Death Wish 3

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.

Wow! What a movie! I can't get over how much I enjoy it! I watch this movie time and time again and enjoy it more and more. This is by far and way the best of the Death Wish series.

The directing is superb, (particularly the scene with Charles and Ed Lauter patrolling the streets shooting punks to a funky 70's soundtrack.)Winner builds up just the right amount of tension, action, humour and emotion at exactly the right moments. There is a high standard of acting on display here. Apart from Charles's flawless performance, there is a career best from Ed Lauter here as the vigilante cop. The plot is superbly written, the only drawback is, it was too short! (I hope they bring out a DVD version with extra scenes soon) Best Bit:- Hard to choose, there are so many classic scenes. Lookin for trouble ma'an? (You'll know what I mean when you see the film) Best Line:- Tell you what I'm gonna do. I'll kill a little old lady, just for you. Catch it on the 6 o'clock news!

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

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.

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!