Mr. Majestyk

Promising another great action drama!

Richard Fleisher's tight direction, Bronson's sheer force of presence, and above all Elmore Leonard's excellent dialog combine to make this one terrific piece of entertainment – and one of Bronson's best films. Also worthy of note is Al Lettieri as Frank Renda (another excellent performance), a fearsome, explosively violent antagonist who perfectly compliments Bronson's cool-yet-tough demeanor. Bronson plays Vince Majestyk, a watermelon farmer who wants nothing more than to get his harvest in and mind his own business. He is interrupted by the weasel-like Bobby Kopas, who is quickly set straight by Majestyk – but Kopas soon joins forces with the vengeance-seeking Renda, whom Majestyk tried to send back to jail. Renda is just itching to get at Majestyk, and what follows is an action packed battle of wits between two determined foes – with only one left standing at the end…

Mr. Majestyk also manages to combine great action with some especially sharp, funny dialog. For instance, Majestyk overhears a gas station attendant claim the bathrooms are out of service: `Hey, I was the last one to use that men's room - you saying I busted the toilet?' Overall, Mr. Majestyk is highly recommended to fans of the great Charles Bronson, action movies, or just great movies in general.

"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!

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

vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

A Fantastic effort from director Richard Fleischer, Bronson stars (in a great performance) as Vincent Majestyk, owner of a rich stretch of property that he uses to grow melons. Al Lettieri probably steals the show in his role as mafia bad dude Frank Renda (his performance is a big wow!) Between Bronson and Lettieri's performances, the film easily sustains an interesting pace and the action sequences are very tense and well edited together to keep the audience captivated. I really didn't know what to expect in this film before watching it, but now after viewing it, I must say I'am proud to have purchased this film. 9 out of 10 stars because this movie will only get better after each viewing. I really don't know which Bronson character is cooler? Paul Kersey of 'Death Wish' or Vince Majestyk of "Mr. Majestyk'? I'll let you be the judge!

(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.