The current cinema, not-to-be-trifled-with edition

I was rather surprised to enjoy the hell out of the new remake of The Mechanic; as I say in my review of the picture for MSN Movies, it's a contemporary action picture the way I like it: nasty, brutish and short. An effective streamlining of the original that doesn't make the mistake of apologizing for its source material's rank sensationalism. Nicely done.I was not nearly impressed with the more ostensibly conscientious based-on-what-we're-told-were-true-events exorcism drama The Rite, featuring Acting by Anthony Hopkins. I register my disappointment with that film here. 

Comments

[jbryant]

Statham is just about the only actor these days who can get me into the theater on his name alone (well, unless Uwe Boll is the director). On the distaff side, Emma Stone.

[bill]

I like Statham too, but am I wrong in thinking that the hitmen in this remake only assassinate "bad" people? As opposed to the original, which -- though my recent viewing was truncated -- was quite a bit more amoral.

[warren oates]

I agree with jbryant. DEATH RACE was one of last year's guilty pleasures. I assume the ironic ending of the original MECHANIC is left intact? And how about that poster I've seen on bus stops everywhere. Reminds me of that Xzhibit meme: "Yo dawg, I hear you like guns, so we put some guns in your guns..."

[Glenn Kenny]

Bill: I cannot tell a lie; this "Mechanic" does hedge its bets in precisely the fashion you describe, but not, I hasten to add, in a showy or preachy way. You almost don't notice. It's not as if the guy's working for Greenpeace or anything like that. And in the further plus ledger, innocents are at the very least traumatized, and prostitution is depicted more as a social fact than a social ill.

Man, Statham rules SO HARD that I can't believe I ate breakfast with the man pretty much twelve years ago to the day today, at Sundance with the rest of the "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" crew. they were a great bunch of guys and they were having a blast. One of those interviews where you can't wait to finish up the interrogation and just hang out and smoke cigarettes. Of course I rather doubt that any of us still smoke anymore.

[bill]

I don't even really mean that they're killing "bad" people while stumping for any specific cause. It's just the cowardice of not being able to portray hitmen as, you know, assholes.

[Bripherly]

I don't know what the going rate is on commissioned pieces, but I'd pay a hefty sum for a few more words on "Rolling Thunder".

[I.V.]

Good brief points on Winner and the Winner Bronsons in that review. The J. Lee Thompson-directed one are much better, which still doesn't make them all that great; the singular phenomenon of Bronson should not hide the fact that almost all of the movies he was in were terrible (however, have to admit a weak spot for KINJITE).

Also, Glenn, did you see FASTER?

[Glenn Kenny]

@ I.V., I have yet to see "Faster," and I look forward to catching up with it. While I do not diapprove of the Rock fella in the least, I gotta say that Statham is more my cup of meat. But any picture with my old friend Mr. Thornton wearing a Peter Gallagher hairpiece has to have something on its mind.

[Jeff Allard]

Glenn, I love Statham so I was set on seeing THE MECHANIC anyhow but you instantly bumped up my screening from a possible Sunday afternoon to Friday night with "This movie is REALLY violent." Thanks!

[jbryant]

"Peter Gallagher hairpiece" -- scalp or eyebrows?

[Escher]

Nice review. But you might want to hire a Copy Hitman to:

- rub out one of the "here"s in the sentence near the end of the 3rd paragraph reading, "And indeed, Goldwyn here plays a rather unctuous puppet master here."

- make it "an are-they-really-gonna-go-there homage" rather than "a...homage"

- choose between "tradition" and "vein" in place of the awkward construction "tradition/vein"

[bill]

I'm so glad Escher is here.

[Glenn Kenny]

@ Bill, Escher; Alas, it's a fair call, especially since I give people shit about copy issues ALL THE TIME. And those errors are on me, and real, and not subject to "oh, I was sleepy" and/or "oh, tight deadline" excuses. And as it happens I was gonna get in touch with my MSN guy and see about sneaking in and making at least one fix this morning. But such are the joys of the internet that Escher has, in effect, beaten me to the punch, so now we can't get away with shit. Oh well. Just have to be more careful next time. I'm rather reminded of the "What do you want to do about the boy, Frank?" bit in "Once Upon A Time In The West."

[Sal C]

I am surprised that with the Statham love fest goin' on here that no one has yet mentioned THE BANK JOB. Such a pleasurable movie and Statham at his charming best.
Was not crazy about THE MECHANIC and I went in with high hopes. I agree with your assessment (it certainly is nasty, brutish and short) but I never got that giddy rush that I look for when it comes to action pictures. Felt kind of plodding and mopey.

[A different Brian]

Little girl, it's a great big world / But there's only one of me

[Phil Freeman]

I, too, am a member of the "Statham's in it? Sold" club, and fortunately, so is my wife. Very much looking forward to this one - and to catching FASTER on DVD.

[bill]

I can't say I'm sold on a movie just because Statham's in it. I've skipped all but the first TRANSPORTER and CRANK movies, for instance. But plunk him down in a movie like THE BANK JOB or THE EXPENDABLES or so on, and I'm there.

[I.V.]

It may be a Peter Gallagher hair-and-eyebrows-piece, but he's really playing Harry Dean Stanton.

[Nick Hangs Out on Sunset]

Back to the Bronson pictures. I have always liked Hard Times.