Mr. Majestyk

Mr. Majestyk

You should never anger a farmer because they exact revenge very early in the morning.

Unfortunately, the hit-man in this action movie went and done it anyway.

All ex-Army Ranger turned watermelon farmer Vince Majestyk (Charles Bronson) wants to do is bring in his harvest. A local hood, however, wants Majestyk to employ his lazy workers over Mexican migrants to perform this task.

Their disagreement lands Majestyk in lockup where he gets entangled with a button-man (Al Lettieri) plotting a prison break. The melon farmer hopes to leverage this info towards saving his crop. But doing so makes him a marked man.

A role tailored made for Bronson's brand of cool bravado, this skillfully directed adaptation of crime novelist Elmore Leonard's book has a real sense of grit and realism to it that most angry veteran movies lack.

Moreover, melon farming sounds way more titillating than it actually is.

Yellow Light

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(Flash Reviews)

Bronson plays a watermelon land owner with a checkered past including stints in the military and behind bars. While on the straight, he gets hassled by the local toughs who heavily 'encourage' him to use their picking crew. He gets arrested while noisily disagreeing with him and subsequently crosses paths with another serious criminal. They don't...um...get along and the criminal wants Bronson dead. Who will outsmart who and actually more importantly will Bronson get good melons picked before they spoil? As expected, Bronson won't take gruff from anyone. He just wants to pick his melons. Ha Ha! This is a solid 70s tough guy movie with some very entertaining car chases.

The picture talks about a Vietnam veteran (Charles Bronson) attempting to begin a new life in honorable issues . He works as an upright watermelon farmer who helps other workers when are really harassed , but a mobster hit-man (Al Lettieri) and a local syndicate villain (Paul Koslo) are menacing his plans and the melons harvest . They go after him but Bronson'll execute his legitimate defense as well as extreme wrath and he'll become in judge , jury and executioner . Later on , the vendetta of the mob is turned onto Mr. Majestyk himself . The melon farmer only has acquaintance to a beautiful Mexican woman (Linda Crystal) to battle the organized crime .

In the film there is action , exciting car pursuits , shootouts , thrills , suspense and a little bit of violence . From the beginning to finish the noisy action-packed and fast-moving are continued and that's why it results to be entertaining . The great climax of the film is the final confrontation between the starring and the enemies that's stimulating and moving . The story is an adaptation from Elmore Leonard novel who also did the storyline . This is the only filmed adaptation of an Elmore Leonard crime novel that Charles Bronson ever appeared in . This film was premiered in the same year another Charles Bronson picture , the successful Death wish (1974) that created several sequels .

Charles Bronson acting is wooden as being habitual in his roles as a merciless revenger . This picture represents one of a handful of films starring Charles Bronson that deal with Mexico and/or specifically Chicano characters , the pictures resulted to be : Breakout (1975) by Tom Gries , Borderline (1980) by Jerrold Freeman and this one Mr. Majestyk (1974) by Richard Fleischer . Nice support cast , such as : Linda Crystal , Paul Koslo and special mention for Al Lettier , his tremendous interpretation is terrific , as a nasty and nefarious mob killer , though with quite gesticulation , his appearance is the best part of the film . The pic was well directed by Richard Fleischer , it's narrated understanding as well as hardly . The flick will appeal to Charles Bronson fans .

Mr. Majestyk is one of my favorite Charles Bronson action films. The plot which is a bit complex for an action film does not get in the way of any of the action. By the way Bronson whose real name was Buckinski must have been happy to play a person of Polish ancestry in this one, I believe it is one of the few times he did.

Bronson is Vincent Majestyk former army ranger who is now running a watermelon ranch. He's being squeezed by time because he needs to get his melons picked and to market in a matter of days and a local strong arm guy played by Paul Koslo tries to muscle him into hiring his crew.

Big mistake for Koslo, but not right then because he has sheriff Frank Maxwell arrest Bronson. While in jail Bronson also runs afoul of big time hit man Al Lettieri and when Lettieri finally escapes he's out to get him.

Bronson's willing to live and let live, but Lettieri crowds him and he's not given a choice. So he settles matters in the usual Bronson way.

Lettieri was really coming into his own during the early Seventies with villainous roles in The Godfather, The Getaway, and McQ. A year later the cinema lost him, a real tragedy because he was superb in any part he played.

Two women figure prominently in the proceedings. Linda Cristal who is an organizer for the United Farm Workers who Bronson aids and she in turn becomes pretty valuable to him. The second is Lee Purcell who plays a more modern version of a gangster moll from the Thirties.

Over 30 years since I first saw Mr. Majestyk in the theater and I still love the way Bronson turns from the hunted to the hunter.

"Mr. Majestyk" is inarguably one of Charles Bronson's most masterful action movie accomplishments (not counting the westerns like "Once Upon a Time in the West" and "The Magnificent Seven" because he didn't play the central character in those) and this is mainly thanks to the skillful writing of Elmore Leonard and the tight direction of Richard Fleischer. More than in the other contemporary Bronson action vehicles, "Mr. Majestyk" benefices from a steadily paced and intelligent screenplay that fully revolves on Charles Bronson, but at least never exaggeratedly idolizes him. Vince Majestyk is a modest and introvert Colorado melon farmer who only wants to bring in his harvest… He ends up in jail after a conflict with a local small time crook, but things get really serious when a wanted mafia hit man targets him for assassination. Mr. Majestyk wanted to deliver the escaped convict Frank Renda back to the police, but his plan failed and now Renda is obsessed with killing Vince with his own hands. The plot isn't hyper-convoluted, but it's definitely more ambitious than the average "Death Wish" sequel in which Charles blows away random street scum. The villainous characters in "Mr. Majestyk" are interesting personalities. Frank Renda (brilliant performance from Al Lettieri) is a genuinely menacing and relentless criminal, whereas Bobby Kopas is just a sleazy and cowardly local marauder who thinks he's a big shot. The interactions between Vince and these gangsters confirm their personalities. He's not afraid of Renda but remains wary and respectful at all times, whereas he continuously mocks and humiliates the racist wannabe cowboy Bobby Kopas. It is definitely the sharp and seasoned writing of Elmore Leonard what brings the film to a higher quality level. "Mr. Majestyk" certainly isn't a non-stop spitfire of action sequences, but there are a couple of explosively violent moments that are unforgettable. The escape during the prison transportation, for example, as well as the Ford pick-up chase and the climatic shootout. Great film, highly recommended to all action cinema fanatics!