When most people think of Charles Bronson movies, they usually conjure up thoughts of the "Death Wish" series.

But Bronson actually deserves to be remembered for a much better film, "The Mechanic."

This movie fits its three-word tag line - clean, fast and professional.

From beginning to end, there's a roller coaster ride of Bronson doing what he does best - serving up bad guys with the same stoic and craggy look on his face.

The action star plays a mob hit-man who is growing older. So, he takes on an apprentice (Jan-Michael Vincent), and together, they make a great team. But what Bronson's character doesn't realize is the student's true motives.

The plot twists in this film make it a much more sophisticated thriller than the "Death Wish" movies.

Bronson adds more to the character than just his unmistakable blue-collar face and rough charisma. Instead of just being a boring shoot-'em-up movie, there is the sense Bronson's character has grown tired of killing people. His lonely life is shown by the large, comfortable home he shares with no one and his reluctance to even talk to other people.

Bronson plays the part of a man who has just become a father late in life when his character has a chance to have a student working with him. The scenes between him and Vincent can be a little slow, but it doesn't matter, because it's only minutes before they put a hit on some mob guys.

The character was almost tailor-made for Bronson who has played tough guys throughout his career. And while it had hit a stop when he died in August, this wasn't the case in 1972. He was just beginning to hit international stardom with the "Death Wish" movies and had been in tons of great western flicks before 1972.

Director Michael Winner is another reason this movie is of such high quality. He was the same man who directed Bronson in the first three "Death Wish" movies. Winner knew how to capture the true essence of Bronson. An outspoken conservative, his political beliefs of being tough on criminals translates into dark, action-drenched thrillers that never let you down. Not only that, but scenes jump out on the screen every time a bullet is expelled from one of Bronson's guns.

Probably the only part of the film that could stand to change is the dated 1970s hip dialogue. Hearing Bronson say some of the slang is pretty comical but doesn't take away from his tough-guy persona. Screenwriter Lewis John Carlino pretty much hit the high point of his career with this movie.

Then there's Keenan Wynn as Harry McKenna, aka "Big Harry." Wynn is an actor everybody points at and says, "Hey, I've seen him in a lot of movies, but I can't remember his name." He's probably best known for the villains he played in Disney movies such as in the original "The Absent Minded Professor," "The Shaggy D.A." and my personal favorite, "Herbie Rides Again." The gruff actor played heavies (flat, one-dimensional characters that are often given to physically big men) his entire career but was a first-rate character actor who deserves much more credit for his work than he gets.

For action movie fans, "The Mechanic" is a great edition to a DVD or video library. This also is a great Bronson movie to introduce someone to his work. This isn't the lame, watered-down "Family of Cops" movies or the poor sequels to "Death Wish" he made at the end of his career. This is Bronson jumping into trouble with guns blazing.