While in no way will it share the “classic” status of the original, Death Wish never the less is a solid action thriller remake that re-establishes Bruce Willis’ standing as an action hero for the ages.
There is no doubting that Bruce Willis is one of the great movie stars. Yet there is something curious happening with the Die Hard stars’ career, as evident in the string of straight to DVD releases that has filled his filmography over the last few years. In Australia especially, one would have to look to 2014 release Sin City: A Dame to Kill For as the last time Willis appeared on cinema screens.
It’s a component that makes Willis’ turn in Death Wish all the more welcome. Originally a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone to star in (he left due to creative differences), Willis takes on the role that made Charles Bronson a star and makes it his own. That’s not to say that this remake of the controversial 1974 classic (based on the novel by Brian Garfield) is a classic in its own right. But it does prove sometimes that movie star touch can elevate all matter of material.
In the case of this remake, the screenplay is credited to Joe Carnahan (The Grey), yet according to reports was re-written so many times that barely any of his dialogue was used. Direction is provided by Eli Roth (Hostel), yet this marks his first foray into action filmmaking after a career in grimy horror. Surprisingly, Roth has opted for a much more stylised effort, that misses some of that grit which his horror features have in spades.
The plot of the film is simple: Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis), a top Chicago surgeon dedicated to saving lives, has his world turned upside down when his wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) is killed, and daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone) is brutally attacked during a home invasion. Increasingly losing faith in the justice system, Kersey takes matters into his own hands, becoming a shoot first vigilante and media sensation.
Watching Willis take on the scum of the Earth is not an entirely new situation. However we are living in increasingly politically correct times, where the issue of gun crime in America is at a fever pitch. However, for those who have seen Roth’s previous work, sensitivities are hardly given and so it goes with Death Wish. Although hardly a classic, Death Wish is never the less an entertaining watch, the kind of midnight hour action film that engrosses with its steady pace, over the top violence and Willis’ on key performance.
Roth still has more technique to learn in order to truly hone his action chops. He builds suspense well and is never shy of bloodletting, yet more in regard to sustained action gun play that made John Wick an instant genre classic would have gone a long way. Regardless, Death Wish is solid action fare, that gives Willis the chance to shine on the big screen once again.
