Review: Death Wish

If the original 1974 Death Wish didn't pretend to be anything more than a Charles Bronson macho fantasy exploitation flick, its 2018 remake doesn't even make the effort in pretend to be a by-the-numbers revenge drama. It possesses neither the guilty thrills of Liam Neeson's Taken films, the first instalment of which was arguably already an updating of Death Wish, nor the balls to be a subversive commentary on gun violence and vigilante justice. No, what it is is a flimsy vehicle for an ageing action star whose performance can be likened to a slower-moving, less dimensional Jason Voorhees.

The issue is not necessarily that Bruce Willis isn't cracking wise or kicking ass as Chicago surgeon Paul Kersey. If anything, positing Kersey as a mild-mannered guy who avoids confrontation with aggressive soccer dads and who allows himself to be taken advantage of by his leech of a brother (Vincent D'Onofrio) can only lend intriguing shading to his later, more questionable actions. Willis has proven himself to be an actor capable of depth in films such as Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, but he certainly keeps that ability well hidden here. He scarcely conveys the bare minimum of grief after his wife (Elisabeth Shue) is killed and his teenage daughter (Camila Morrone) is left in a coma following a home invasion. Nor does any flicker of emotion register on his face when the investigating detectives (Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise) mention that the incident is just the latest in a string of robberies gone bad.

The turning point, such as it is, for the temperate doctor arrives during a moment with his father-in-law, who tells him that it's no use relying on the police when they only come after a crime has already been committed. If a man really wants to protect what's his, then he has to take matters into his own hands. In case the message isn't abundantly obvious, his father-in-law delivers it whilst going after poachers with a shotgun. Thus, Kersey becomes the city's Guardian Angel, or Grim Reaper, depending on which side of the debate one is on. The white guy in the hoodie becomes a social media sensation and real-life radio personalities Sway and Mancow almost serve as a Greek chorus as they discuss the pros and cons this homegrown avenger.

Perhaps the film would have been more bearable or not so instantly forgettable if it were less lacklustre. Willis' catatonia seems to have extended to Eli Roth, whose direction is ho-hum at best. Predictably, he throws in some gore and torture, but even these scenes feel like B-roll from his Saw movies.

Death Wish

Directed by: Eli Roth

Written by: Joe Carnahan; based on the 1974 Death Wish screenplay by Wendell Mayes and the novel by Brian Garfield

Starring: Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Dean Norris, Beau Knapp, Kimberly Elise, Len Cariou