Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Parents' Guide to

The Mechanic

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Exceedingly violent action remake also has sex, drinking.

Movie R 2011 92 minutes
The Mechanic Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 7 parent reviews

age 15+

An action film that serves its purpose as entertainment.

If you're looking for something deep and meaningful, go elsewhere. This film is incredibly predictable and has a lot of violence (the film is about a hitman). However, if you want to zone out and eat popcorn for an hour or so, go for it; It's not bad.
age 13+

A Great Action Flick

It's a good Teen/Adult action thriller with loads of fun, I personally don't think it would be a problem for your 12+ kid(s) to watch this one so long as you've taught them that it's just a movie and not real. I think this movie is a blast and you get to see Statham at his best, not to mention acting opposite Ben Foster.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (12 ):

Statham is one of the best action heroes in years, and he steps easily into Charles Bronson's shoes (Bronson starred in the 1972 original). THE MECHANIC is less sprightly and sleek than Statham's Transporter and Crank films, but it adds a bit more heft to the drama. Foster matches him as a severely damaged, slightly demented soul who eagerly and easily takes to the assassination game, and Sutherland and Tony Goldwyn offer sturdy support.

On the downside, Simon West's direction is pretty sloppy. He cut his teeth in the Jerry Bruckheimer school of filmmaking, and his action scenes are ugly and choppy. When in doubt, he makes things bigger. Add to that some slight script improbabilities -- such as Steve's sudden, drastic improvement in skill level -- and the movie is knocked down a few pegs. But it still offers some solid thrills.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate