"Death Wish" Review by Tim Hellman

DEATH WISH': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Director Eli Roth's remake of the popular 1974 vigilante action flick, of the same name, which was based on the book by Brian Garfield.  This redo was scripted by Joe Carnahan, and stars Bruce Willis (playing the iconic Charles Bronson role).  The story revolves around a Chicago doctor who becomes a violent vigilante, out for revenge, after his wife and daughter are brutally attacked by robbers.  The movie costars Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Norris, Kimberly Elise, Beau Knapp, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Camila Morrone and Elisabeth Shue.  It's received mostly negative reviews from critics, and it's a modest hit at the Box Office as well.  I found it to be an effective genre flick, reminiscent of the popular hits form yesteryear, but it still could have been a lot better.

 Dr. Paul Kersey (Willis) is a happily married doctor, who lives with his wife (Shue) and teenage daughter (Morrone) in Chicago.  Paul has gotten pretty used to the violent gang deaths in his city, seeing them regularly in his hospital every night, and has never thought of taking the law into his own hands (nor does he own a gun).  That all changes though, when his family is viciously attacked by robbers one night.  His wife is killed as a result of the attack, and his daughter is seriously injured.  When the police can't find who's responsible, Paul quickly becomes a violent vigilante out for revenge.     

The movie does have a very strong 80s/90s B-action flick feel to it, and I think Roth was the perfect director to give it that feel.  Also Willis is the perfect actor to star in a film like this, that's still around right now that is (with just a few other rivals).  So fans of that style of movie should probably really enjoy it.  It does seem kind of weird though, how it almost feels like it's promoting buying a gun, and taking the law into your own hands (at a time like this).  I think the film actually does a good job of arguing why it's wrong too though.  I also feel like the movie could have used a lot more passion; I didn't really feel Willis's raw emotions, or anger, like I think I should have.  I also didn't hate the bad guys nearly as much as I should have either.  Still, it's a fun (and nostalgic) B-action flick. 

Official Trailer for Eli Roth's "Death Wish"

MGM recently released the official trailer for their upcoming remake of the classic action film "Death Wish". The remake is the latest film from director Eli Roth (Knock, Knock, Cabin Fever) and stars Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise.

"Death Wish" hits theaters on March 2nd.

Plot Synopsis:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures presents director Eli Roth's reimagining of the 1974 revenge thriller Death Wish. Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of his city's violence when it is rushed into his ER - until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts his family's assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media's attention, the city wonders if this deadly avenger is a guardian angel or a grim reaper. Fury and fate collide in the intense action-thriller Death Wish.

Paul Kersey becomes a divided person: a man who saves lives, and a man who takes them; a husband and father trying to take care of his family, and a shadowy figure fighting crime; a surgeon extracting bullets from suspects' bodies, and a man seeking justice that detectives are quickly closing in on.

Updated from the original novel by Brian Garfield, director Eli Roth and screenwriter Joe Carnahan's (The Grey, Narc) Death Wish also stars Vincent D'Onofrio (The Magnificent Seven, TV's Daredevil and Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Camila Morrone, Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) and Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters). It's a knife's-edge portrayal that challenges our assumptions, and pushes our buttons.

By bringing the complex psychology of Brian Garfield's book up-to-the-moment and injecting new thrills and a stark, unflinching look at the American psyche in 2017, Eli Roth and Death Wish bring audiences to the height of unforgettable suspense.