Dad spends a day in the mancave: The Mechanic & Ong Bak 3

A day in the mancave is a curse and a blessing.  On the positive side it can mean that dad has earned a truly lazy day to sit on the sofa, eat bacon and watch utter garbage without any guilt from camp estrogen.  On the negative side it can mean that dad is sick and has to lie on the sofa while watching utter garbage and relying on help from camp estrogen.

Unfortunately for Daddy Mojo it was the later.  A nasal infection and allergies had tag teamed my equilibrium which caused cruel headaches, dizziness and feelings of dread.  On our way home to the mancave we picked up Ong Bak 3.  Mommy Mojo surprised us by bringing home The Mechanic.

Ong Bak 3

I had been looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time.  Ong Bak is a landmark martial arts movie, it’s amazing and is a must watch for any fans of the genre.  Ong Bak 2 was somewhat entertaining, with some good fight scenes, but left you longing for more of what made the first one so special.  Ong Bak 3 makes you yearn for what made Ong Bak 2 so special, which wasn’t that special at all when compared to the first one.

The movie stars and was directed by Tony Jaa.  He’s a stunning martial artist, but the direction in Ong Bak 3 was predictable and one could guess which camera angles that you’d see next.  The story didn’t do the movie any favors either as the time between fights was far too long.  I also didn’t get involved in the story line with the mystical king, who killed the bad king, while waiting for Tony Jaa to emerge from his Zen trip into the jungle to end the movie either.  I swear, that’s the plot, intermixed with a couple fights at the beginning, one in the middle and end.

Ong Bak 3 is only for die hards, unless you have to spend a couple days in the mancave.  If I had time I’d create a fan club to get Tony Jaa better roles other than the slock that he’s doing now.  He is a rock star that needs to break out of that mold and do more projects, like maybe one with our next mancave favorite….Jason Statham.

The Mechanic

Jason Statham is dependable.   The Mechanic is a remake of a Charles Bronson film from the 70s, so this is natural territory for him.  He’s a hit man who was just tricked into killing a friend.  Thankfully this now deceased friend has a troubled son who he can now take under his wing and teach him how to be a hit man.

Ben Foster plays the troubled son who wants to avenge his father’s death.   He’s a sloppy hit man who takes too long, does it incorrectly and is far too much of a louse to be good at it.  Either his character was written that way or Jason Statham is just too damn macho and everything around him looks wimpy.

The Mechanic was acceptable.  It’s standard action fare that is directed above average and stars the always dependable Jason Statham.  I do wish Statham would smile more in his movies.  As I was in the mancave for a day, I watched all of the DVD extras and he’s really a charming, likeable guy who doesn’t need to scowl all the time.

Dad spends a night in the mancave is a series about what guys do when women aren’t around to judge them for what they watch on television.  It’s those really bad science fiction movies, questionable action films or something starring Bruce Campbell that really can be enjoyable through the lens of a guy.  We may reveal plot points to the movies that are discussed, so if you’re looking for ‘reviews’ then head on over to a site that will talk about The King’s Speech cause it isn’t here.