Death Wish (2018)

Death Wish (2018)

3/10

Starring

Bruce Willis

Vincent D'Onofrio

Elisabeth Shue

Dean Norris

Directed by Eli Roth

That there are other versions of this movie is a surprise to me, as this 2018 Death Wish is the sixth in the series—and it’s a total waste of every effort made in producing it and the time I spent watching it. Bruce Willis walking around as a vigilante dispensing justice in the streets is a little cliché, if you get my drift. This movie doesn’t even help the cliché experience by adding some form of excitement to the storyline or a surprise twist. The story is plain, and it’s the same old tale of a guy upset by how the cops are handling his case and deciding to handle it himself.

The directing is weak, and if not for Bruce Willis acting like a weird vigilante junkie, I don’t think I would have bothered seeing how this movie ended.

The plot we’re familiar with starts with the introduction of Bruce Willis’ character, Paul, and his family, the Kerseys. The Kerseys are at a point in their lives where they’re celebrating their daughter getting into a school she desires.

After his daughter finishes a soccer game, on their way home, his brother asks for some money, which Paul gives him reluctantly. As that’s happening, the valet at the restaurant where they’re having a meal is standing by to receive the keys from Paul when his brother says he got the money. This causes the valet to snap a picture of their address from the car, which is then robbed that night by armed men. Things don’t go well with the robbery—Paul is at work in the ER when his wife and daughter are shot. His wife dies, and his daughter is left in a coma.

Paul, tired of waiting to hear anything about who did it, decides to handle things his own way by becoming the vigilante people call the Grim Reaper. He starts killing scum on the street and tracking down the men who robbed him.

The only takeaway for me in this movie is that Bruce Willis can still deliver a performance, regardless of how crappy the script is or how lost the director seems. Don’t let the intense scenes in this movie fool you—the movie goes up and down like a roller coaster, with pacing that seems best suited for someone who wants to fall asleep, only to wake up to some gruesome, unneeded events. I also disliked the score; I don’t understand why they couldn’t have gotten better songs.

In the end, see this movie if you can withstand the boredom or just want to see Bruce Willis deliver a good performance. Don’t see this movie if you’re hoping to watch a good action film.