Death Wish - 1 smile

"Death Wish," a remake of a Charles Bronson 1976 movie starring Bruce Willis, comes at a bad time what with all of the protests against guns and the high number of people killed by guns. Rather than exploring the issue of vigilantism (which is getting a lot of attention in the wake of the latest high school shooting and suggestions of allowing teachers (!!) with concealed carry permits to come armed into their classrooms), director Eli Roth elects to stay true to the original's outline, providing a violent exploitation film that does nothing to explore today's issues. Dr. Paul Kersey (Willis) is an ideal guy, a hard-working surgeon who doesn't differentiate between cop and robber when they're on his table. He has a loving wife, Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and a college-bound daughter, Jordan (Camila Morrone). His life comes crashing down when he's working late one night, covering for a sick colleague. A trio of criminals breaks into his house, kills Lucy and brutalizes Jordan where she ends up in a coma. Kersey is frustrated by the slow progress of the police (Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise). When he comes into possession of a gun, he learns how to use it and although his eventual goal is to find and kill the men who destroyed his family, he dispenses justice on other occasions, saving a carjacked woman and killing a drug dealer. He becomes a social media sensation, 'The Grim Reaper' and the subject of morning radio.

Joe Carnahan's screenplay is based on the Brian Garfield novel and the 1974 script. Garfield was said to be displeased with the Bronson movie because the anti-vigilantism message of his book was reversed, making Kersey the hero. Roth does nothing to change things, presenting Kersey as a tragic, but heroic figure. Willis has developed a lot of audience good will with his Die Hard and Red movies so it's a little hard to accept him an an 'everyday Joe,' pushed beyond the ordinary boundaries of human tolerance. Vincent D'Onofrio plays Kersey's ne'er-do-well brother, but his character seems more filler than contributing any significance to the plot. "Death Wish" is a throwback, much too similar to the original and really not necessary. Wait for cable if you really want to see it.