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Of course, we all remember that explosive end to this film about an aging hit-man, who makes one dire mistake, by taking on a new young protégé, which he shouldn't of. Was it out of loneliness, or has this guy, found out there's no meaning to his life anymore? His pad is unbelievable, it almost made me think of taking this career path. Made just before Death Wish, cragged faced Bronson, does what he does best. The first fifteen minutes, that has Bronson, setting up one hell of a hit, sniper rifle and all, was so impressive, where rigging that guy's apartment, tampering with the gas stove whatever, you really wondered how the hit was gonna go down. In contrast, with this part of the film, being so wowing, it makes the rest of the film look ordinary, amongst some thrilling bits, involving the other hits. Jan Michael Vincent, doesn't give his role enough clout, as the all American nice guy, a hounding and avid learner, where his intentions were clear from the start, such a predictability. The motorcycle chase was the worse one in history, as well as boring and dull, I couldn't wait for it to be over. The young girl suicide scene was absolutely pointless and stupid, where Bronson's and Vincent's indifference to it, made them at that moment, almost unlikeable. Bronson was strong in this, a mixture of good and bad, where his acting partner didn't do him justice, and really two scenes with Jill Ireland, his girl here, were almost forgettable. What The Mechanic serves to do as a film in simplistic plot, is show you shallow the life of a hit-man can be, and what attitudes you have to adapt to, and not let personal issues get in the way. But also it makes you wonder, is it time to get out of this life when the goings good. It's a choice that worries us, concerning Bronson's character. Near the end, the last turning point was exciting to see, who was gonna be gotten to first, where I guess in one sick sense, they both came out even. I have a way good feeling the remake is better and of course, more action packed and exciting, though. It just would of been great if the rest of the movie kept up it's end of bargain, to it's explosive starting, where mostly the rest of the film, sad to say, is just one of ordinary. The "Keeping up the end of the bargain" factor, is a failing that can movies really suck. Even back in 1972.
Michael_Elliott
Mechanic, The (1972) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Cult action picture about an aging hit-man Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) who prefers to work alone but even he knows that nothing lasts forever so he decides to take a young kid (Jan-Michael Vincent) under his wing and teach him the trade. Things start off smoothly until some wise guys find out and they don't appreciate Bishop bringing someone in without their permission. THE MECHANIC isn't the greatest film Bronson made during the 70s but it remains a fairly interesting one and there's no question that it features some nice performances and some very good direction. I think most people will be disappointed if they go into this film expecting a flat out action picture because it pretty much stays away from the predictable standards of the genre and instead tries to tell a real story about these two men as well as their profession. The opening sequence runs over fifteen-minutes and contains some of the best drama of any action movie from this era. There's not a line of dialogue and instead we just see Bronson stalking his target, putting his plan into action and then executing it. Director Winner does a terrific job with this sequence because he not only builds up suspense but he also manages to wink at the viewer because you expect the hit to go a certain way and then we get hit with something else. I thought the relationship between Bronson and Vincent was a pretty good one as both men sell their parts well enough and the screenplay gives them a father-son relationship that really works. Bronson was born to play this type of role and he certainly doesn't disappoint. Vincent is also quite good in his role and we even get Keenan Wynn in a quick bit and Jill Ireland shows up for one scene. Even though the film goes for a lot of drama we still get some excellent action pieces. There's quite a few gun battles and a few excellent explosions. One of the highlights is a scene where a car gets pushed off the cliff, which has to be one of the greatest examples of this from any movie in history. Cars have been going off cliffs since the silent days but the execution here and how they were able to capture it on film is just terrific. Fans of Bronson's Cannon period might be shocked to see this type of action film but it certainly has a European flavor and this works well for the film.
