When decorated Vietnam veteran turned melon farmer Vince Majestyk (Charles Bronson) attempts to start his first harvest, he is pressured by a local labour-hire thug, Bobby Kopas (Paul Koslo), to use his substandard teams instead of hiring skilled migrant workers.

First pubished in the December 2024 issue of Street Machine

Majestyk is on parole after a short jail stint for assault, so when his initial interaction with Kopas leads to blows, he is duly arrested, charged, and locked in a holding cell.

Concerned for his crop, Majestyk entrusts his old friend, Larry Mendoza (Alejandro Rey), and his new love interest, the spicy Nancy Chavez (Linda Cristal), to run the farm while he focuses on beating the charges.

During a routine transfer to regular jail, Majestyk’s convoy is ambushed by a mob team looking to spring one of their high-profile hitmen, Frank Renda (Al Lettieri), who is also on board. Majestyk, seeing an opportunity amongst the bloodshed, commandeers the prison bus and kidnaps Renda, hoping to hand him to the cops in exchange for his own freedom.

When the trade goes pear-shaped, the local copper in charge, Detective Lieutenant McAllen (Frank Maxwell), knows that the hot-headed Renda won’t forgive and forget without making amends, and decides to use a now-free Majestyk as bait to lure Renda back to prison.

A pissed-off Renda and his crew hit Majestyk where it hurts the most – his melons – but he dangerously underestimates Majestyk’s skillset and his determination to get his produce to market.

What unfolds is an absolute gem of a car chase involving a trio of induction-roaring, full-sized Yankee Fords and Chryslers in hot pursuit of Majestyk’s trusty Ford F100 bumpside, with a scared – yet skilled – Nancy at the wheel and the ever-versatile Majestyk clinging on for dear life in the tray.

With the mob’s attempts to take Majestyk down yet again unsuccessful, he decides to turn the tables and take matters into his own hands, staking out the crooks’ hideout and confronting his pursuers with a lethal dose of cunning and firepower.

VERDICT: 4/5

How can you not love a Charles Bronson flick? His cool, calm and collected bravado always masks a can-do attitude, and I can’t think of anyone who looks more capable brandishing a shotgun. Linda Cristal’s portrayal of the caring yet feisty Nancy matches Bronson’s energy well, while Al Lettieri’s turn as the over-the-top Renda is crazy enough that you can imagine him happily popping a few rounds into someone for cash. If you don’t get too distracted by the liberal splashes of tomato sauce-as-blood effects, you’ll find Mr Majestyk a raw and enjoyable flick that holds up well despite a half-century under its belt.

VEHICLES:

• 1968 Ford F100
• 1961 Ford B-Series
• 1972 Ford LTD convertible
• 1971 Plymouth Fury
• 1970 Dodge Polara
• 1958 Plymouth Belvedere
• 1972 Ford Custom 500
• 1963 Ford Econoline
• 1954 Plymouth Savoy wagon
• 1974 Ford Mustang II
• 1966 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon
• 1967 Chevrolet Bel Air

STARS:
Charles Bronson, Linda Cristal, Al Lettieri, Paul Koslo, Alejandro Rey, Frank Maxwell, Taylor Lacher.

DIRECTOR:
Richard Fleischer

ACTION:
Spectacular jumps, chases, rolls and fireballs – 1970s action-movie fare at its best.

PLOT:
A small-time farmer just trying to mind his own business is unwillingly drawn into a feud with the mob
AVAILABLE: Blu-ray, DVD, streaming.

COOL FLICK FACT:
The F100s used in the stunt sequences were dead-stock, and Ford would later use scenes from the film in TV commercials to illustrate the trucks’ toughness.