Death Wish
REVIEW
What can I say I am sucker for Bruce Willis action movies and this one ranks up there with some of his best. This film is a remake of the 1974 revenge thriller of the same name Death Wish. Behind the camera we have Eli Roth who is typically known for his gruesome and graphic horror films and with this film he is somewhat restrained. Don’t get me wrong there is some gore but for Roth he scaled it back about 80%. He has his fun and he actually does it tastefully enough that it makes the film more fun and doesn't distract from the overall story.
Willis plays Chicago ER surgeon Dr. Paul Kersey who we see dealing with the aftermath of his city’s exploding crime and murder rate. It isn't until his wife and daughter are rushed through his hospital’s doors after being brutally attacked in a home invasion that the violence finally hits home. The cops are overloaded with crimes and his family's assailants are falling further from their priority list. Everywhere Dr. Kersey goes he sees crime tearing his city apart. With a burning sense of revenge he decides to no longer stand by and watch what is happening around him. He decides to deliver his own justice and hunt down his family's attackers.
Death Wish is a classic revenge thriller. It is not breaking any new ground. We aren't getting a new Jason Bourne or James Bond here and that is fine. I enjoyed this film. It was fun for me getting to see Bruce Willis kicking ass again on the big screen. His performance in this film is much more subdued than his John McClain character. He is very calm and collected which fits his character. It is mindless entertainment that doesn't really have much to say and sometimes that is all I want from a movie. A family was attacked and they deserve their revenge. The movie had enough style and a few good action scenes and is wrapped up nicely. I left the theater well enough entertained and pleased. Some films don't need to be analyzed and over thought and this film is one of them. It was a solid revenge thriller that had some flaws but over all was worth my money at the theater.
