Sospetti in famiglia

As Charles Bronson reached his 70s, so his ability to perform as an action star waned. Producers got around this by teaming him up with extra characters, as in the 1993 TV movie DONATO AND DAUGHTER in which he played the titular role alongside his crime-fighting offspring. DEATH WISH V saw Bronson sharing screen time with a number of supporting actors who occupied great swathes of the running time. His career eventually evaporated with a whimper rather than a bang in a trilogy of cheap-looking TV movies made under the FAMILY OF COPS banner. This is the first of that trilogy, and the 74-year-old star is well past his prime.

FAMILY OF COPS commits that most grievous of cinematic crimes: it's boring. The viewer's interest never lifts once during the scant running time, and the blame can largely be laid on the dull plot, which mixes uninteresting family dynamics, police procedural thrills and a murder mystery in such a way that never reaps the benefits of any of those genres. Bronson plays the patriarch of a too-large family, where the guys are all cops and the women either wives, mothers or victims (there's never any characterisation beyond those staples).

Despite the presence of a number of familiar faces in the cast (Simon MacCorkindale as a murder victim, Daniel Baldwin as Bronson's unlikely son, DEATH WISH V's Lesley-Anne Down as a murder suspect and John Vernon as a gangster), the acting is never more than routine and the drama never forthcoming. There are a couple of half-hearted scenes of Bronson beating down crims, but this is a far cry from even his days as Cannon's number one action hero. Its TV-movie look and feel puts it more in line with those cheesy romance movies involving rich playboys which have dated the '90s so badly. Director Ted Kotcheff, who once made FIRST BLOOD, should know better.

Enjoyable two hours of The Great One and Featherstone,a fine old Irish Catholic name,the two of them on screen made my time.

Glad,this film aficionado is for the work done.Delirious,that I was not viewing boring,untalented actors such as Kevin Costner Harrison Ford{ugh}and the two least agreeable and lazy Samuel L. Jackson and the "boor" Morg. Freeman.

This work is anything but a boring ensemble.

Charles Bronson's presence at any age brings respect and reality to this murder drama and work by police.

Since when is growing old a crime?Charley got a late start in films due to his growing up poor in the nine county Pittsburgh area.

I regard this film highly...made in America too.

Family of Cops is a fast paced, action packed, who done it with a superb cast. It is well written and well casted with all actors doing a supremely great job. Even after 18 years if this movie was shown today would draw a large fan base. The first few minutes of the film is vulgar and violent but if you can get past that the movie is a thrill ride of excitement that kept me on the edge of my seat. Viewers should be warned that Family of Cops does have some sexual scenes and some extreme violence but is just enough to fuel this amazing story of family and duty with out being another Charles Bronson shoot'em up. It is hard to believe that this movie was made for television it so good. If they gave Oscars for made for TV movies Charles Bronson would have won for this career thrilling performance as well as other cast members. I can't wait to watch Family of Cops 2 and 3!

The cast makes this better than average MFTV movie. Bronson is his usual self although he talks more here than in a lot of films. Dan Baldwin gives a performance that is equal to his Homicide role. The support members of the "family" are average except Featherstone who does a great job. Not a movie to put on your must list but a good one to watch if in the middle of rerun season or, like myself, have 4 VCRs going most of the time.

Ted Kotcheff, who gave us First Blood (1982) and Uncommon Valor (1983), is offering now a cheap cop movie. Charles Bronson, 73 years old, still looks and moves very well (on his face furrowed by old wrinkles, we can see the sadness of losing his wife in real life, the actress Jill Ireland, with only five years before - the film is made in 1995). The story is not great but, all the actors strive how to do it more credible: Angela Featherstone, Sebastian Spence, Simon MacCorkindale(Jesus of Nazareth and The Riddle of the Sands), John Vernon("professional villain" in so many films, Fear Is the Key, Charley Varrick, Brannigan, Chained Heat, to name just a few), Lesley-Anne Down(the beauty from Hanover Street), Daniel Baldwin, Barbara Williams, Kate Trotter. I'm a big fan of Charles Bronson but, this Family of Cops, is far below his youth level. Yet, Bronson's acting is honest and credible.