Nonureva Really Surprised!

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Scott LeBrun Franco Nero is as cool as he's ever been, in the role of the title character. Sergei Kowalski is a Polish scoundrel who tends to only look out for number one - and make a couple of dollars in the process. He makes the acquaintance of Paco Roman (Tony Musante), a peasant tired of mistreatment who assumed the role of revolutionary. They are subsequently united in many episodic adventures as they scheme to rob a bank of silver to fund Pacos' movement. Working against them are characters such as Alfonso Garcia (Eduardo Fajardo), and Curly (Jack Palance), a rival who turns bitter and vengeful."The Mercenary" is considered by some to be one of the finest Spaghetti Westerns ever made, and this viewer would have to agree. It manages the neat trick of combining action, comedy, and drama, without ever getting too maudlin, silly, or gory. Both Musante and the fiery, incredibly sexy Giovanna Ralli supply the necessary humanity in a story often hinging on the differences between the Pollack and the freedom fighter. Paco has found a cause bigger than his own personal comfort, but Kowalski remains mostly concerned with financial gain. Special guest star Palance is very funny; sporting an appropriately curly, ridiculous looking wig, he's good for a number of chuckles. He also bares his backside for the camera, in a comic dose of nudity. Nero is priceless as a man who always uses what's available to strikes matches for his cigarettes, and who continues "billing" Musante for services during a gun battle.The fact that this story uses the Mexican revolution as a backdrop allows for some political / social commentary, as it did for various other Italian oaters that did the same thing. It also boasts typically wonderful Ennio Morricone music and splendid widescreen photography by Alejandro Ulloa.A fine film with subtly poignant moments and a resolution that will leave a smile on ones' face.Eight out of 10.

JohnHowardReid Also known as "The Professional Gun", this one is full of color and movement, directed with vigor and imagination. It's a marvelous return to form for director Sergio Corbucci who had recently let his admirers down rather badly with a weak Cameron Mitchell vehicle. In this film, Franco Nero is perfect in the title role – an offbeat piece of casting that works with astonishing success. Corbucci looks set to take over in Italian westerns where Clint Eastwood left off. Franco Nero is often costumed in somewhat similar apparel and Corbucci has copied Leone's use of facial and eye close-ups. Ennio Morricone's foot-tapping music score with its invigorating use of whip cracks is another plus. The rugged landscapes and Spanish-Mexican architecture are dazzlingly captured by Ulloa's color camera.

JasparLamarCrabb Sergio Corbucci's often violent, often comic western is a classic. Franco Nero (as the Polak) is a self-serving gun for hire who finds himself aligned with Mexican rebels circa 1910. Tony Musante is the Simon Boliva wannabe who pays Nero to help him & his motley band stave off a pursuing army. Also in the mix is ruthless hired killer "Curley," played by Jack Palance. A fast paced, extremely well made spaghetti western with all the accoutrements of the genre: it's produced by Alberto Grimaldi; scored by Ennio Morricone; the supporting cast includes the likes of Giovanna Ralli and Eduardo Fajardo. Nero and Mustante have a lot of chemistry and Palance, looking oddly fey with black curly hair and perpetual grimace, is very menacing.

Witchfinder General 666 The second collaboration of Sergio Corbucci, the Italian Western's most important director besides Sergio Leone, and Franco Nero, one of the genre's greatest actors, after the ingenious "Django" from 1966, "Il Mercenario", a movie set in the time of the Mexican revolution, and therefore late for a Western, is a must-see for every fan of the genre. Sergei Kowalski (Franco Nero) gets hired by short-tempered revolutionary Paco Roman (Tony Musante), in order to help his squad of unexperienced rebels with their campaign for a free Mexico. While Paco is a crook, but also an idealist, becoming more and more idealistic after his troop is joined by beautiful and idealistic Columba, a woman whose father was a revolutionary , the Polish is a typical anti-hero, witty and cool and somehow sympathetic, but mainly concerned on his own benefit.The acting is great, specially Franco Nero as the Polish, and Jack Palance's performance as one of the villains. Another villain is played by Eduardo Fajardo, who played the villainous Major Jackson in Django. The score of this movie, composed by Ennio Morricone, is just brilliant (how couldn't it), the cinematography is great as well as the locations. My favorite film by Corbucci is still the incomparably brilliant "Il Grande Silenzio" ("aka. "The Great Silence") of 1968, "Django" of 1966 being my second-favorite due to its immense entertainment- and cult-value. Maybe not quite as brilliant as "Il Grande Silenzio" and not quite as influential as "Django", "Il Mercenario" is nonetheless an exceptional Spaghetti Western with a great sense of humor that I would recommend to everybody, not only genre fans. 9 out of 10!