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Recent releases:
- That They May Face the Rising Sun
- Jericho Ridge
- Civil War
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- Roaring Twenties, The (reissue)
- Soul
- Dune: part two
- American Star
- Dune: Part 1 (reissue)
- Jerry & Marge Go Large
- Argylle
- Forever Young
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- All of Us Strangers
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Death Wish
Stars: Bruce Willis, Vincent d'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Dean Norris, Kimberly Elise, Len Cariou, Jack Kesy, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Ian Matthews
Director: Eli Roth
Roth's rousing, strictly audience-aimed reboot of the Michael Winner (hardly hailed as a critics' favourite!) - Charles Bronson thriller sensibly centres on appealing to audiences seeking thrills and excitement and succeeds in delivering a slam-bang serving of action, thrills and suspense, effectively switching location from the original's New York to Chicago where emergency room surgeon Willis lives comfortably and happily with his life, wife Shue and daughter Morrone...
Everything changes when criminals break into his home, murder Shue and leave Morrone in a coma fighting for her life... When a cop tells him, 'We're going to get these guys', Willis doesn't believe him, gets hold of an unregistered gun and, soon becoming described as 'Some white guy with a hoodie', turns murderous vigilante ('Somebody has to do it!') to avenge his wife's death...Willis convinces both as dedicated avenger (Grim Reaper or Guardian Angel?) and as a medic and D'Onofrio is surprisingly restrained (remember Law and Order: Criminal Intent?) and all the more effective for it as Willis' brother (a new character who did not appear in the Bronson original).
Alan Frank
USA 2018. UK Distributor: Vertigo. Colour.
103 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 1, Swearing 3.
Review date: 09 Aug 2018