Death Wish - 2018 - Print Topic

I had high hopes for this even though I had heard not so good things about it.

If you're not aware, this is a "re-imaging" of the 1974 classic with Charles Bronson's Paul Kersey being played by a very old looking Bruce Willis.

This thing went through Development Hell in the classic sense - years and years in the planning, multiple screenwriters coming, leaving, and suing for credit, multiple Directors coming and going, and a list of over 20 A List actors to play the iconic role.

In the end, Eli Roth directed it, and screenwriting credit went to Joe Carnahan, but on IMDB, it is made pretty clear the finished product was not Carnahan's doing.

There are problems here...as there are with most classic remakes.  What worked so well back in the mid 70's, doesn't work as well now, and since we all know the story so well (hey, even if you didn't see the original or any of the 4 sequels, maybe you read the novel it was based on), there is little here that comes off as a surprise or new.

First of all, it just takes too damn long to get going.  Secondly, the brutal attack from the original is paired way down here and just doesn't hit as hard as it should have or could have.  Finally, there are so many plot holes and unbelievable goings ons, that it's hard to take seriously.

There are several very good scenes, though.  There are also some good gore effects, Eli seems to forget his roots here and misses on what should have been a much more violent movie.

In the end, I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't like it, either.  It feels too by the numbers and maybe just a little lazy.

Grade - C

Quoted from ajr

I see Elisabeth Shue played Willis' wife - how big is her role?

AJR

First of all, she looks old.

If you are familiar with the original, this follows the same plot points. Here, as far as I remember from the original, at least, the opening lasts much longer than the original, meaning, Elisabeth Shue lasts longer than Hope Lange did.