Movie Title: Death Wish (2018)
First Watch / Repeat Viewing
Running Time: 1 hr. 47 min.
Rated: R
Who did I watch with?: Stephie
Where did I watch it?: Home
Review:
Death Wish stars Bruce Willis as the world’s least convincing surgeon. They live in Chicago, a city notoriously plagued by violence, but in the nice part of town. The valet at a fancy restaurant looks into Paul’s (Bruce Willis) GPS system and finds out where he lives after overhearing them making plans for a particular place and time. The world’s quietest burglars break into their home while Paul’s daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone) and his wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) are home. After a struggle, Paul’s wife is murdered, and his daughter left in a coma.
Paul struggles with depression and the ineptitude of the justice system. He takes to riding the train at all hours to keep his mind off of the tragedy. One night he sees a woman being harassed by two thugs. Paul intervenes and is violently assaulted. He starts looking for a gun. Ultimately, he goes out and starts dealing out his own brand of vigilante justice when he murders two carjackers. The police end up spending most of their time trying to catch the Chicago Grim Reaper rather than looking for the people that murdered his family.
Paul lives in a world inhabited by the inept. The thieves get upset after not finding rope in the kitchen. Paul acquires his first gun at the hospital after a patient drops it in the emergency room. Nobody seems him tuck it into his belt while walking down a populated hallway. The police couldn’t solve a crossword puzzle. Paul’s revenge story remains compelling despite these flaws.
Verdict:
It is a solid revenge movie. It is by no means John Wick, but worth watching. See it.
Tomorrow’s Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)