The Mechanik
Tags: violence, revenge, murder, sadist

Plot synopsis:
Retired Russian Special Forces hit man Nikolai "Nick" Cherenko (Dolph Lundgren) is a simple man trying to live a simple life in his small Russian town. He has a pretty wife named Alina (Hilda van der Meulen), a son named Vanya (Naum Shopov), and a successful profession as an automobile mechanic. But one day, Russian mob boss Aleksandr Sasha Popov (Ivan Petrushinov) and his gang come to town.
Caught in the crossfire is Nick's family. When the smoke clears, Alina and Vanya lie dead in the streets. Nick arms himself and tracks down Sasha and his gang, cornering them in a drug deal and laying waste.
Years later, Nick emigrates to the U.S. and takes a job as a car mechanic in Los Angeles. And then wealthy Mary Abramoff (Levana Finkelstein) tracks him down. She pleads with him to go to Russia and retrieve her daughter Julia (Olivia Lee), who has been kidnapped and forced into the sex trade.
Mary knows Nick's past and, though he is initially reluctant, when she shows him a picture of the kidnapper, he changes his mind: it is Sasha Popov, somehow alive after Nick shot him in the face years ago.
Nick takes the next plane to St. Petersburg, Russia, and he joins up with a band of mercenaries led by British mercenary William Burton (Ben Cross). Their mission is clear: free Julia from Sasha, and mow down anyone who stands in their way.

Review: Lundgren's best movie by some way!.
A great little action movie that was really what his fans could have hoped for, a triumphant return to his best.
Yes people Dolph Lundgren, never considered much kop in the acting department has now proved he is a more than capable director, even suggesting that his new role deserves him a shot at the big time.The Mechanik's plot is thus: Nick Cherenko (Lundgren) is an ex-spetznaz, parachutist, who served in Afghanistan.
He travels to Russia and meets with Burton (Ben Cross) who will supply him with weapon's and assembles a team of mercs to help Nick get back Julia, while at the same time finishing what he did 7 years previously, killing Sasha.
The plot is simple yet writer Bryan Hill allows more focus on characters, clearly in the style of directors like Michael Mann.
it's the sort of quiet moments never seen in DTV action films, including a great dinner sequence where Nick and his men relax and unwind, a kind of calm before the storm.
He shoots the film with conviction, stylistically picking little apples from different orchards, not simply, as many directors do, picking from merely John Woo's orchard (that guy has no apples left on his trees I can tell you), but Dolph gives reference to a varied group, from Woo, to Mann, to Peter Yates and to modern indie directors like the Bourne films' Doug Liman and Peter Greengrass.The action is excellent, a step up from the Defender.
This time as opposed to a siege movie, this is an ass battering revenge flick so the action consists of bloody and violent shootouts, where like so rarely in his previous movies, every bullet has it's own bullet hole.
This is possibly Dolph's best score, particularly in the context of it being a genuinely good little film.
The use of sound is excellent, while the general editing of the film is slick, well paced and never goes overboard.The cast are good.
Dolph Lundgren gives probably his best performance.
He is comical and shows conviction in the dramatic scenes and his presence is a real bonus to an already quality piece.This film really does show the future to be bright for Lundgren, should he carry on directing his own movies.
His cash cow power allows him to get his way on how he wants to film his action, meaning every last penny is spent, and time is taken for more elaborate set-ups.
Lundgren shows himself worthy of another shot at the big time in a film Van Damme and Seagal could only dream of having on their CV's.
In a generally great year for films, Dolph has produced that rare thing, a decent, well made, DTV movie.
The Mechanik is a solid bare-bones action movie.
If amazing special effects and an all-star cast are required to enjoy a movie, look elsewhere.Nick Cherenko (Lundgren) previously of the Russian special forces, has his family brutally killed by Russian Mobsters.
Deaths come with an abundance of blood and gore.Overall, an entertaining flick with nice camera work and solid action.
One of the better Dolph movies..
I saw this film for rent and although it's not the sort of film I'd usually go for, being a Dolph Lundgren movie, I was intrigued by the cool looking front cover.
Also it packs a punch in the more violent scenes and doesn't hold back, and I mean I was really wincing in some moments.It didn't occur to me until the film opened and credited Lundgren himself as director.
Ben Cross is a good actor too and he does well in this film.This is overall a quality piece, well worth watching..
But to my surprise, during a DTV rampage of these guys (The Hard Corps, Shadow Man and also the Cutter too) Dolph's film the Mechanik was by a long, long, way the best of the bunch.
It's a great little regression to 70's and 80's action films.
I also understand it was shot on a fraciton of the budgets of Chuck's, Stevens and Jean Claudes, movies and still manages to look the most expensive too.Lundgren too gives a solid performance and looks in great shape.
That guy should have been a bigger star, a really good actor if anyone's seen his earlier work.On the negative side, the girl in the movie seems little more than a pointless inclusion to aid the bloodshed, and the bad guy is a little too "hey look at me I'm the bad guy!" After all though, it's expected from this sort of film so it's not a big problem.
I also wasn't too sure what was with all the dissolves either, but on the most part this film is directed with assurance and a great sense of pace, and of course directed by Dolph himself!
This film really acts as a showcase for Dolph Lundgren.
The Mechanik is an action movie at it best.
A good guy, a bad guy, shooting, close combat, blood and broken bones and a huge death count at the (happy) end.
Nikolai Cherenko (Lundgren) is a former spetznas (Russian special forces) who, after his family was killed by a mafia boss, went to the US to work as a mechanic.
The Mechanik is a great action movie, just like in the good old times when action didn't try to bee anything else, but simply action.
Dolph Lundgren stars as Nick Cherinko, a former Russian super soldier (I think it is the same character in Red Scorpion!) who this time uses his special skills for vengeance when his family is wiped out by Russian mobsters however this is just the first fifteen minutes as Lundgren wastes literally no time in delivering payback and it is when he finds out that the mobster lived that it becomes apparent that he must return back to Russia and even the score.
Of course I was mildly surprised by Lundgren's last movie The Defender due to it's good action and solid story however I generally don't rent straight to video movies because I got burned way too many times, however when this came on TV I saw it and was VERY impressed with it.
Also Ben Cross (Best known from Chariots Of Fire) is somewhat out of place in this movie but i'd be lying if I didn't enjoy this brutal throwback to the classic revenge actioner.
(The last Lundgren movie I bought on DVD was Bridge Of Dragons)* * * out of 4-(Good).
Action superstar Dolph Lundgren directs and stars in this explosive and fast-paced action-thriller as a retired Special Forces soldier on a mission of revenge.The Russian Specialist is terrific and surprisingly intense, it makes you wonder, how did Dolph managed to make such a low budget movie look like a high class movie with a big budget.Dolph makes the violence in this movie realistic, you will hear bones crack, necks snap and bullets fly causing damage to whatever it hits.
Dolph as a great vision as a director and captures the scenes very well in the movie.
The locations are very well chosen for the movie and the scenery is breathtaking, especially the overhead shoots throughout the movie.The cast for this movie is the best i have ever seen in a low budget movie, everyone plays out their role nicely done, Ben Cross does an amazing job with his character and Dolph does a great performance as a very well believable Russian character.
This is actually one of the few western movies about Russia and Russians that is not following official propaganda lines like "Russians-are-bad-people" or "bears-walking-in-the-streets-of-Moscow".
This is a story about crime, that's sure, but the movie is very objective with quite OK script and even not that bad acting.
And it's actually filmed in Russia, not Prague or other places that would "look-like-Russia" for western viewers.
:) There is just one major miss - once again Hollywood failed to find some Russians to play the parts of Russians :) - but hiring Bulgarians is still better that just having Americans pronouncing something completely ridiculous that should sound like "Russian" :) Funny, once more "The Big Swedish" - Dolph - is playing a Russian guy.
Dolph's first directing effort, The Defender, was a nice little action piece.
Granted, the movie was low budget, but there was enough enthusiasm and excitement to make it worthwhile.The Russian Specialist,aka The Mechanik, as it should be called; is a distinct step UP for Dolph.
The script for this film, while hardly original, is pretty good for low budget fare like this.
Overall, this little film is quite good.
Dolph Lundgren stars as Nikolai a Russian special forces officer who takes vengeance on the (russian) mobsters who killed his family, assuming that the killer is dead, he works as a mechanic however when he is asked to help a European heiress, Nikolai needs little convincing when he finds out that the man who took her is the same man who killed his family in this fairly engaging straight to DVD release.
Dolph Lundgren has always been one of the more engaging action stars in the market and he certainly crafts excellent action scenes (Especially the climax) but where as The Defender had more twists and satisfying punch,this one is let down by a screenplay that is too mediocre to really work.Still this is above average for the genre and despite a few silly moments, The Russian Specialist works fairly well.
Dolph looks good too (I didn't say this to my boyfriend, I'm so bad!) and of course there is lots of fights and things too so he was happy.
I liked the scenes with Dolph and Ben Cross, they were engaging and Ben is a really top actor (not that Dolph isn't a good one).Anyways this was a good film and although it was a bit overly violent at times, a little sadistic it was well made..
I ended up enjoying/appreciating this one the most, surprisingly also a film directed by Dolph himself.
Lots of violent kills and bloodshed, and it all looks pretty damn good & realistic on screen.
After just watching a depressing B&W French movie called '13' I was in the mood for a good old action fest.
I found the plot to be fairly well structured, not perfect, but it has engaging characters and the straight forward revenge plot suited the mood I was in.After the fight scenes and chases the action ends with a shootout reminiscent of the "OK Coral".
The scene is very effectively shot, rather like the bad guy actually!
Almost a decent action movie.
This is a debut for Dolph Lundgren as a movie director.
It's the best from all movies directed by him (others are "The Defender" , "Missionary man" , "Command performance" , "Diamond dogs" , "Icarus").
The final shootout in the village is quite entertaining and it's the best action scene of the movie.
It feels like a western.Unfortunately , Lundgren's lack of experience as director doesn't help the movie .
When it comes to action scenes Dolph decided for quick cut montage .
A man on a mission one could say (the character in the movie, but maybe that describes Dolph as man too) then.
And the action scenes are shot in a really good way (for a B-Action-Movie).
Like 80s action movies and Dolph Lundgren?
I don not know how other people can rate this as a great revenge movie, it's cheap the acting just was so bad, i think the Wiggles could have done better!!!!
This movie could have been so damn good only if the acting was better and had a lot more action.
I think only one man could have changed this movie around would be John Woo for the Action!!!!
Beyond all honesty i would not recommend this movie to anyone, for the simple fact on how bad the acting and action scenes were.
You would think that by reading other users comments that this sounds like a great movie but believe you me it's not.
This to me is one of the better Dolph films to come out of the 2000's.
Dolph is very good as Niko the mechanic.
The fact that Dolph directed this makes me wonder why doesn't he direct all the films he stars in.
The Defender was good too but I like this one better.
This is not your typical wall to wall action film, but the action scenes here as well as the shootouts are very good.
This is better.The plot is simple: slimy Russian gangsters murder Nick's (Lundgren) family.
All the action scenes are very well-filmed.
Second film as director , first masterpiece , after a very good first movie .Even if "The Mechanik" is an action movie, it has its drama side .
Dolph is a great director .
A classy and thoughtful action movie at last !
It's been a while since I have seen an action movie of 'this type'.
But this movie was very different, as the hero uses his brain as much as his brawn, accepts help albeit a bit reluctantly, and has a second reason for his quest.The direction is very tight and classy - I commend Dolph as I can't even remember the name of the last film I saw him in - I just seem to remember that it was fairly awful.The characters build well in this film - not just a bunch of bullet fodder, and although there are quite a few deaths you actually feel for some of the characters.There is a lot of violence - the fighting scenes are well orchestrated and look very realistic -it's definitely not one for the kids, and being a fan of gore and splatter effects, I was pleasantly surprised to see that when people got shot, there was a real bloody impact in each scene, that didn't seem at all over the top like some squibs end up looking.The acting was superb from all involved, although I do think that one scene where the rescued girl has a grizzle was a tad hammy, but it lasted seconds and didn't spoil my enjoyment or the flow of the film.For what it was I would say this is one of the best films of its genre I have seen.If, when you think of Dolph Lundgren, you only get a picture of him saying "I must break you" from the Rocky film, think again and check this movie out.You'll be glad you did !.
"The Russian Specialist" is nothing but a B-movie with a menacing villain and surprise of surprises--Ben Cross playing a sympathetic good guy for a change.
This is Dolph's second picture to helm and he does a good job keeping everybody straight and the action coherent.
I like when Dolph Lundgren direct Movies.
I have seen several of Movies he directed and it shows his talent as an Actor and Director.
However, rather then Schwarznegger, Dolph Lundgren hasn't lost that touch of a Cool Action Dud He gets better the older he gets.
Its funny, every time I see Lundgren on Screen its like reminds me, oh there must be something about Russia or so.
Its really cool to watch Lundgrens Movies and I know that there are some moments I think no this is not acting.
His family killed dead by the Mafia in a drug deal gone bad, Dolph returns to Russia from a stateside sabbatical to finish the job he failed six years earlier.
While the whole time you're wondering what kind of sicko gives a bunch of Russian kids guns and tells them to watch Dolph's back.
THE RUSSIAN SPECIALIST is a typical Dolph Lundgren vehicle, low budget and undistinguished, shot in Bulgaria to give it some Eastern European appeal.
It's a typical revenge story in which Lundgren plays an unlikely mechanic who gets caught up with some gangsters after his family is slaughtered.
There's not a great deal of action here, but the scenes that do take place are satisfyingly violent..
I saw this on TV the other night, I knew it wasn't going to be an Oscar worthy movie, but I like action movies (especially John Woo) - so I don't' mind a lot of fighting/violence and I don't need it sanitized or stylized and I like seeing things set in Russia.However this was just one dark, brutal unoriginal movie with no redeeming value.I've only seen a few other of Dolph's earlier films and I think he's a solid actor, but he's just barely adequate as a director.
the best action movie of the past 10 years.
yes i really said that, i ain't into all that cgi superhero bull, i like all out action flicks like the mechanik, a brutal revenge movie with some of the best action iv'e seen for years.
Dolph lundgren is a badaass in this and made me remember how much i love him sure he was never as big a star as most of the action hero's of the 80's but as he proves here, he's the one who's ruling the genre now cus he plays one mean mofo here, the story has Dolph's wife and kid murdered by the Russian mafia, he moves to los angelos and seven years later he is asked to go back to Russia to bring back somebody's daughter back, he refuses to do it at first until he realises it is the same gangster that killed his family seven years ago, so he goes to get his bloody revenge, the mechanik is violent and dark but its great entertainment and delivers the goods, sure the story has been done many times before but the way it is made and its style just make the mechanik an action classic, Dolph lundgren also directed it and does a brilliant job crafting one of the best action/thriller's for the past ten years.
Dolph lundgren is back and he's bigger and better than ever