Movie Review: Death Wish

Death Wish brings the heat in the 2018 remake of the 1974 film that was the beginning of a five-movie series, packed with stories of guns and revenge. The movie casts Bruce Willis (Dr. Paul Kersey), star of the Die Hard series and staple in a myriad of crazy action-packed movies, as a surgeon turned vigilante after his wife and daughter suffer tragedy when their house is robbed. Set in Chicago, Illinois, the theme of guns and gun violence is prevalent throughout the film.

While Death Wish is exciting and keeps the viewer’s interest for most of the film, there are moments where the plot becomes vanilla and predictable to an extent. Since the idea of a normal man becoming a vigilante following the suffering of a tragedy that personally affects him has been used many times throughout the history of films, the movie had to rely on good acting and other additions to make it unique. One twist that made it unique was the inclusion of radio host Sway Calloway, commonly known as Sway, and his radio morning show “Sway in the Morning,” where he debated the morality of the actions of Willis’ character, who came to be coined as “The Reaper.”

With the movie being set in a city like Chicago, with a history of violence, the directors decided to capitalize on the opportunity to make a discussion on both sides of the gun violence argument. Throughout the film, the pros and cons of guns being readily available are made. A scene that stands out was following the tragedy that struck his wife and daughter, where Willis initially decided he needed to become a vigilante, since he could not put his faith in the Chicago police to solve the case. He visits a gun shop and ultimately decides not to purchase a gun.

Later, as he works to save the life of a gang-member who had been shot, the man’s pistol falls out of his pants and onto the floor, where Willis sees it and kicks it under the operating table so that he can get it later. This illustrates the argument that while restrictions on purchasing guns may decrease the number of guns on the street, people can get their hands on one through an alternative method, such as theft, demonstrated in this scene.

With the gun, Willis was able to go out and work towards his goal of catching and killing the people that attacked his wife and daughter. This provides two examples of the gun argument. With the help of the stolen gun, he is able to protect innocent people and bring criminals to justice. On the other hand, it illustrates how easy it is to take multiple lives with an unregistered weapon that he happened to stumble across.

The movie’s soundtrack and cinematography were both executed very well. The film included songs that set the mood properly, from AC/DC’s “Back in Black” to Chief Keef’s hit song “Love Sosa,” which played a part in one of the coldest moments in the movie. In terms of cinematography, there is a shot earlier in the movie that will have the viewer waiting in suspense for the resolution. There are also shots of Chicago’s trains, where Willis’ character goes to think, as they roll through the city. The film also contains an easter egg for people that pay attention early in the movie, involving a hidden-drawer desk and a gun.

In review, Death Wish, at its core, was an enjoyable action movie. Like many previous films starring Bruce Willis, it is a movie that should be enjoyed for what it is: excitement and action. Movies like this are meant to be extreme and somewhat cheesy at times, because that is what makes them different.