Das Gesetz ist der Tod

I'd watched this movie in october 1996 for first time on television, in that time l'd rated 5/10 but now on full length DVD with original audio it's seem much better, Cannon made a lot of movies during the 80' action movies and J. Lee Thompson was really good director of this kind of movies, Messenger of Death has Charles Bronson as newspaper's reporter an unusual role to the "Stone Face", the plot is totally improbable.

However is around two Mormons families whom are in clash after women and children massacre, although Bronson suspicious that the real reason is a Water Company, apart the plot the amazing Colorado landscape is breathtaking and the music score is properly fine, as always Bronson never disappoints his fans.

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First watch: 1996 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6.5.

Charles Bronson plays investigative reporter Garret Smith for the Denver Tribune in this motion picture about a blood feud between two brothers, of different Mormon sects. With outside political as well as economic overtones.

A decent story about religious jealousy and the behind the scenes politics of exploiting it. The feud between brothers Willis, Jeff Corey, and Zenas, John Ireland, Beecham is instigated when Willis' son's Orville's, Charles Dierkop, family is massacred. Willis believes that it was the work of Zenas and starts an all out war against his brother which ends with both brothers getting killed. But there's something else that has nothing to do with the feud between the brother's that's central to the story: A lake of artesian water under brother's Zenas' property that can be used to turn common and plentiful shale into valuable and scarce fuel oil.

Charles Bronson is still believable, at age 67, as the tough reporter that gets to the bottom of the story with his fists as well as his typewriter to uncover the truth about Orville's family being murdered. As well as who ordered it that instigated a war between his father and uncle and why.

With the exception of the beginning the movie "Messenger of Death" cuts down on the violence and concentrated more on the story which made the movie more interesting to watch. And also gave the audience more time to think who's behind the murders that happened to the Orville Beecham family which built up to a better then average ending.

The ending of "Messenger of Death" though a bit contrived and what seemed forced still tied the story together and made it believable. One of Charles Bronson's best later efforts when he was still effective as an action hero, or in this case an action reporter, on the screen.

One of the things that bugs me most about the later Charles Bronson-movies is that so many of them flaunt a terrible supporting cast. Don't get me wrong, it's great to see Stephen Elliott ham it up as Bronson's boss in "Assassination" or Juan Fernandez as a creepy pimp in "Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects" but aside from one or two OK performances good old Charlie was too often surrounded by grade-C actors or good but uninspired actors, the last two decades of his career.

"Messenger of Death" however, is an exception.

Here the legendary action-hero is surrounded by the likes of Jeff Corey, Daniel Benzali, John Ireland, Charles Dierkop (Police Woman) and given likeable female support from Trish Van Devere. The story itself is just average, but certainly not as ludicrous as the paper-thin material in movies like "Assassination" and "Death Wish 4" and "5" and you know where I'm going.

British veteran director J. Lee-Thompson (Cape Fear, The Guns of Navarone) did an impressive nine movies with Bronson, and "Messenger of Death" was their 8th teaming. It opens with a horrifying scene where a large family is executed in cold blood (the entire scene is brilliantly done and much better than what one would expect from someone who just did "Death Wish 4" and "Firewalker"). The movie then delivers a lot of beautiful scenery, a smashing action-scene with some trucks and a likeable finale where the guilty party is unmasked.

Compared to most Bronson-fare at the time this is better-than-average, much thanks to the afore mentioned good supporting cast. But don't expect mindless vigilante action, Bronson plays a reporter but he still gets to kick some ass, and he does a nice job considering he was in his late sixties at the time.

A movie where Charles Bronson doesn't kill anyone. Despite the title. Despite the poster or the video cover. There are indeed deaths, in a Mormon family, where children and women are massacred (this is the beginning of the film). Charles Bronson is a journalist who investigates to understand why a family of Mormons has been decimated. He conducts the investigation on his own, at his own pace, independently of the police, supported by his newspaper, which wants to create a sensation.

The documentary side of the film presents us with the thought patterns of these Mormons, where God's will (which explains everything) and vengeance go hand in hand, in a country where guns are freely available. The messenger of death is the killer who decimated the family, unrelated to the character of Charles Bronson who investigates. Or, the journalist through his investigation, who will indirectly provoke reprisals between Mormon families.

Another interesting element of the film is the natural settings of Colorado. Let's add a superb music that can make us think of a horror movie: the composer, Robert O. Ragland is unknown to us, but has signed many film scores. This one is interesting, because it suits the suspense and horror.

The film ends with evil capitalists and politicians greedy for money.

The film can be watched without any problem. The scenes in the city (Denver, the capitalists, the important people) are the perfect counterpoint to the scenes in the countryside where Charles Bronson investigates and ends up putting the pieces of the puzzle together in the Mormon farms.

Bronson is rather miscast as a reporter (who still can punch and defeat any opponent), but this is one of his least typical and most solid vehicles from the 80's. It begins with a weird, effectively staged massacre and includes some offbeat elements along with the familiar ones. It's still nothing special, though. It's one of those curiously forgettable films that keep you interested while you're watching them, but leave no lasting impression.