The Dilemma

How could this movie end up being so bad? You have 2 of the best comedy actors, Vince Vaughn and Kevin Smith, coming off of a string of hit movies. You also have one of the best movie trailers of the year. However The Dilemma is a lemon, dud, and a comedy that is not funny. The story is about a man who discovers that his best friend's wife is having an affair. The pacing is slow, the jokes are weak, there are unnecessary flashbacks, and having Queen Latifah in a cameo role seems strained. Director Ron Howard should not have tried his hand at comedy again, The last hit comedy he had was Splash and Night Shift and that was in the early 80’s He has produced many hit movies that I have enjoyed however he has not had one lately and may be passed his prime.

Verdict: The premise was only good for a Saturday Night Live skit, not a 2 hr. movie.

The Mechanic

A 100 years ago there was a movie box office champion named Charles Bronson best known for Death Wish. One of the movies he made that became a cult favorite was The Mechanic where he starred as a killer for hire. The new movie has almost the same story but stars a different type of action star Jason Statham.
Bronson was older and didn’t say much in his movies. Statham is younger , and does most of his talking with his fists.
The movie follows an elite hit man as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims. Ben Foster from The Messenger stars as the apprentice.
I am a fan of Jason Statham and Charles Bronson and I found both movies very boring. The original and the remake try to be a psychological action flicks and to me they both fail. The original must have been a cult favorite of the director Simon West.

Verdict: With all the great movies that came be remade, this should have not been on the list.