El justiciero de la noche

The third film of the Death Wish series is probably the worst of them, but it's a guilty pleasure of mine. I do so love the violence when the East New York neighborhood awakes and throws off the rule of punks.

After roaming the streets of New York in the first film and going back to Los Angeles in the second, Charles Bronson as the legendary urban vigilante Paul Kersey returns to New York to visit an old friend who is found murdered. He's questioned, but let go, but the police captain of the beleaguered 75th precinct which in real life does include the East New York area of Brooklyn, Ed Lauter, let's him go with a promise to unofficially do his vigilante thing in that neighborhood. It's getting so that the punks are seriously challenging the citizens in population growth.

Back in the day the East New York area was this middle class neighborhood of homes and churches that so typified Brooklyn. It became a prime example of urban decay. I well recall a local Assemblyman Vito P. Battista who also ran for Mayor of New York several times, declaring that it looked like London after the Blitz. Vito wasn't far wrong. And that is the real East New York you are seeing, lots of blocks of abandoned buildings and empty lots.

As in all Death Wish 3 films Bronson gets himself a woman and it's her death that galvanizes him into action. In this case it's Deborah Raffin who the punks set up in a fiery car crash.

That last half hour of Death Wish 3 is an urban fantasy when the whole neighborhood becomes a battleground as Bronson leads an aroused populace to clean up the neighborhood. Can't describe it, you've got to see it to believe it. More urban slime gets eradicated here than in all the other Death Wish films put together.

You have to see Death Wish 3, it's trashy, it's one of the most politically incorrect films ever made and great fun.

Oh my word!! I have never seen a film so lacking in any kind of moral judgement or consideration for anything other than the death of the scum! Michael Winner here makes a valid observation of human desires in displaying a gung-ho troth world of deep and damaged execution. Not only does he spoon feed us with utter hell on earth seen through the face of the moustached Bronson, but he also shows us the spoon he's feeding us with and says "look at what your watching now look at your self and ask the question: Are you enjoying this?" And even though you'll tell yourself NO IT CAN'T BE!!!! You'll know that deep down inside you'll know...it's a masterpiece

Paul Kersey has returned to New York to visit an old war buddy, but finds his mate lying dead in his rundown apartment. Who did a gang of thugs who rule the area beat to death. Kersey gets accused of the murder when the police arrive and he sits in the cell for a while. Although the chief of police realises who he is and decides to let Kersey bring justice to this untamed part of town that they can't seem to control. So Kersey takes up residence in his late friend's apartment, befriends those living there, starts seeing the public defence attorney and goes to work to finally rid this neighbour of their out-of-control mugs.

Talk about over-the-top! The first two films were searing thrillers that realistically exploited its leering material with scathing pot shots or gritty intensity. Instead this addition (which would be director Michael Winner's final outing in the series) goes for an all-out action romp that's excessively cheesy and outrageously delirious. With that on mind. Most of the fun is to be had with this particular item of the franchise.

The seriously dour nature of the earlier films don't really evolve within this one, because Winner favoured more of a tongue-in-cheek style of mayhem that basically parodies (don't know if it was intentional, though) what he done before. Suspenseful thrills are replaced by bigot action looking for nothing more than a large body count. This really does let loose in the film's cracking climax, where no one is safe from the colourfully cartoonish onslaught. What can one say? It's an urban jungle out there for some… but Kersey sees it as a shooting parlour. And his well equipped (carrying a Wilbur Mangum and holding onto a rocket launcher) this time to take out the trash! Sadly though, Charles Bronson is looking terribly downtrodden in the role. He might be sleepwalking it, but what he brings to the table a resourceful character that you can't help but cheer on. Even though the feeble script doesn't emotionally pull you into his compassionate plight like the previous two. The contrived story is pretty much bare bones and very stereotypically (like the multi-race living in the apartment building who finally stand up for their rights as citizens) plotted. The police really do get a touch up in their incompetence of how they do things and their lack of actions. It really does leave a sour taste in your mouth, which I'm sure that's what it was aiming to do.

While, the obligatory romance sub-plot is beyond forced and only there to give Kersey more motivation when needed. An adorable Deborah Raffin plays Bronson's love interested, but with her talent she's wasted in a throwaway part. Ed Lauter trumps in with a quality performance of the cutting, hard-nosed NY detective. Gavan O'Herlihy perfectly cooks up a storm in his nasty role as Fraker the gang leader. With features like his striking hairdo and cold-stare, he managed to reek of brute fear and be sufficient in leading the chaos. Making an appearance as one of the wild punks is a young Alex Winter (who'll be best known for "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"). The rest of the supporting cast are reasonable. Winner's direction is durably crafted and tautly laid out in its no-bars framework to shove it in your face. Again for such a lesser sequel, Winner makes it look reasonably up to par despite it being a flawed technical production. Although it is being set in NY, it was basically shot in London. Its stays on a few locations and at times they come across as purely sets. An impressive array of camera-work is on the ball by John Stainer. Attached to the music score was Jimmy Page again. Instead of the sickening riffs presented in number 2. It's oozing with a more sweepingly funky and overpoweringly scorching rhythm.

A different breed that might be considerably toned down in its rough exploitative nature, but the gung-ho violence does run freely and you got Bronson walking the walk… of death. For a quick fix, you can't go wrong with ultra-chaotic and downright brainless "Death Wish 3".

There are few movies out there that can honestly be called classics, Deathwish 3 is one. I must have watched this movie dozens of times, yet each time it is just as ridiculously funny. From the outset the movie explodes with laughs. Kersey's trip to jail, where he is threatened by some thug, who apparently high on goof balls, decides to attack the most giant guy in the jail for no reason and is bloodily beaten down. At this point he turns back to Kersey and curses him like it is his fault! Make no sense? Don't let that stop you, there is more where that came from. Next the police inspector beating Kersey up, then abruptly out of nowhere saying, `you see, I'm a big fan of yours'! . There are so many other hilarious plot inconsistencies. Mr.Kaprov saying `Mr.Kersey, it's 90 degrees outside!' as he is wearing a full shirt and thick sweater! Or Kersey's friend Charlie, who somehow managed to smuggle back two massive machine guns from Korea. Did he take that in his carryon luggage on the trip back? Add to all this lame romance that Kersey and the public defender have and you have the making of a masterpiece. For whatever reason, the desperate woman wants a date with Kersey. The romance that ensues is epic, until unfortunately, like all women that Kersey dates, she is horribly killed. The final piece of the puzzle is some of the best one liners in any movie. Some include, `it's your wife, she is sick or... something' Fraker, `bulletproof just like yours asshole' Fraker, `they call him the giggler, he laughs when he runs' Bennet, "I'll kill a little old lady for you. Catch it on the 6 o'clock news!" Fraker. I could go on and on. You owe it to yourself to rent this extraordinary film. Truly one of the greatest ever made!

What a romp this is. The great Kersey (Charles Bronson), ignoring advice to lay low for a while (like ten years!), relocates his trigger finger and bad attitude to New York City.

A long sequence where Kersey runs the streets shooting at everything in sight redefines this as a crazy modern Western. All sense goes out the window and the angry vigilante's original reasons for revenge fade slowly into the bullet-ridden background.

You get exploded thugs, burning cars, bodies through glass, dozens of bullet-riddled corpses and a lurid directing style that is perfect for the material.

Not as fine as DEATH WISH 2, but fine, nevertheless.