Some things I liked some I did not.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

"Mystery Science Theater 3000" was all about making fun of bad movies. And, since they made a bunch of installments of the show, they had to find a lot of terrible films to tear to pieces. Sometimes, however, they took poor to mediocre films and gave them the full treatment--and folks just assumed that the films were trash. And, sadly, I think a lot of people who saw these films chopped up and made fun of then voted on IMDb. This would account for films like "The Girl in Gold Boots" (a poor film, but actually one of the better ones by Ted Mikels) and "Mitchell" making IMDb's infamous Bottom 100 list. "Mitchell" is clearly NOT a terrible film and is decent entertainment. And, as a guy who has seen more bad films that just about anyone, I could probably name 1000 movies worse than this one without even trying.Joe Don Baker plays a cop who likes to play by his own rules. He's honest but tough and often plays the rogue cop--a very, very common 1970s cop film theme. When he investigates the killing of a burglar, the crime scene doesn't look right and Mitchell (Baker) thinks the homeowner killed the thief in cold blood. This seemingly simple case eventually leads to a heroin smuggling ring and ultimately leads to a showdown with the man in charge.I would never call "Mitchell" a good film. It's a brainless time-passer with lots of action and a few good scenes. Brainless because Mitchell has never heard of the Bill of Rights and because a guy is shot in the head at very, very close range and he barely bleeds--when his head should have exploded since it was an AR-15!!

I usually rate Joe Don Baker films above average due to the fact that he's always so good in them. Given, he does tend to play the same type of character again and again, but it's his own character and nobody else can do it as well as he. He often rises above the material to give us a good round of action and retaliation.Sadly, in this one he seems to be lost. The basic blocks of his independent, non-conformist, heavy-handed but ultimately fair-minded character are there, but without the cohesiveness that he has in his other films. Also, there are moments when he falls untypically out of character that just don't work well, like the moment he has a verbal battle with a 10 yr old kid on a skateboard, and loses his cool. Very much out of character and really embarrassing. Should have been edited out.What results is a mish-mash that looks like it was meant to be a TV-movie pilot. As much as I like Joe Don, I just cannot say much of anything positive about this mess of a movie.

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.

When given the awesome challenge and responsibility of making a comment on the extraordinary piece of pure cinematic gold that is "Mitchell," one simply can't just write your basic synopsis of the plot and follow it with a critique of the picture itself. Instead, one must show a little creativity and imagination (two sterling attributes which are richly abundant in this remarkably fine feature) in order to properly give the film itself it's true due. So, I'm going to happily list the many reasons why "Mitchell" is better than "The French Connection."1) Burly, bullfrog-faced 70's B-movie icon Joe Don Baker portrays the scruffy, boozy, blithely amoral and thoroughly unorthodox maverick cop Mitchell with an animal passion and charismatic conviction which makes Gene Hackman's overrated Oscar-winning performance in "French Connection" seem extremely bland and superficial. Moreover, the character of Mitchell clearly influenced such subsequent "you gotta bend the law in order to enforce it" fellow iconoclastic rough-around-the-edges police detectives as Nick Nolte in "48 Hours" and especially Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon." 2) The sluggish pacing will give you a profound newfound respect and admiration for the stirring spectacle that is watching grass grow. 3) Both John Saxon as a suavely slimy lawyer and Martin Balsam as a dastardly dope-dealing businessman sneer and leer with a lip-smacking go-for-it panache that's an absolute joy to behold. 4) The adversarial relationship between Mitchell and his huffy disapproving superior boldly explores heretofore untouched terrain in a cop action flick. 5) Linda Evans as a gorgeous high class hooker bears a striking resemblance to Cathy Lee Crospy. Don't miss the post-coital scene which shows Mitchell kissing Linda's bare feet; I'm sure this particular moment is wholly accountable for Quentin Tarantino's foot fetish. Furthermore, the Patsy Kensit gratuitous love interest character in "Lethal Weapon 2" was obviously patterned after Linda Evans' role in "Mitchell." 6) The choppy editing forsakes a steady snappy rhythm for a herky-jerky carelessly slapped together quality that's bound to make you queasy. Kudos are also in order for beautiful cinematography which sharply photographs the picture with a painter's discerning eye for breathtaking poetic imagery. 7) The insanely funky score cuts a righteous get-down groove which makes that over-hyped "Theme from 'Shaft'" sound like insipid elevator music. Better yet, we are further entreated to a couple of wonderfully corny country and western songs which are deftly drawled by the sublime Hoyt Axton ("Hey hey hey my Mitchell"). 8) The infrequent, but nonetheless still thrilling action scenes are staged with a rip-snorting aplomb and consummate expertise that makes John Woo seem dull and uninspired. The guy who takes a spill out of a helicopter and falls all of five lousy feet into the ocean below has to be one of the single most exciting and impressive stunts I have ever had the pleasure to see. All in all, as this illustrious list quite persuasively proclaims "Mitchell" is without a doubt a shamefully unsung and unheralded work of tremendous art that future generations of film fans will watch in total awe and amazement.