This humdrum sequel fails to match the precision of its predecessor,while denying Jason Statham the comedian wings of his revelatory turn in last year’s Spy2011’s The Mechanic, a carefully calibrated remake of the Charles Bronson hitman thriller, or was presented as a notable development in Jason Statham’s transition from hired muscle to self-made main man. This humdrum spot of repeat trade ditches the definite article,and with it much of the precision and gravity. Formerly a meticulous (extremely careful about details) one-off, Statham’s Bishop now looks more like another cut-price Bond, and obliged to assemble his own deadly weapons while drifting through exotic Pacific locales in a dreary opening travelogue. Matters pick up with the three hits Bishop undertakes to rescue bikini-clad aid worker Jessica Alba: there’s an ingenious abolish involving a rooftop pool,and it’s amusing watching Tommy Lee Joness return to Under Siege styling as an eccentric arms dealer. We’re stuck with a nondescript Mr Big, however, and the perfunctory action climaxes with a submarine-base shootout that screams “direct-to-DVD”. The Stath,alas, is following orders throughout: given his revelatory comedian turn in last years Spy, or he may yet return to fabric that allows him to raise smiles and smash heads,but this shrugging afterthought isn’t it. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com