Rating: 
Summary: An overlooked near masterpiece
Review: Before Charles Bronson's movies became a string of predictable vigilante borefests,there was this very understated,cool,detached and unsentimental look into the life of a hit man.This movie comes from a decade of glorious filmmaking(the 1970's) when life could be looked at with a cold,unwavering eye and not succumb to the Hollywood-Spielbergian-Disney syndrome of a happy-ever-after ending.In an otherwise lousy decade the movies of the era-Godfather 1&2,A Clockwork Orange and Taxi Driver among many others-certainly attests to the notion that in bad times for a nation and a people their arts become much more analytical and deep.
This movie doesn't stand alongside the greatest films but it definitely is a genre masterpiece;and if you are tired of the glamorized pap that today passes for gangster or outsider movies and a general filmmaking malaise where yet another Adam Sandler movie litters movie screens across the nation,just sit back with this movie and savor what filmmaking and a great storyline are supposed to be about.You will come back to this movie time and again.
Rating:
Summary: the great Charles Bronson
Review: Charles Bronson (1921-2003) left us a legacy that spanned nearly five decades of acting, in many different styles. Though good at comedy as well as drama, he will mostly be remembered as a tough and gritty man of action, remaining very macho and attractive way into his gnarled, craggy later years, never losing that perspicacious glint in his eyes, or his masculine appeal.
"The Mechanic" is one of his best; a unique film with a taut script by John Lewis Carlino, that remains interesting after many years and many viewings. The first memorable 15 minutes of this film are silent except for the tense, eerie score by Jerry Fielding, and set up the character of Arthur Bishop, who is a hit man with expensive tastes and a heart of steel. It is a part that fits Bronson like a velvet glove, with its complexity, bravado, and action sequences, which are well paced by director Winner, and photographed by Richard Kline. Jan-Michael Vincent is excellent as the cocky, cold-as-ice young man Bishop takes on to teach his "trade", and Jill Ireland (who was married to Bronson for many years) does well in a miniscule part.
Michael Winner made several films with Bronson, another favorite being "Chato's Land", which is an unusual, and very special Western. The intricacy of the plot will keep you guessing; this is not your typical, predictable action movie, and like most films made in the '70s, it is fun to watch, with its nifty fashions and slightly tacky décor.
A must see for those that like intelligent thrillers, and a great film to celebrate Charles Bronson's life and talent
Rating:
Summary: Not just another action film
Review: I used to watch this movie years ago when it appeared on late night television. It is more than just an action film as it shows the downside of a man and his actions. There are none of the double entendres or wise cracks that we've come to associate with the genre. What we are left with is a tense film about an amoral friendless man who kills for profit and the price he pays for it. Arthur Bishop kills people for a criminal organization and masks the kills as accidents. He is well paid and lives in a fantastic home, studies martial arts, and gets absorbed in bizarre paintings. By virtue, or rather, the lack of virtue of his profession, he is an isolated and lonely individual who lives by a personal code. As the story progressess we see the failures of this code, his attempts to counteract this and his secret longing for friendship. This is a brillant movie. Granted, aspects of it are a bit dated but this is really only the motorcycle chase. The chilling aspect of this film is not the ammount of violence, as their really isn't that much, nor of the number of people killed, as their aren't that many, particulary when you compare it to today's movies. It is the methodical nature of the violence and the attitudes the participants display towards it. This is a quintessential 70s movie; cynical, cold,and world weary and would never be made in our touchy-feely, politicaly-correct times. It's gritty, brooding and blunt and that's it's power. This is Bronson's best role and his best movie and I can't imagine any other actor playing this role. The best lines in the movie are these... Jan Michael Vincent "Do you get paid?" Charles Bronson "Money is paid, but that's not why it's done." Jan Michael Vincent "Why then?" Charles Bronson "It has to do with standing outside of it all...on your own."
Rating:
Summary: What a Movie!
Review: I've been waiting to get this movie on DVD for a long time. Thanks to MGM for bringing it out. Today when I found it on the shelf at the HMV store in Hong Kong, I forgot where I was & screamed out....... This has gotta be the best of Charles Bronson. This is a must see classic by good old Charlie. A tongue in cheek performance by master of action movies & with an excellent ending. Jan-Michael Vincent also is good in this one. It's quite unfortunate that there's no subtitles on this DVD. As for the picture quality, I should say that it's ok. Go for it guys, rent it or buy it & enjoy yourselves.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Flick But why not on dvd
Review: If youre a Charles Bronson buff this is a must. it will keep you in shock and suspense.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: In spite of this film being over 30 years old (1972), it holds up extremely well as a gritty actioner. One of the key elements in an action film is editing and the director, Michael Winner, is working here with a terrific film editor. Editing is what gives a film its pacing, its momentum, and there are few categories of film other than action thrillers for which editing is as important. Bronson is great here because his dialogue is really lean and mean. There's a terrific scene with a woman who seems to be his lover but really isn't. The revelation in that scene (no spoilers here!) reinforces the main character's inner workings which are both tough and, to put it bluntly, twisted. What also gives this film its power is the superb script by Lewis John Carlino, writer of a number of thrillers. This is one of Carlino's earliest film scripts and he does an outstanding job--striking a perfect balance between the protagonist's cynical irony and the flat out action that is an inevitable part of his work as a mechanic--a killer for hire. He goes after a number of targets--each with different circumstances, each done differently. The variety of killing situations is also a critical component adding to this film's power. A young Jan-Michael Vincent is on hand here in one of his earlier films. Though not as convincing as Bronson, he nevertheless goes through his paces well as Bronson's "associate". Keenan Wynn, as Vincent's father, is good, too, and the other supporting cast does exactly what needs to be done to make this a thriller that does not disappoint. You know it's good when you truly cannot wait to see what happens next, when the characters' situations propel you forward, when every element of the film--dialogue, acting, editing, music (a GREAT score by Jerry Fielding), and ultra-sharp directing makes you hungry for every next minute. Highly recommended for thriller junkies. One of Bronson's very best.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: In spite of this film being over 30 years old (1972), it holds up extremely well as a gritty actioner. One of the key elements in an action film is editing and the director, Michael Winner, is working here with a terrific film editor. Editing is what gives a film its pacing, its momentum, and there are few categories of film other than action thrillers for which editing is as important. Bronson is great here because his dialogue is really lean and mean. There's a terrific scene with a woman who seems to be his lover but really isn't. The revelation in that scene (no spoilers here!) reinforces the main character's inner workings which are both tough and, to put it bluntly, twisted. What also gives this film its power is the superb script by Lewis John Carlino, writer of a number of thrillers. This is one of Carlino's earliest film scripts and he does an outstanding job--striking a perfect balance between the protagonist's cynical irony and the flat out action that is an inevitable part of his work as a mechanic--a killer for hire. He goes after a number of targets--each with different circumstances, each done differently. The variety of killing situations is also a critical component adding to this film's power. A young Jan-Michael Vincent is on hand here in one of his earlier films. Though not as convincing as Bronson, he nevertheless goes through his paces well as Bronson's "associate". Keenan Wynn, as Vincent's father, is good, too, and the other supporting cast does exactly what needs to be done to make this a thriller that does not disappoint. You know it's good when you truly cannot wait to see what happens next, when the characters' situations propel you forward, when every element of the film--dialogue, acting, editing, music (a GREAT score by Jerry Fielding), and ultra-sharp directing makes you hungry for every next minute. Highly recommended for thriller junkies. One of Bronson's very best.
Rating:
Summary: A real cultmovie from the seventies
Review: Pay attention very careully. The essential dramatic line is very simple. Never trust in anyone; no matter what your intentions be; remeber two very close related films with this one; Donnie Brasco and Wall street.
The script turns aroun a smart paid assasin; his works are extremely clean and he makes those murderslook like simple accidents: the long opening sequence is wonderful , a silent depict without any introduction; the film is direct and deeply absorbimg.
Later he'll meet his next victim and wil befriendof the son of that one. Obviously he made a wrong choice; you know, in this business,and that choice will become the spark of his end.
The script flow runs organical; our mechanic has several nightmares; and also he suffers from insomnia. He makes his assignments as he was a chess player; the locations are superb; specially the last one in Naples.
Jan Michael Vincent worked out as a perfect balance to the mechanic: but warning; because you never must underestimate your enemy.
The ancestral myth of Icaro appears in this sense; too much proud; too much arrogance ; a briliant intelligence without a prudence dosis; a lion with fierce moods but without any sense of the rules of game. This fortune fate will reach you sooner or later.
You may enlist this title as another clever Film noir.
Bronson made a legendary film three years before titled The rain passenger from Rene Clement; and this movie made him growing up as a heavy weight character actor.
One of the most intimate triumphs of this unforgettable actor.
Buy this one!
Rating: 
Summary: See Naples, and die...
Review: The criminal world portrayed in this film is ruthless. To survive, one must obey the rules and follow orders. But even such obedience is no guarantee of longevity. Loyalty and service doesn't seem to matter, once it has been decided that it is your time to die. Those are the rules, and they are enforced. Part of this system is the "mechanic", a hit man that kills at the direction of the higher ups. Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is such a man. Once a target has been selected, personal information about his health, history and habits are provided. From there it is left to the mechanic formulate a method for killing, and then complete the job. The film opens with Bishop setting up for a kill. There is no dialog for the first 15 minutes, as we follow the process. After studying the victim's lifestyle, an elaborate and violent death is planned and executed. One might think a low-key approach would have been preferred to such overkill. Bishop's next mission is designed to show us the heart of the killer, as McKenna (Keenan Wynn), an old family friend, is his next victim. This time death by natural causes seems to be in order, as Bishop delivers death with a personal touch. What's strange is how the light levels change. The scene starts in broad daylight and ends a few minutes later in near darkness. This is complete nonsense and just poor filmmaking. Jan Michael Vincent is McKenna's son, Steve. Cold, cocky, and twisted, he attaches himself to Bishop seeking to be his apprentice. Once on board, Bishop tries to train both Steve's mind as well as body. On their first assignment, things do not go quite as planned. The mission while messy, is still accomplished, but not without creating some waves. Bishop's decision to take a partner, does not sit well with some in the "Organization". Smooth execution of the next assignment, a hit in Naples, is essential to calm the disgruntled. The change of scenery helps. The action sequences in Italy are the best in the movie, as the pair work more smoothly together, the second time out. No one spoils this movie by giving away the ending.
What is a Bronson movie without his wife, actress Jill lreland? This time it's a cameo as a prostitute. The Mechanic, is one of Bronson's better films. The plot holds together, and the action sequences are realistic. And if you are in the right frame of mind, you may even feel sorry for a cold-hearted killer or two.
Rating:
Summary: Bronson excellent as teacher/assassin.
Review: The team of then action superstar Charles Bronson and bluntly violent director Michael Winner can be forgiven a great deal of the cinematic sins they commited during their career ending days at Cannon simply for giving us this excellent thriller. Bronson plays a 'mechanic', fancy crime world talk for assassin, that takes Jan-Michael Vincent under his wing and shows him how to do the job right. The tension mounts when Vincent's first assignment turns out to be Bronson. Highly recommended.
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