Death Wish 3
by Michael Winner
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Charles Bronson, Deborah Raffin, Ed Lauter, Gavan O'Herlihy, Martin BalsamDirector: Michael Winner
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: John Stanier
Producer: Michael Winner
Producer: Menahem Golan
Producer: Michael J. Kagan
Producer: Yoram Globus
Writer: Brian Garfield
Writer: Don Jakoby
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 92 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-02-03
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of Death Wish 3
Movie Review: Oh my!
Summary: 5 Stars
A discussion of Charles Bronson that fails to mention the "Death Wish" series isn't really a discussion at all. The first entry in this seminal series arrived on the scene in 1974 during a period in American history when all types of crimes skyrocketed. We can thank the moral laxity inflicted on the rest of us by the Counterculture for the increased numbers of murders, arsons, burglaries, robberies, rapes, and countless other forms of physical and mental assaults that soon became common occurrences on every street in the country. A large percentage of the population, referred to by Nixon as "The Silent Majority," ached to find a way to fight back against the vermin committing these atrocities. Since our embrace of vigilante justice faded away due to the abuses of lynching in the South, and our legal system began letting the scum back out on the streets, only Hollywood seemed to offer refuge to the growing number of victims. Enter the revenge and vigilante genre, the most notable entries of which consisted of the Clint Eastwood "Dirty Harry" pictures. In these films, a cop or outraged citizen would hunt down criminals outside the law, meting out a savage brand of justice we could all cheer about. Enter the "Death Wish" franchise.
The sequel to the first film, 1982's "Death Wish 2," apparently earned enough money that the folks at Cannon followed up with a third entry. B-movie fans will give thanks for this decision for centuries to come because "Death Wish 3" is one of the greatest schlock action films ever made. Paul Kersey (Bronson), apparently finding some time between losing family members, decides to visit an old war buddy named Charley who just happens to live in a slum that resembles in no small way Beirut at the height of its civil war. Unfortunately, a gang of vicious killers led by the nightmarish Fraker (Gavan O'Herlihy) runs the neighborhood, and they deliver a savage beating to Charley mere minutes before Kersey arrives. To say Charley doesn't pull through because of his injuries shouldn't be necessary. Unnecessary to say too is that Kersey is about to go on another rampage. He teams up with several of his late friend's neighbors, including an elderly Jewish couple, a Hispanic couple (Marina Sirtis plays the woman!), and Bennett (Martin Balsam) to throw back the forces of darkness. Fortunately for Kersey, the local cops are sick of all the gang activity, so precinct chief Shriker (Ed Lauter) gives our hero free reign to murder and mutilate at random. An overworked public defender by the name of Kathryn Davis (Deborah Raffin) serves as Kersey's potential love interest.
Kersey sets up little tricks to bait the gang. He buys a car and purposefully places it outside to draw thieves. When he hears the windows breaking, he goes outside and guns them down. Paul also helps out his neighbors by placing traps underneath windows that puncture feet and knock out teeth. His biggest contribution to neighborhood safety comes when he and his buddy Wildey (watch and see) put a guffawing mugger by the name of Giggler out of business for good. Fraker attempts to crack down on the neighborhood by killing a few of the residents, blowing up Bennett's small business, and trying to assassinate Kersey. Nothing works, however, so Fraker calls in reinforcements in the shape of a biker gang. All heck breaks out as the neighborhood turns into a war zone. Kersey jogs around the streets toting a machine gun Charley kept hidden for just such an occasion. The cops join in the fun too, but aren't nearly as successful until Shriker joins Kersey for a series of scenes that resemble an arcade shooting game. Oh, I can't forget about the neighbors; they all grab weapons and head out to kick some serious you know what. The violence in the last part of "Death Wish 3" is so over the top as to defy description. Bodies topple off of buildings, people run around on fire shrieking at the top of their lungs, and explosions rock the neighborhood.
A short review simply doesn't do this film justice. It's so ridiculous in every aspect that one could write a book about it. It's also, however, stupendously entertaining. I howl at the top of my lungs every time I see the scene where Fraker calls for help. He says something along the lines of "Hey, this is Mandy Fraker. I'm going to need some guys up here." MANDY? His name is MANDY Fraker? What are the names of his top lieutenants, Murray and Maurice? Oh man! Another gut buster is what happens to Kathryn Davis. In true "Death Wish" form, the plot requires her to perish horribly just as she and Paul strike up a relationship. Never mind the fact that the Davis character is young enough to be Kersey's granddaughter. It feels like the filmmakers just threw this subplot in because someone recalled that Kersey lost important females in his life in the previous two pictures. But the best part of the film occurs when we see the gang members sitting around after the demise of the Giggler. One of them says with all the gravitas of a Royal Shakespearean actor, "They killed the Giggler, man. THEY KILLED THE GIGGLER!" This is the most brilliant piece of dialogue I've ever heard in a B-movie.
The only extra on the disc is a trailer, and the transfer is only fullscreen, but it's enough to have this classic on DVD. By far the most entertaining entry in the "Death Wish" series, Bronson followed "Death Wish 3" with another one in the eighties and one in the nineties before the series finally folded. Charles Bronson passed away in 2003, perhaps never fully knowing his importance to the low budget action potboiler genre. Those of us who love the "Death Wish" films can only rewatch them and dream...
Summary of Death Wish 3
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