Mechanic: Resurrection Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Mechanic: Resurrection" by Lionsgate Films and Summit Entertainment delivers an impressive AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.38:1 aspect ratio. Shot on Red camera systems, the film exhibits remarkable visual quality almost throughout. The globe-trotting locations, particularly the beach house scenes in Thailand, are vividly rendered with superb levels of fine detail. The bright blue ocean waters, distinct ripples, every grain of sand, and the razor-sharp edges of palm branches all contribute to an engaging visual experience. Despite some occasional greenscreened scenes, which appear softer in the background, the transfer maintains consistent contrast and solid black levels without any notable image instability or compression issues.

Moreover, the overall palette is strikingly warm and varied. The photography by Daniel Gottschalk shows luxurious primary colors and authentic secondary hues, lending a rich visual appeal that complements the narrative. The faces of cast members are rendered naturally with immaculate complexions, showcasing every subtle detail such as scars and wrinkles appropriate to the depicted climates. However, the visual quality dips when the setting shifts to Europe, particularly in Bulgaria, where scenes become intentionally dour and gray, but still retain consistent and rich black levels. Overall, this Blu-ray transfer ensures an extraordinary viewing experience that emphasizes the film's scenic diversity and dynamic color range.

The Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core) track of "Mechanic: Resurrection" offers an energetic and immersive audio experience that meticulously captures the high-octane action sequences and diverse environmental backdrops. The soundtrack exploits ambient effects to detail the film's varied locations, from paragliders swooping overhead to luxury yachts on the ocean. These elements provide a realistic surround soundscape that envelops the viewer. Dialogue and Mark Isham's score come through cleanly, with the score and other source cues often contributing additional surround activity. The track boasts excellent fidelity and dynamic range, ensuring a flawless audio presentation.

The front soundstage stands out for its expansive and balanced soundscape. Action sequences—cars racing, bullets whizzing—demonstrate fluid precision and channel fidelity, engaging viewers with convincing off-screen activity that seamlessly blends into the front heights. Debris, wind, and bird calls create a dome-like auditory environment, particularly effective in scenes such as Bishop's initial meeting with Crain. Helicopters panning overhead are rendered with stunning realism, their blades resonating all around. The lossless mix maintains clarity and dynamic range, even during intense scenes, with detailed mids and highs. Dialogues remain clear amid the chaos, while a robust low-end delivers a resonating presence that complements the visuals effectively.

The Blu-ray extras for "Mechanic: Resurrection" provide a well-rounded glimpse into the movie's production. The standout featurette, "Engineering the Sequel," offers an engaging mix of interviews and behind-the-scenes shots, allowing viewers to appreciate the plot, characters, and overall production effort. "Scoring the Action Film" delves into Mark Isham's musical contributions, highlighting his creative process. Shorter extras like "The Malaysian Prison" and "Michelle Yeoh, Secret Ally" give brief yet captivating insights into specific filming locations and character roles. "Statham on Stunts" rounds out the extras with an emphasis on the actor's hands-on approach to action sequences.

Extras included in this disc:

• Engineering the Sequel: Inside look at the film with cast & crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
• Scoring the Action Film with Mark Isham: Insight into Isham's compositional approach and creative decisions.
• The Malaysian Prison: Brief overview of the prison location.
• Michelle Yeoh, Secret Ally: Profile of Michelle Yeoh's character.
• Statham on Stunts: Discussion of Jason Statham's stunt work.

"Mechanic: Resurrection," sees Jason Statham reprising his role as Arthur Bishop, the stoic assassin from the 2011 remake of "The Mechanic." Statham continues to embody Bishop's no-nonsense demeanor, offering a performance that prioritizes intense action over emotional depth. The film opens with Bishop living incognito in Rio, only to be thrust back into the world of high-stakes kills and convoluted missions. The narrative quickly escalates into absurd territory, challenging the audience's suspension of disbelief. Stunts and set pieces, such as Bishop's daring escape via gondola or sneaking into a heavily guarded island prison, deliver the expected B-movie Mission: Impossible thrills, but they often border on the laughably improbable.

As the plot thickens, Bishop relocates to an isolated island in Thailand, where he crosses paths with Gina (Jessica Alba), who becomes both a romantic interest and a pawn in the schemes of the film’s villain, Riah Craine (Sam Hazeldine). Despite being riddled with plot contrivances and logical gaps, the film delivers a series of visually engaging action sequences. The most notable set piece sees Bishop scaling a skyscraper in Sydney to ingeniously eliminate a target lounging in a cantilevered pool—a clear nod to similar stunts in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."

Directed by Dennis Gansel, "Mechanic: Resurrection" manages to maintain some visual flair through Daniel Gottschalk's camera work, despite the predictable script. The inclusion of actors like Tommy Lee Jones as arms dealer Max Adams adds a touch of humor and whimsy, but the film struggles to establish genuine tension or stakes. With Bishop outsmarting his adversaries at every turn, the narrative feels more like a series of formulaic action vignettes rather than a cohesive story. However, for fans of Statham and high-octane action, the film delivers enough bone-crunching fights and explosive moments to entertain, even if it doesn’t break new ground in the genre.

"Mechanic: Resurrection" on Blu-ray is an intriguing mix of high-quality technical presentation and lackluster narrative elements. The film stands as the sequel to 2011’s sleeper hit, yet it quickly diminishes its predecessor's success with a predictable and unengaging script. The plot never manages to provide its anti-hero with credible threats or challenges, resulting in a by-the-numbers action film that struggles to retain viewer interest throughout its runtime. However, it compensates slightly with visually interesting camerawork and set pieces set against breathtaking locations.

The Blu-ray disc itself boasts an impressive audio-visual performance, certainly worthy of praise. The video quality is superb, presenting a crystal-clear image with vibrant color grading that brings the exotic locales and action sequences to life. Similarly, the audio mix is immersive, delivering resonant effects and clear dialogue that enhance the viewing experience. There are undoubtedly several demo-worthy moments within this package that will appeal to home theater enthusiasts.

Conclusively, while "Mechanic: Resurrection" may falter in narrative execution, its Blu-ray presentation offers substantial technical merits. As Martin Liebman remarked on its predecessor, this film misses the structural integrity and soul to be truly compelling. However, action aficionados and fans of high-definition home setups will find the Blu-ray disc’s stellar audiovisual qualities a valid reason for a purchase. Despite the underwhelming supplementary content, the disc redeems itself through its superior presentation of what can be considered a flawed yet visually dynamic film.