Whatever your politics and beliefs are regarding gun control and gun violence, 2 things are certain with Eli Roth’s “Death Wish:” It’s being released at one of the worst possible times in our country’s history, and it’s not very good.
A remake of the original 1974 Charles Bronson title of the same name, “Death Wish” follows Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis), a surgeon in Chicago who decides to take the law into his own hands when his wife is murdered and his daughter is put into a coma during a home invasion.
To be fair, the original “Death Wish” had plenty of its own controversy surrounding it back in 1974. However, what made that situation different was the fact that it did play into the debate of whether the concept of vigilantism was the correct method of handling crime or not. While in one way the film endorsed vigilantism, it also portrayed it as grounded, gritty, and uncompromising, playing into its graphic nature. It also resonated with general audiences because it was a reflection of the 1970s, which was a time in the US when crime rates were at an all-time high, especially in metropolitan areas such as Chicago and New York City.
But everything that made the original relevant and resonant is completely absent in the reboot. In place of what made the original relevant, the reboot expresses a dull, mediocre, generic revenge thriller set within an AC/DC “Back in Black” music video.
If you want to get a sense of how Bruce Willis acts throughout the majority of the film, watch the opening 5 minutes. It is some of the dullest, most wooden, uninspiring performances Willis has ever put on screen. From beginning to end, Willis once again looks like he’s anxious to receive his paycheck after shooting and rarely puts any effort into his performance. Admittedly, however, there were a few moments were Willis provides an admirable performance here and there. But they aren’t enough to justify his colorless efforts throughout the film.
While the rest of the cast do everything they can to add to the film, the writing they’re given hinders their ability to add substance to the incredibly thin story. Elisabeth Shue and Camila Morrone give very compelling performances, adding real emotion and tragedy to the story as Kersey’s wife and daughter respectively. Vincent D’Onofrio, despite adding some humanity to the story and Willis’ character, is practically useless in the film, with only about 20 minutes of screen-time. You do end up thinking why he was in the film to begin with.
The primary objective of the original “Death Wish” was to encourage controversy and discussion regarding the benefits and detriments of vigilantism and gun control laws. It did so by evoking the state of the country in terms of its high crime rates. However, the reboot shifts from a gritty, sordid revenge story to what’s practically a commercial for vigilantism and the 2nd Amendment. The film unambiguously, unquestionably sides with Kersey’s attempts at ridding crime. Even though there are numerous radio and talk show sessions inter-spliced into the film that show the discussion regarding his actions, the film unequivocally displays Kersey’s actions as being just and right, hindering any sort of discussion that could come out of it.
Even if you were to move the politics to the sidelines, the film still never fully succeeds at being an entertaining action thriller, with much of the action, while well-designed, are forgettable and unremarkable. And the story itself requires too many plot holes and coincidences in order to get itself moving.
Overall, “Death Wish” fails at inspiring conversations regarding gun violence and instead becomes a poorly written, unimaginative, soulless thriller with few redeemable qualities and another monotonous performance from Bruce Willis. With gun control being the primary topic of discussion in this country, “Death Wish” failed at promoting a proper discussion regarding the subject matter and simply adds fuel to the flame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsPLw7I06eY&t=1s&w=585