It's been more than six years since the last ''Death Wish'' installment, and this new edition confirms that even the guilty, exploitation-movie pleasures of the 1974 original and its imitators are no longer to be found.
Take-it-or-leave-it marketing for the Trimark release is making the best of a dismal situation. Even die-hard Charles Bronson fans will be dumbfounded by this less-than-thrilling exercise in comic-book vigilantism.
Even more generic and simpleminded than one expects, given the prior sequels, writer-director Allen Goldstein's ''Death Wish V: The Face of Death'' has trouble doing anything right.
As for Bronson, he's comfortably moving into kindly grandfather territory, and it's hard to sep-
As for Bronson, he's comfortably moving into kindly grandfather territory, and it's hard to sep-arate the character from the performer. But instead of this making the film more involving, it leaves one wishing the actor could find more worthwhile pursuits.
Having survived numerous violent encounters in four previous films, quiet-but-lethal Paul Kersey (Bronson) is happily employed as an architecture professor and dating a fashion designer, Olivia (Lesley-Anne Down). But before one can get accustomed to the copious displays of female flesh offered by the fashion world milieu, Olivia's evil former husband shows up at the showroom/factory and things get complicated.
Another bemused pyschopath in charge of a crime syndicate, Tommy O'Shay (Michael Parks) has a soft spot for his daughter (Erica Lancaster), but doesn't hesitate to have Olivia's face smashed into a ladies' room mirror because she resists his infiltrating her business.
The usual betrayals and talk about the law not working right lead to further complications, as well as Olivia's untimely shooting and fall off a rooftop. The rest is as recycled and refreshing as a cup of coffee made from yesterday's grounds. Paul gets the bad guys, and the law can't stop him. No one even puts up a decent fight.
Goldstein's directorial vision calls for most scenes to be either dark, bleached-out or smothered in blue light. He never misses the opportunity to reveal a nipple or buttocks, but can't handle an action scene beyond hackneyed use of slow-motion stuntwork and pyrotechnics.
DEATH WISH V: THE FACE OF DEATH
Trimark Pictures
Menahem Golan, Ami Artzi and 21st Century Film
Writer-director Allen Goldstein
Producer Damian Lee
Executive producers Menahem Golan, Ami Artzi
Director of photography Curtis Petersen
Editor Patrick Rand
Production design Csaba A. Kertesz
Music Terry Plumeri
Casting Kathy A. Smith, Anne Tait
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Paul Kersey Charles Bronson
Olivia Regent Lesley Anne Down
Chelsea Regent Erica Lancaster
Tommy O'Shay Michael Parks
Lt. King Kenneth Walsh
Hoyle Saul Rubinek
Running time -- 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Take-it-or-leave-it marketing for the Trimark release is making the best of a dismal situation. Even die-hard Charles Bronson fans will be dumbfounded by this less-than-thrilling exercise in comic-book vigilantism.
Even more generic and simpleminded than one expects, given the prior sequels, writer-director Allen Goldstein's ''Death Wish V: The Face of Death'' has trouble doing anything right.
As for Bronson, he's comfortably moving into kindly grandfather territory, and it's hard to sep-
As for Bronson, he's comfortably moving into kindly grandfather territory, and it's hard to sep-arate the character from the performer. But instead of this making the film more involving, it leaves one wishing the actor could find more worthwhile pursuits.
Having survived numerous violent encounters in four previous films, quiet-but-lethal Paul Kersey (Bronson) is happily employed as an architecture professor and dating a fashion designer, Olivia (Lesley-Anne Down). But before one can get accustomed to the copious displays of female flesh offered by the fashion world milieu, Olivia's evil former husband shows up at the showroom/factory and things get complicated.
Another bemused pyschopath in charge of a crime syndicate, Tommy O'Shay (Michael Parks) has a soft spot for his daughter (Erica Lancaster), but doesn't hesitate to have Olivia's face smashed into a ladies' room mirror because she resists his infiltrating her business.
The usual betrayals and talk about the law not working right lead to further complications, as well as Olivia's untimely shooting and fall off a rooftop. The rest is as recycled and refreshing as a cup of coffee made from yesterday's grounds. Paul gets the bad guys, and the law can't stop him. No one even puts up a decent fight.
Goldstein's directorial vision calls for most scenes to be either dark, bleached-out or smothered in blue light. He never misses the opportunity to reveal a nipple or buttocks, but can't handle an action scene beyond hackneyed use of slow-motion stuntwork and pyrotechnics.
DEATH WISH V: THE FACE OF DEATH
Trimark Pictures
Menahem Golan, Ami Artzi and 21st Century Film
Writer-director Allen Goldstein
Producer Damian Lee
Executive producers Menahem Golan, Ami Artzi
Director of photography Curtis Petersen
Editor Patrick Rand
Production design Csaba A. Kertesz
Music Terry Plumeri
Casting Kathy A. Smith, Anne Tait
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Paul Kersey Charles Bronson
Olivia Regent Lesley Anne Down
Chelsea Regent Erica Lancaster
Tommy O'Shay Michael Parks
Lt. King Kenneth Walsh
Hoyle Saul Rubinek
Running time -- 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 1/17/1994
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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