Mechanic: Resurrection

Expert hit man Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham), who specializes in making his killings look like accidents, is forced out of retirement when his girlfriend (Jessica Alba) is kidnapped by an old adversary (Sam Hazeldine) who wants three underworld competitors dead. The script by Philip Shelby, Tony Mosher, Rachel Long and Brian Pittman is clumsy and far-fetched, the direction by Dennis Gansel uninspired, but somehow the movie manages to be a guilty pleasure. As Statham demonstrated with his hilarious turn in the Melissa McCarthy gem Spy, there’s something about his humorlessness that is itself amusing. Plus, the elaborate Rube Goldberg contraptions he uses to carry out his contracts are oddly satisfying. Tommy Lee Jones and Michelle Yeoh add big-name cameos. J.L.