Death Wish

First of all, don't be surprised by the low score on Rotten Tomatoes and other sides. Most of these so-called "movie critics" are just anti-gun advocates pushing their agenda under the guise of a movie review.

This is a well directed remake of a vigilante movie from the 70s starring Charles Bronson. The director Elit Roth strikes the right chord by setting this simple but powerful story in modern day Chicago. The tone and message remain largely the same which I consider a big plus because it's a sign of respect to the original.

This is an above average r-rated action movie with decent performances, nice cinematography, good pacing and a fitting soundtrack. If you like Bruce Willis or the original "Death Wish" go check it out. Don't be scared off by negative reviews.

A remake of the iconic 1974 film, it follows Dr Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) a man who has a happy life with his wife and daughter until they are both brutalised in their own home by a group of burglars. When seeing the police are overloaded with unsolved crimes, Paul decides to exact vigilante justice for himself. I was expecting this to be not great at all as a remake but I thoroughly enjoyed it and think it's worth a watch! The vigilante scenes are really twisted fun and the gore in some pleasantly surprised me. Director Eli Roth (Hostel, House With A Clock In Its Walls) and writer Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Narc) adapt a new version of the story which knows what it is and has a fun B-movie aesthetic while also holding good performances and emotional moments. The performances are pretty good; Willis is of course a legendary actor and we know this one is nothing out of his comfort zone but when the story needs badassery, emotion and pathos, he is great! It's great to see Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas, Hollow Man) in a Hollywood film again and she's such a talented actress! Daughter Jordan played by Camila Morrone is also really great along with Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black) as Paul's brother who is so good. I was interested from the start and enjoyed it more and more as it went on; cool soundtrack too!

I enjoyed it with my wife. It was entertaining and same time it offered some funny scenes. The story is well adapted for Bruce Willis and the running time was perfect. It's a fast paced thriller with lot of suspense. This is another example how movies of nowadays should be done. I give a 7 and my wife 6/10 = 6.5

Do you remember when movies were made just to be movies, and not to push political agendas? Do you remember when movies where meant to be fun, and not lessons? Do you remember when action movies had a semblance of depth and were not just reliant on CGI?

I do. And so do the makers of Death Wish. Death Wish is a throwback to the good old days, the days of movies like Die Hard - just good solid action movies that took the time to build character and create interesting stories. Death WIsh is not 2 hours of people getting their head blown off (though there are heads blown off, don't worry). I was actually a bit afraid it might be, and was pleasantly surprised at how patient the film is, how it slowly builds its story to what I found to be a gripping conclusion. Death Wish is not really that inventive, but it seems inventive compared to what we've been getting from Hollywood lately. It's rare when you call something both a throwback and refreshing, but that's how I would describe Death Wish.

So in conclusion, if you are you're an average movie goer who wants nothing more than to see Avengers movies again, and again, and again, and who wants some trendy political message crammed down your throat while doing it, then you may not like Death Wish. Or if you are a paid film critic (which today means a paid social justice critic), you will also probably not like Death Wish as it has very little in the way of trendy social lessons on offer. It's just a good movie.

Remakes are usually waste of time, destroying classic films with lower quality rip-offs using the marketing of the original success as an easy way of promotion. A remake of 1974 Charles Bronson´s "Death Wish", maybe his most famous film, sounds an absurd based on the notorious storyline. However, Eli Roth once again succeeds in making an entertaining film, a kind of update of the plot despite the same storyline, with veteran actors and actresses and great music score. If you are neither intellectual nor professional critic and like action movies, you will certainly enjoy "Death Wish" (2018). My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Desejo de Matar" ("Death Wish")