Review of Mechanic, The

Introduction

Charles Bronson, one of the biggest box office draws of his era, passed away last August leaving behind a legacy of explosive action films. Now, seemingly in celebration of a great man`s lifetime work, an influx of his biggest movies have been released on DVD. The Mechanic, with maybe the exception of Death Wish, is seen as one of Bronson`s finest, as it was actually the movie that catapulted him to superstardom in the States during the 70s.

Arthur Bishop (Bronson) is an efficient hitman, who takes time to study his victims before putting them to the sword, leading to a clean & an effectively leadless hit. He recruits an apprentice in the form of blood-thirsty Steve McKenna (Jan-Michael Vincent), which leads to conflict within the organization Bishop works for, as they are none too pleased with him bringing in an outsider without their consent. In typical Bronson fashion, mayhem ensues.

Video

The Mechanic comes equipped with its original aspect ratio, and with an alternative full-screen transfer. Contrasting to the audio aspect, the print is in great condition & shows few signs of blemishes, although slight grain is evident at times. Everything in the transfer is perfectly well-balanced with a great level of detail & color combined with a sharp & crisp finnish which MGM should be commended for.

Audio

The Mechanic comes with what I understand is its original mono audio track, along with four alternative foreign languages, including Italian, German, Spanish & French. Here`s an instance where age does tell, as at times the frequency appears quite un-natural, as does the tone of the dialogue as it appears appallingly low & distorted which lead to me having to crank the volume on my TV to almost full in order to understand anything.

Features

Nothing but a theatrical trailer, not even a tribute to the man.

Conclusion

A gripping plot with some truly breath-taking cinematography make this an absolute winner amidst so many sub-standard b-movies Bronson has made. Forget Death Wish, The Mechanic is where it all started for Bronson, and it`s where it should have ended too. The presentation aspect is hit & miss, and extras are none existent, but this is the only, and therefore definitive version of a great movie. At a budget price, The Mechanic is a worthy addition to your collection.