"Mitchell"! (1975)

How sad is this?

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

"Mitchell"...oh boy, that was weird to watch. In a bizarre way it fulfilled all my expectations as being a bad film. I was searching for something like that after a successful stream of good projects coming my way, not to mention I was curious in seeing the great character actor Joe Don Baker as a leading man. But the reality of "Mitchell" was far beyond any possible expectation; the outcome seen was a manageable disaster that didn't claim lives but managed to destroy a few brain cells on the way. It's so bad that it's good (for brief moments) and it gets a few laughs from the audience even though this isn't a comedy...but it's extremely hard to take it seriously. For the most part, it's just a troubled and boring wreck, and thanks to MST3K which made this a cult hilarious flick that we can enjoy some of its lousiness.Baker plays the title role, a reckless and sleazy detective obsessed with two on-going investigations: one which revolves heroin dealers and other about a rich guy (John Saxon) who killed a burglar in his house. Obvious even to the clueless viewers that apparently those two actions are connected in some way. Mitchell tries to act like Dirty Harry (there's even a similar sequence when he shoots a running suspect on his knee) but doesn't have the same bite. He's too weak for it. He's drunk, clumsy and falls for the slightest possible weakness and that is when a prostitute is thrown on his lap, paid by the people he's investigating - which delivers the funniest scene of the film, a sex scene with an idiotic and funny theme song about his character. As I write this, that song still echoes in my head (My, my, my Mitchell...). Trying to establish why "Mitchell" fails in so many levels is a difficult task and one that wouldn't fit in the limited lines we're allowed in here. It's just too much. While the few action sequences are actually interesting to watch (problem is that they always revolves around car chases, except the opening with the burglar), the rest of the film, the investigations, lame sex scenes that doesn't add anything to the film and the cringing dialogue with the kid on the street...they just don't work. And don't get me started with the dialogues between Mitchell and Martin Balsam character (whom is there to help the detective with his heroin case), which dragged on and on. I wasn't amused nor thrilled, just waiting for the "climatic" ending because the ridicule was going for far too long. No wonder that the writer only developed TV scripts after this wreck, making of this film his only theatrical screenplay. What amazes the most in "Mitchell" is that the acting isn't all that bad as the writing. Sure, the cast was forced to deliver some of the weirdest lines of all in their whole careers, execute actions and thoughts in one of the worst projects of all time, but I think their acting isn't so atrocious as expected. Baker was in fact a good lead, in some ways I liked the character and for a brief moment when this thing wasn't so cheesy, it could actually render him a nice film series. He has charisma, some humor, plays a hard character that has some vulnerabilities but at the end of the day manages to do his job despite some unorthodox methods and his sloppy ways of acting - I've never seen a "hero" running away from trouble so many times like he does. Balsam, Saxon and others weren't so bad either. The problem stays with the script, which offers us poor dialogues, strange and unworthy of attention sequences, a waste of our time. But whatever, the damage wasn't so terrible because I've seen a lot worse and MST3K's observation of this "film" was so great that for a moment we can all say that celluloid wasn't so wasted after all. Their watching and comments on it are some of the most amusing, hilarious and relevant moments in the entertainment. It speaks volumes on this film and a lot more humored and better than most film criticisms I've ever seen ("Mittens?!?" Joe Don Baker is "Mittens"; Ooh, it's "Mitchell", the Martha Mitchell story. Joe Don Baker IS "Martha Mitchell"), not to mention the loads of references they throw on it from Johnny Mathis, "Fame" to Pink Floyd. Their version (slightly censored though) deserves a higher praise; the original "Mitchell" alone gets some note with me. It wasn't that bad though it made me feel ill for some time. And yes, this movie makes "Driving Miss Daisy" looks like "Bullitt". 3/10

A sleazy, incompetent detective tries to simultaneously take down heroin dealers and a socialite who murdered a burglar.The only reason this movie is still known and watched today (2015) is because it is featured in what is considered one of the best episodes of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". Allegedly, the film's star hates that this film has been made fun of, but it actually has the effect of making it a bigger success.While reviews at the time were bad, and frankly it is not much more than your average film, it is not awful. It is not bottom of the barrel or anything like that. It is actually quite watchable. If a company (Shout Factory?) wanted to clean up the picture, get some commentary on it, and all that, it might be a good disc to own. A new soundtrack would not hurt, bur it is a little late or that.

There are so many things to love about Mitchell - the dune buggy duel, the air tank helicopter attack, the extremely dubious theme song and Mitchell's heated argument with a kid who mistakes him for an insurance salesman - all come readily to mind. The fact that Mitchell is currently in IMDb's bottom 100 is a disgrace. I blame the morons at MST3K and the sheep who automatically assume that every film "lucky" enough to be pilloried by them is automatically atrocious.Mitchell is a mystifying mix of humour and action, all held together by one of cinema's more unlikely heroes. If Forrest Gump gave up table tennis and joined the police force, he would turn out something like Mitchell. I'm not really sure whether Joe Don Baker is giving a sensitive portrayal of a retarded law enforcement official or if Mitchell is just an eccentric with a warped sense of humour. Whatever the case may be, there have not been too many police protagonists like him. Mitchell basically goes through life getting on everyone's nerves and destroying police property. Nothing changes when Mitchell becomes embroiled in an organised crime syndicate's plan to import heroin. Before too long our hero becomes a target but these hit men soon discover that although Mitchell might look and act like an incompetent fool, he sure knows how to kick butt.The film's plot might leave something to be desired, but this film comes into its own with its bizarre action sequences. The basic shooting action is well orchestrated and there are several exciting car chases. However, it is the almost surreal dune buggy assassination attempt and helicopter battering ram sequence that linger in my mind. These moments represent everything I love about this most unusual film - they are defiantly unorthodox, exciting and highly amusing all at once. The film's magnificent set pieces are balanced by small touches of irreverence, which I equally value. I'm talking about the hilarious Mitchell theme song that plays during a love making scene, complete with lyrics about Mitchell being a hero "like the ones on your TV screen". Then there is Mitchell cursing at the child who mistakes him for an insurance man ("I hate your mother!"), the old lady he involves in the heroin bust and Linda Evan's bizarre cameo as Mitchell's prostitute love interest. I'm really not sure what she saw in him, particularly with his habit of busting her for drug possession.Mitchell is blessed with fine, arresting might be more accurate, performances. Joe Don Baker has become something of a trash icon with his unconventional portrayal of the title character. Mr Cummings, the villain, is entertainingly portrayed by Martin Balsam. Cummings' butler, memorably played by Merlin Olsen, is sufficiently demented to score a place in the stupid villain hall of fame, while Linda Evans has one of her more enjoyable film roles as the prostitute with a soft spot for the intellectually challenged. The direction is lively and the film is well paced. The action sequences are well handled and the body count is admirably high.I'm not sure how you can watch Mitchell and not enjoy it. It's time to switch of the inane MST3K commentary and get correct. Mitchell is a non-stop entertainment machine. It's not his fault that he looks like he should be sitting on a park bench eating a box of chocolates.

Over the years I've learned that anytime Joe Don Baker is the "star" of a movie, you know you're in trouble. I don't know what the people behind Mitchell were thinking, but Joe Don Baker cannot carry a movie. He's fine as a goofy sidekick to provide some comic relief, but he just looks silly trying to play an action star.The plot really doesn't matter. The highlight of the movie is watching Baker run, drink beer, and recite goofy dialog. One of the weirdest moments in the movie is a scene with Baker and a little boy on a skateboard. The exchange they have is utterly ridiculous and feels like it belongs in another movie.I'm not sure what Linda Evans, Martin Balsam, and John Saxon thought Mitchell would do for their careers, but it's certainly a low point. Fortunately for Saxon, he disappears about half way through and doesn't make it to the film's "dramatic" conclusion. I've always looked at Balsam as a fairly accomplished actor. He should have known better. As for Evans, her love scenes with Baker are enough to induce nausea. Hoyt Axton musical ode to Mitchell only adds to the ridiculous nature of the this scene.I've seen Mitchell both with and without the MST3K commentary. The preferred viewing is with the commentary. I'm no MST3K expert, but this is my favorite episode that I've seen. Much of it is truly laugh-out-loud funny.