Be grateful for Michael Winner's sledgehammer sensitivity because it produced this classic.
None of Paul Kersey's (Charles Bronson) remaining family and friends get off lightly in this twisted nightmare of domestic violence, anal rape, vigilante justice and simplistic politics.
For fans of rough justice, the rape of Bronson's Mexican housemaid is truly amazing and eroticized like crazy by Winner's leering direction.
Thomas F. Duffy as Nirvana, the film's lead thug, is really horrible and a joy to behold (in a perverse way).
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page provides a rock score that scorches the L.A. imagery and Vincent Gardenia returns as the cop who prefers to look the other way.
A Cannon-backed sleazefest that brings home the groceries if you like eating trash.
Screw GONE WITH THE WIND. This is much more entertaining.
Some spoilers here*********************************
Paul Kersey, Charles Bronson, after a brief stay in Chicago has transfered his architecture firm to L.A and is planing to marry radio KABC personality and news writer Geri Nichols, Jill Ireland, and start a new life. After his old one was destroyed by a group of vicious muggers back in "The Big Apple".
Everything is going fine for Paul as not only that the police have stopped looking to arrested him, he was giving a free pass and ticket out of town courtesy of the the NYPD, his daughter Carol, Robin Sherwood, is recovering from the trauma of being raped and seeing her mother murdered back in NYC.
One afternoon at a local amusement park a group of thugs pick-pocket Paul's wallet and with the information in it go to his home. In a home invasion the thugs brutally raped and murder Pauls live-in maid Rosaria,Silvana Gallardo. Later when Paul and Carol come home for dinner, that Roseria was to prepare for them, he's knocked out and Carol kidnapped and taken to an old deserted factory by those filthy lowlife swines who murdered Roseria. Sexually abused by the drug crazed cretins Carol makes a run for it as they try to gang-rape her and jumps out of a third floor window and falls to her death; you don't have to think real hard to guess as what's to happen next when Paul finds out what these mugger/murder/rapists scum did to Carol & Rosaria.
Unlike the first "Death Wish" movie in this second installment Paul Kersey does track down and finish off the gang who did this dastardly act to him and those that he loved and cared for. With the body-count raising as Paul guns down the killers of his daughter and maid, Paul also puts away a number of other criminals as well, the LAPD gets in touch with NYPD Det. Frank Ochoa, Vicent Gradenia, who handled the the case of "The New York Vigliante Killings" some five years ago. At first trying to arrest Kersey, Ochoa knows that Kersey is the L.A Vigilante, he later saves his life by alerting Paul when he's about to be ambushed at a local park by the mugger gang, who were in the middle of doing a drug deal, at the coast of his own life.
During the shoot-out with the muggers Paul puts away all of them except Charles Wilson, who shot and killed Let. Ochoa, who was arrested high on PCP's the next day.Paul impersonating a doctor goes to the prison hospital where Wilson is a prisoner/patient. Wilson isn't fooled by Pauls disguise and after a bloody and vicious slug-fest, where Wilson almost killed Paul, Pal cures his uncivilized behavior with a strong and friendly jolt of electricity.
The L.A Police Department in the movie "Death Wish II" is as clumsy and ineffective as the NYPD was in "Death Wish". Always the last ones on the scene of a crime and the first ones to try to stop decent and fed up citizens, like Paul Kersey, from trying to do the work that their not doing. Paul in this movie did get help from those you would not have expected him to get assistance from: Det. Ochoa and Donald Kay, Charles Cyphers, an attendant at the prison/hospital. Kay let Paul escape after he did in his daughter's and Rosaria's rapist and murderer the violent and despicable and giggling Charles Wilson.
This is soild sequel to the original. Not as good of course but it is entertaining. The action is turned up a notch and the bad guys are very bad (always a plus in a action movie) A quick word of warning, this film has a very ugly rape scene that is still very disturbing even by todays standards.
Basically a rehashing of the first film but still highly entertaining. Bronson is great once again in this gritty sequal, that has what I would describe as one of the most disturbing rape scenes put to film.
Bronson goes to LA to take care of some punks... and I don't mean babysit them! I mean kill them (in case you were wondering). Pretty good vigilante film, I like the angle that Kersey is hiding that he's a vigilante from his fiance. Not yet as cheesy as it becomes, the only part that screams cheese is when the punks (including Lawrence Fishburne III) hang out in the park doing a homo-erotic dance routine before buying guns in another part of the city entirely. I can totally see why Bronson feels the need to rid the world of them after watching them dance. Goodbye.
Ok, now this movie is getting a lot of flag. There's a reason why certain movies exist. There was a reason why this smovie was made when it was made; and this has to be borne in mind when watching it. America was riding on the crest of an incredible crime wave with certain areas of LA and NEW YORK being no go areas (the problem still persists). In the context of that and the time this movie was made, it is NOTHING SHORT OF EXCELLENT. No. excellent is not good enough! I'm gonna go as far as saying ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME. Anyone who doesn't understand that, understand nothing about cinema history. Call it an exploitation movie, B movie or vile violence flick. It is all of these things- but it WAS MEANT TO BE LIKE THAT. For many many Death Wish fans this movie is even better than the first (although the first is, of course, simply the greatest revenge movie in the history of film- ( together with Once upon a time in the West)period !!
The director achieved exactly what he set out to do- to shock and disgust and simply to portray the inner city strife and the kind of things that we all face on a daily basis- unless you live somewhere in the Rocky Mountains and your neighbour is a grizzly bear or something.
Everything about this movie is right. The characters, the flow, the story...the photography is THE BEST I've seen out of approximately 10 000 movies I have wtached. It's so grimy it makes u want to take a shower after watching it, it's so vile it makes you want to clean up the streets of the 'rats' yourself (don't we all?).
Plenty of classic scenes, excellent work..and a true reflection of life in a crime ridden metropolis.
If you watch it with all this in mind, you won't be disappointed. But if you're looking for 'pussy acting' with wimps as 'actors' and a story that may have more twists in it but is unrealistic, then don't bother as you simply won't be able to relate to it. So if you're a posh totty, go watch Hugh Grant.
Yawn! This follow-up to the terrific original is a really lazy and dull film that doesn't bother to try anything new, instead it is just a rehash of the first film's plot. Charles Bronson tries his best but he is let down by a thin script, the supporting cast are also given nothing to do and the direction is badly done. Skip it!
Oh boy,here we go.Ok here's the deal,if you take this seriously,it's an awful piece of trash,but taken as an 80's cheeseball actionfest,it's great.There's a graphic gang rape scene that seems to be there just to justify Bronson kicking ass,but it's pretty tasteless in such a silly movie.Well once that scene is done with,prepare for a lotta fun if you're a bad movie lover,particularly cheesy 80's action.Bronson even spouts off a couple of one liners,including a great "Do you believe in Jesus?"line.
Possibly even less likeable than Death Wish, one particularly abhorrent occurance near the start (the catalyst for Bronson's action) sticks in the mind and makes you with you could unwatch it.
You have not seen so-bad-it's-good movies until you have watched the Death Wish sequels. Or any Charles Bronson movie for that matter. This guy belongs in the Manly Movie Hall of Fame.
Bronson is back for more in Death Wish the avenging angel and this time he's in LA, and I really love the music by this film by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page!. . .
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland
Directed by: Michael Winner ........Architect-turned-vigilante Paul Kersey is back, now living in Los Angeles and tracking down five street punks whom murdered his daughter and housekeeper while keeping his secret brand of justice a secret from his newest girlfriend and co-workers.
The original was a brutal but decent revenge thriller, but the sequels are more Seven Seagal than Dirt Harry and they get worse as they go along. As such, this is the best of a bad bunch.
Good to watch if you're tired of all those crime movies with whiney liberal lawyers who let scum go on technicalities. Bronson kills them outside the courthouse.
bronson is back and he is dealing out his usual brand of vigilante justice .the first movie Golan and Globus worked on with bronson is an excellent follow up to the classic "death wish" "You believe in Jesus..(yes i do) ..Well, you're gonna meet him"
A great get evon movie and another Sequal thats better then the first. Kersy is more Diligent and Sure of his targets unlike the first one where he Caps any Perk that he Comes acros
As a sequel goes almost as good as the original movie but you know how things are going to go down with the bad guys and Jill Ireland adds some good eye candy in this flick.
MCT:June 27, 2008
MCT:February 21, 2008
MCT:February 18, 2008
MCT:January 28, 2008
MCT:January 16, 2008
MCT:September 18, 2007
