DEATH WISH Blu-ray Review
The Movie
Synopsis
Dr. Paul Kersey is a surgeon who often sees the consequences of the city’s violence in the emergency room. When home intruders brutally attack his wife and young daughter, Kersey becomes obsessed with delivering vigilante justice to the perpetrators. As the anonymous slayings grab the media’s attention, the public begins to wonder if the deadly avenger is a guardian angel — or the Grim Reaper itself.
Directed By: Eli Roth
Written By: Joe Carnahan, Brian Garfield, & Wendell Mayes
Starring: Bruce Willis (Paul Kersey), Vincent D’Onofrio (Frank Kersey), Elisabeth Shue (Lucy Kersey), Camila Morrone (Jordan Kersey), Dean Norris (Detective Kevin Raines), Beau Knapp (Knox), Kimberly Elise (Detective Leonore Jackson), Len Cariou (Ben), Jack Kesy (The Fish), Kirby Bliss Blanton (Bethany), Stephanie Janusauskas (Sophie), and more.
Genre: Action, Crime, & Drama
Rating: R
Runtime: 107 minutes
Blu-ray Details
Audio
- English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
- French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
- Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
- English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Video
- Codec: MPEG-4 AVC (33.67 Mbps)
- Resolution: 1080p
- Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
- Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, & Spanish
Special Features
- Commentary with Eli Roth and Roger Birnbaum
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary with Eli Roth and Roger Birnbaum
- Mancow Morning Show Extended Scenes
- Sway in the Morning Extended Scene
- Vengeance and Vision: Directing Death Wish
My Thoughts
I give the Death Wish Blu-ray a B.
I was really looking forward to reviewing this Blu-ray as I grew-up watching the original film with Charles Bronson which was released back in 1974. Though I don’t quite remember it (It’s been a while since I’ve last seen its 1974 counterpart), I feel this film keeps the essence of the original about a man taking matters into his own hands. This film also didn’t get the advertising that it should have gotten due to the events that occurred at the time of the film’s release.
There are many things I loved about this film. Not only is this film action-packed, Bruce Willis’s character does take the word Vigilante to the next step. The name they dubbed the vigilante, The Grim Reaper was super cool. It made sense because at the beginning of the film, Paul Kersey (Willis) was filmed standing over a man before he killed him similar to a Grim Reaper claiming his victims. I was amazed that this Doctor (Kersey), taught himself how to use a gun, found the men that killed his wife and injured his daughter, and helped people along the way. The final shooting scene had to be my favorite scene out of the entire film. It was one of the best action sequences as well. I also liked how Detective Kevin Raines (Dean Norris) knew that Kersey was the Grim Reaper but collaborated on a story that Kersey was a man protecting himself and his daughter even stating a healed wound on his left hand (the slide of the gun injured his hand earlier in the film).
I didn’t feel like this film was a remake of the original. It has the vigilante aspect in common but from what I remember of the original, Bronson’s character is different from Willis’s character.
Don’t miss out. Catch Death Wish out on Blu-ray, DVD, & Digital Now!