Death Wish 3

Directed by Michael Winner, Death Wish 3 follows Charles Bronson’s Paul Kersey as he arrives back in New York City and is eventually drawn into an all-out war with a vicious gang (led by Gavan O’Herlihy’s sinister Manny Fraker). Filmmaker Winner, working from Michael Edmonds’ screenplay, delivers a typically erratic Death Wish installment that does, as is par for the course with this series, get off to a rather slow and underwhelming start, and there’s little doubt, ultimately, that Death Wish 3 benefits substantially from the compelling efforts of Bronson and his talented costars – with the movie boasting engaging periphery work from familiar faces like Ed Lauter, Martin Balsam, and Alex Winter. (O’Herlihy’s sneering, scenery-chewing turn as the malevolent villain remains a continuing highlight, to be sure.) The decidedly ludicrous bent of the picture’s narrative does prevent the viewer from wholeheartedly embracing the central character’s violent quest, although, by that same token, it’s certainly quite difficult to resist a larger-than-life third act focused on the battle between Paul and scores of gang members. By the time the satisfying climax rolls around, as well as a final kill that has to be seen to be believed, Death Wish 3 has cemented its place as a decent-enough sequel that ultimately feels more in line with the Rambo series than with the previous two films. (This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, admittedly.)

**1/2 out of ****