The Mechanic Review

Messages: The characters' destructive actions -- which cause many deaths -- have no (or few) consequences. They live selfish, solitary lives and are cynical, trusting no one -- not even each other.

Role models: Arthur is highly skilled, professional, cautious, and wary, and he makes a lot of money at his job. But he doesn't seem particularly happy, and the movie continually shows the lack of trust, empathy, and friendship in his life. He's such an empty person that as soon as he opens himself up to other people, his life is in danger.

Violence: Constant action violence, with dozens of shootings, stabbings, beatings, stranglings, explosions, various other brutal killings, and lots of blood. The hero threatens to grind up a teen girl's arm in a garbage disposal. These acts are shown with few or no consequences.

Sex: A sex scene includes grinding/thrusting; editing covers up most of the nudity, though the woman's breast and buttocks are glimpsed. Later, characters have rough sex in the alley of a bar, but no sensitive body parts are shown. A porn video with two naked women kissing is briefly seen on a computer screen. One character allows himself to be picked up by a sexual predator in order to kill him.

Language: Very strong language includes multiple uses of "f--k" and "s--t" in various permutations. Other words include "p---y," "damn," "goddamn" and "Jesus Christ" (used as an exclamation).

Consumerism: Not an issue

Drinking, drugs and smoking: One character is often shown drinking hard liquor and/or smoking cigarettes. He gets sloppy drunk in several scenes. A minor character is a junkie and is shown getting his fix. Another minor character is a drug dealer.