brilliantly mocking himself in the Melissa McCarthy comedy "Spy"), we expect nothing more from him.  Asian martial arts expert Michelle Yeoh ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") is forced to the background, and doesn't do any fighting, which was very disappointing.  Sam Hazeldine's Crain is your typical bad guy with very little charisma or characterization. 

Where director Dennis Gasel gets the acting right is with Jessica Alba.  The girl can't act her way out of a paper bag, but she does have some other valuable assets, to which Gasel prominently displays.  The best part of the film is a montage of Jessica Alba in a two-piece blue bathing suit swimming around for no apparent reason.  When she's taken captive on the yacht, there's a small pool in the center, and I could just imagine the dialogue going on between the actors and director.  "Sir, Jessica Alba is dry."  "Well, throw her in the pool!"  Done and done, and all is right with the world.  In an interview for the film, Alba said she loved the role because she wasn't the typical damsel in distress, yet most of the time she's held captive all she does is yell Bishop's name, except for a few times she throws some lame punches or kicks a guy in the groin.  She's not so damsely after all!

The Summary:
While it's not even remotely thought-provoking, if you're a fan of Jason Statham's brand of action violence or Jessica Alba in a two piece bathing suit, then you'll enjoy this film.

The Score: C+