January 10, 2008
Death Wish 2
"We all look the same to whitey anyway."
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia, Larry Fishburne
Rating: 7/10
Directed By: Michael Winner
Runtime: 89 minutes
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia, Larry Fishburne
Rating: 7/10
Directed By: Michael Winner
Runtime: 89 minutes
Death Wish 2 is the first of 4 sequels to the popular franchise but despite it's secondary status retains much of what made the first film so great. This is due in large part to the return of director Michael Winner, who deserves much credit for his examination of Bronson's Job-like luck while keeping the Hollywood "more-is-better" aesthetic at bay. The only real ramping up it receives is a body count of 11 as opposed to 9 for the original and an updated rock score by Jimmy Page.The film opens with Bronson in LA. He is out enjoying the day with new girlfriend (and real-life wife) Jill Ireland and slowly recovering daughter when he decides to get ice cream. He is attacked and has his wallet stolen by Larry Fishburne and his gang of thugs. Of course they use his wallet to tag his pad and they proceed to create mayhem all over his house and his latin maid. Bronson comes home and takes a beating, watching his maid get killed and catatonic daughter kidnapped! Fishburne's gang, always the souls of decorum, proceed to rape the crap out of her and she plunges several stories to her death on some iron spikes in a desperate attempt to escape. Bronson had one of the wallet gang in his grasp but took his knife and let him go. This is the psychological "hook;" Bronson feels responsible for not being pro-active like he was in New York but tat still was only 1 of the 5. The other 4 could have gone on business as usual and still followed through. Bronson, of course, lets this event re-shape himself into the lethal killing machine we know he is.
Bronson is much more about his business in Death Wish 2. Fishburne's gang does not slide like Jeff Goldblum's in part 1. Bronson tracks two of them down immediately and tears them up good. He proceeds to work his way through the rest of the gang using a combination of detecting skills and luck to make sure revenge is had. The New York cop from the first movie that suggested he leave town is also hot on his trail to cover up letting him go the first time and he's pretty clever about it too so Bronson not only must avoid capture but also continue on his lethal round of vengeance. The film ends with the loss of Jill Ireland, furthering the themes of the first film, though it does seem to stick to the same template the first film used. This works to give Death Wish 2 more of a credible "real film" feel like the first had rather than "oh, a pimped out sequel" feeling that sometimes works and sometimes unsatisfyingly does not. Bronson's everyman versus a system and life that stab him at every turn carries the picture much like it did the first film, yet with more of a "been there, done that" feel.Death Wish 2 is another fine example of a second film that holds up what was good about the first film while not backsliding into the typical Michael Bay-type mindless moneymaking cash venture so many other sequels turn out to be, especially those that are filmed 8 years after the success of the first film. The DVD package earns it's 1 rating providing nothing more than a trailer and fullscreen transfer which leads this little monkey to think that parts 3-5 will also not have earned an upgrade. There is a nice box set of all 5 films available utilizing the same no extras fullscreen extravaganza this version right here had so I do not recommend a purchase but a rental will serve to remind you that Charles Bronson kicks more ass and harder that a legion of other "action stars" that followed.