DEATH WISH 2
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
After facing off against the punks that assaulted his family, Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) took to the streets to fight crime on his own in “Death Wish.” In the film’s first sequel “Death Wish 2,” Kersey moves to Los Angeles to try and start over. However, when a group of punks attack his family at home, which results in the rape and murder of his housekeeper and his daughter, Kersey goes on a rampage again.
I was too young to see any of the “Death Wish” movies in theaters. While they seem somewhat tame by today’s standards, these were the taboo treat back in the 70s and 80s. It was also a frustrated society’s cathartic response to the violence seen either in person on the streets or just on the television news.
Derided by critics of the day for being too violent and exploitative, the “Death Wish” films were a way America was working through some of its issues. Even today, with crime still a problem (as it always will be), these are movies that allow us to vicariously seek revenge on the strawman punks (including one played by a relatively young and lesser-known Laurence Fishburne).
“Death Wish 2” is still a person movie for the character of Paul Kersey, particularly because his daughter (who had narrowly escaped death in the first film) becomes the ultimate victim here. However, this film becomes even more personal for the character because he actually goes after the people who committed the crime whereas he just went after criminals in the first film.
While still an exploitation film, “Death Wish 2” is a personal story for the character, and a tragic one. Everything that Paul Kersey touches is eventually destroyed, and people are better off not knowing him, lest they fall victim to the violent acts that plague his life. It’s the last of the lower-key “Death Wish” movies, showing character development, even if it is not terribly well done.
Bronson is distinguished in this film from other tough guys of the 80s because of his age and his less intimidating physical presence. He’s no martial artist, and he’s not a muscle-bound body builder. Instead, he’s relentless with a gun and draws a clear line with his convictions.
“Death Wish 2” has a different context today, 30 years after it was made. With a wider media and more virtual connectivity, as well as more awareness of crime and tools at hand to protect yourself, it’s still a strong, visceral experience that is not always comfortable to watch but damned pleasing to watch as the bad guys get what’s coming to them.
The new Blu-ray comes with no special features aside from the original theatrical trailer.
DEATH WISH 3
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
The popularity of “Death Wish” and “Death Wish 2” led to the next installment of the franchise with “Death Wish 3” in 1985. This film was the bridge between the more personal and character-driven first films to the more schlocky and silly later movies.
It’s still meant to tell a personal story as Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) returns to New York City (from where he was banned in the first film) to visit an old friend. Unfortunately, he discovers his friend’s neighborhood is under assault by a gang of psychotic street punks who rule with intimidation and violence. When he faces off with the street gang’s leader, the punks take things out on the citizens, which leads Kersey to declare all-out war.
In this film, Bronson takes a bold step from being a grief-stricken vigilante to becoming an 80s modern-day superhero. His New York ban has been lifted by a detective in the NYPD who wants Kersey to hunt down and dispatch the criminals the police can’t touch. This is ultimately a silly angle that never gets fully explored and eventually abandoned at one point in the film.
This plot angle gets things rolling, and it offers a reason for the punks to actually stand up and take notice of Bronson. However, it soon becomes unimportant, as if the writers just forgot about it at one point. Personally, I would have liked to have seen a vigilante-for-hire installment in the series at this time.
The punks in this film are some of the better villains in Bronson’s vigilante films, featuring a nonsensical camaraderie and bizarre facial war paint. Even more than the previous films, the punks are cartoonish whack-jobs whose entire lives revolve around hanging out and causing mayhem. They appear to have stepped right out of a Sid Viscous fever dream and have no real depth.
But depth is not why you should be watching “Death Wish 3.” While it has a long and often arduous (and at times unintentionally silly) build-up, it’s got one hell of a third act. When Kersey declares war against the street gang, he literally goes to war.
The final assault of citizens versus punks is hilariously over-the-top, bringing as much artillery as a Rambo movie and easily as much bloodshed. Things escalate fast in this segment, and it makes guerilla heroes out of the citizens trying to take back their city.
Overblown and unrealistic yet ultimately cathartic and exciting, “Death Wish 3” is still an entertaining ride.
The new Blu-ray comes with no special features aside from the original theatrical trailer.
DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
If “Death Wish 2” was still a personal film for the character of Paul Kersey, and if “Death Wish 3” was his first foray into superhuman super-vigilante, “Death Wish 4: The Crackdown” was a step over the self-aware edge.
The film starts off somewhat similar to the other films (aside from the fact that it features an opening dream sequence that rips off the cave sequence from “The Empire Strikes Back” in a failed attempt to be self-reflective and artistic). Paul Kersey is trying to live a normal life in Los Angeles, but his life is touched again by crime when his girlfriend’s daughter dies of a drug overdose.
Determined to do something about the escalating sale of crack cocaine (a hot topic in the late 80s, you’ll remember), Kersey gets hooked up with a millionaire who gives him all the information he needs to destroy rival drug gangs. However, with his girlfriend digging deeper into the drug trade in a special story she’s doing for a newspaper, Kersey soon learns a secret about his mysterious benefactor.
By the time any series gets to the fourth movie, if it’s even close to being competent, it’s a success. In this respect, “Death Wish 4: The Crackdown” was a success by default. However, it could have been a lot better. The biggest albatross around its neck is the placement of crack (and the not-so-clever pun in the title) at the center of the story.
What made Paul Kersey so relatable in the first films is that he was just a normal guy whose life was touched by violence. Anyone could at least sympathize with the character whose wife and daughter are assaulted and killed. However, when Kersey decides to take on the drug trade with only a peripheral motivation, the story unfolds more like a overtly violent after-school special rather than a cathartic vigilante movie.
Here’s where Kersey picks up a cause rather than just lashing out, and that’s where the motivation and character weakens. If this movie were made today, he’d be going after schoolyard bullies or Somali pirates, and it would cease being a true “Death Wish” movie.
While the violent elements are still entertaining at times, “Death Wish 4: The Crackdown” offers a neutered hero, which makes the series’ slumping box office entirely understandable.
The new Blu-ray comes with no special features aside from the original theatrical trailer.
