In a time where gun violence is becoming more and more of a daily occurrence in our lives, it’s easy to see why some critics have panned Death Wish, painting it as a lackluster picture. I can only assume many of the critics that have reviewed the title thus far have feared being labeled as a pro-gun nutjob opposed to viewing the movie as a standalone experience meant to entertain the masses. I see the film as an outstanding return to form for actor Bruce Willis (Die Hard, Hostage) and director Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), both having released some not so great features as of late. I grew up in a household where Die Hard was a Christmas time staple; Willis has always been the epitome of what a man’s man looked like, and Roth has been a personal hero with his catalogue of quirky yet thrilling horror films, serving as one of my biggest inspirations when pursuing a degree in special effects.

While the film is a remake, it takes some liberties by making our protagonist Paul Kersey (played by Willis) a doctor while retaining the traits of a loving family man; the opening of the film shows that he shies away from conflict. After being called into work at the wrong time, he is stricken with grief over the death of his wife and the fact that his daughter is laying in a coma due to a home invasion gone wrong. With the police department failing him, a random chain of events sets him down a course where he spends his nights (or days) seeking justice.

As most revenge tales are, the film is a bit predictable. Most of the tension comes from wondering if Paul will find his family’s assailants, be caught by the police that are seeking him out after his first encounter goes viral, or if he’ll simply be killed, because John McClane he is not. Having most of his experience gained from online videos, he does come across as a bit clumsy at first, but in a rather quick time, he’s popping off headshots left and right. Willis does not disappoint when playing either part, but clearly is having much more fun playing the bloodthirsty version of the character.

His escapades quickly gain the attention of the media, some of which condemn his actions, while others praise the character giving him the moniker “Grim Reaper.” While I in no way condone murder, the movie paints a pretty poor picture of the local police department while portraying a realistic approach to the events had this happened in a non-fictional context, since we live in a world where people rely too much on the police to protect them with a legal system putting the criminals’ rights first. Sure, there are a few “WTF” moments, such as how someone would acquire a fully automatic machine gun legally, but the overall film works.

While the film is gory, with Roth’s background in horror shining through with a number of practical effects whenever it fits the story, it is nowhere near as gruesome as the reviews make it out to be. That said, many of the bigger deaths in the film are depicted in a much more entertaining way than other action films, which tend to have someone being shot and falling over, rinse and repeat. Paul even goes as far to use his medical knowledge to torture one of the criminals to the audience’s delight. The previously released Death Sentence, which is another remake of sorts of the same film, had much more gore shown front and center, with a much higher body count, and it received none of the backlash that this film has.

Death Wish isn’t going to add much to the revenge film genre, but it does provide an entertaining way to spend 2 hours. While the original film appears dated 30 years later, the remake does the namesake justice and should not be missed, despite many of the critics saying otherwise.

9 out of 10

Pros

• Bruce Willis and Eli Roth Return to Form
• Great Practical Effects
• Creative Death Scenes

Cons

• Some Minor Plot Holes

Death Wish was written by Joe Carnahan and directed by Eli Roth. It was released theatrically on March 2nd, 2018. The film was not provided to us for viewing.

 

Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth your time, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great movie that you can feel confident about paying money to see in theaters or at home. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate movies, please let us know.

 

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