Mechanic: Resurrection

2011’s ‘The Mechanic’, in which Jason Statham played an elite assassin who specialised in making his kills look like accidents, wasn’t exactly a major Oscar contender. But it starts to look like one in comparison to this seriously ropey, low-rent sequel. The Stath is back as Arthur Bishop, glowering his way from Rio to Thailand to Bulgaria when the scantily clad woman he falls madly in love with in about five minutes flat (Jessica Alba) is snatched by gun-runners who want him to eliminate the competition. 

German director Dennis Gansel ('The Wave') may as well have shot the entire film with a sack over his head – the photography and editing are so amateurish and shaky that some scenes are simply incomprehensible. Despite the exotic locations, the whole film looks and feels incredibly cheap, with clumsy stunts and CG explosions that wouldn’t look out of place in a ‘Sharknado’ movie. A late cameo from Tommy Lee Jones as a hippy arms dealer spices things up temporarily, but by then the damage has been done. Fans of the Stath and his inimitable oeuvre may find just enough shooting, punching and snarling to keep them satisfied. But those who enjoy proper movies are urged to steer clear.