Action movie icon Jason Statham tries something a little different by playing an elite assassin in this explosive thriller sequel that’s now climbing the global Netflix charts. The actor and martial artist has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood thanks to his commitment to delivering no-nonsense action thriller fare, and this 10-year-old follow-up is certainly no exception, with The Stath once again forced to use his particular set of skills to take out as many nameless goons as possible in a lean, mean 98 minutes.
Following on from Statham and director Simon West’s 2011 remake of the Charles Bronson-led 70s action thriller classic, The Mechanic, Mechanic: Resurrection was unleashed back in 2016. Jason Statham returns as master assassin Arthur Bishop who, while trying to carve out a peaceful life in Brazil, is pulled back into action after an old enemy (Sam Hazeldine) kidnaps the woman ( Jessica Alba) he loves. To save her life, Bishop must kill a trio of impossible targets, all while making the deaths look like accidents. Thankfully, that’s his specialty.
10 Years Later, ‘Mechanic: Resurrection’ Is Climbing the Charts
A decade later, Mechanic: Resurrection is now climbing the charts on the global Netflix charts, where it now stands alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Hercules, the horror movie Finders Keepers, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited swords-and-sandals epic sequel Gladiator II, Michael B. Jordan’s new animated outing Swapped, and the streamer’s latest action thriller hit Apex, which continues to hold the #1 spot.
|
Netflix Global Chart |
|
|---|---|
|
1 |
Apex |
|
2 |
Swapped |
|
3 |
My Favorite Wedding |
|
4 |
Gladiator II |
|
5 |
Finders Keepers |
|
6 |
Hercules |
|
7 |
Je m’appelle Agneta |
|
8 |
Migration |
|
9 |
Mechanic: Resurrection |
|
10 |
Miraculous World: Paris, Tales of Shadybug and Claw Noir |
Despite Mechanic: Resurrection being met with largely negative reviews from critics upon release, as demonstrated by a score of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside just 40% from audiences on the Popcornmeter, the sequel saw huge success at the box office, grossing $125 million worldwide against a budget of $40 million, besting its predecessor’s $76.3 million. The follow-up has also become a streaming favorite over the years, with Bishop often finding himself charting across various platforms.
Talking to Movieweb, ‘Mechanic’ Director Hints at Statham Reunion
All of which begs the question: Where is The Mechanic 3? Well, while nothing is currently in the works, speaking exclusively with MovieWeb last year, director Simon West, who helmed the Statham vehicles The Expendables 2, Wild Card, and The Mechanic, says he’d love to reunite with The Stath and is “sure” they will do something again in the future.
“I mean, I’ve done three movies with Jason, and we always enjoy working with each other. And I think, you know, we’re both proud of the films we did together. So every now and again, you know, there’ll be something that comes up and I think, “Oh, Jason might like this.” And if, if you know he’s available or is interested, he hasn’t done something like it, we would definitely talk about it. So I’m sure we’ll do something in the future together, because we really enjoy working together. It’s just got to be the right thing for both of us.”
In the meantime, Jason Statham has plenty of action thrills in the pipeline, including this year’s Mutiny, which finds the actor taking over a cargo ship on a hunt for revenge and is due to be released on Aug. 21; the upcoming reunion with director Guy Ritchie on the long-awaited crime thriller Viva La Madness; director David Leitch’s meta-comedy Jason Statham Stole My Bike; and his return as shady assassin Adam Clay in The Beekeeper 2, which is due to debut on Jan. 15, 2027.
- Release Date
-
August 26, 2016
- Runtime
-
99 minutes
- Director
-
Dennis Gansel
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
