‘Blu-ray or Bust’ - DEATH WISH

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

DEATH WISH (2018, PG-13, 107 minutes, CAVE 76/MGM)

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Bruce Willis is his turn as Detective John McClane in the 1988 classic DIE HARD.

As DIE HARD is on my list of Required Christmas Movies every year, you could say I’m a fan.  If you think about it, Mr. Willis has appeared in several films that should be on just about any Required (insert reason here) Movies List.  Need a start-of-football-season movie?  THE LAST BOYSCOUT.  New baby?  LOOK WHO’S TALKING.  Need a movie with a cab driver?  THE FIFTH ELEMENT.  Sick?  TWELVE MONKEYS.  Disaster movie?  LOOK WHO’S TALKING TOO—I mean, ARMAGEDDON.  Ghost story?  THE SIXTH SENSE.

Honestly, the man has had a career filled with classics, several of which I’m not even listing here because (go look it up on IMDb).  What it boils down to is that every single one of us not living in an Amish community or in Siberia has a favorite Bruce Willis movie, or at least knows who he is.  And at sixty-three years young, he isn’t about letting up.

Splatter-porn director Eli Roth’s casting of Mr. Willis in his remake of the Charles Bronson vigilante shoot-‘em-up classic DEATH WISH is just one of the several smart things about this production.  While it may not be a classic in the storied (pun totally intended) career of the “Moonlighting” alum, it isn’t all that forgettable, either.  The story centers on Dr. Paul Kersey, whose wife and daughter are attacked in a deadly burglary.  Frustrated with the police department’s inability to solve the crime, Kersey takes the law into his own hands—albeit with unsteady baby steps at first.  Smart Thing No. 1: Mr. Willis’s Kersey is used to saving lives, not taking them, so he isn’t all that great at the whole vigilante thing at first.  Watching him stumble his way through it is part of the fun, which is what this film is meant to be: FUN.

The next element Roth brings to the table is his penchant for over-the-top gore.  It is basically a blood and brains smorgasbord once Kersey gets his groove on, and the squishy outcomes to the vigilante’s justice dealing help to add a humorous touch to the goings on.  Which is surprising; in this day and age, when gun violence seems to be the headline every other day, you would think such a polarizing topic would have you thinking “is all of this really necessary?”.  Well, actually, it is.  That’s another Smart Thing: the film works as a straight-up action thriller, an action comedy, and as a satire.  Roth never gets heavy-handed by preaching about the destructive force of guns, rather he orchestrates a gritty gutter brawl which glorifies the need to get up and fight for justice, rather than let someone else mete it out for you.

The film is entirely necessary on Blu-ray, and not just for the rich reds and seedy streets of Chicago.  The soundtrack, a mix of rap and rock, is heavy on the base, and needs to be heard properly.  And I hate to say it, but Mr. Willis is, on the surface, starting to show his sixty-three years.  The contrast is another of Roth’s smart moves; yes, the violence looks resplendent on the format, but when you consider it, this a guy old enough to be John McClane’s grandfather dealing out the beatings.  It makes it all that much more fun to watch.  The special features aren’t all that special; besides deleted and extended scenes there is one behind-the-scenes doc.  But what almost makes up for the lack of goodies is the Grindhouse trailer (which should be watched only AFTER you’ve seen the film).

Thankfully, Mr. Willis isn’t about to slow down.  He headlines the action film REPRISAL, which is due out in the fall, and next year will see him not only in a P.I. thriller opposite Edward Norton, but also in M. Night Shyamalan’s GLASS.  UNBREAKABLE, indeed.

Film Grade: B

Special Features: C+

Blu-ray Necessary: Absolutely

- T.S. Kummelman