Death Wish V: The Face of Death

1994 "No judge. No jury. No appeals. No deals."
4.9| 1h35m| R| en| More Info
Released: 14 January 1994 Released
Producted By: 21st Century Film Corporation
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Paul Kersey is back at working vigilante justice when his fiancée, Olivia, has her business threatened by mobsters.

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ma-cortes Extremely violent follow-up to the successful 1974 movie based on the characters written by Brian Garfield , whose novel the picture is based on . Last entry in the original five film series in which Kersey takes the law on his own hands , searching for vengeance against mobsters when his girlfriend is victimized again . The five-times-weary urban vigilant hits gangsters , this time , hard . Death Wish : The face of death¨(1994) that would be the last and it was then not made for about another seven years , being starred by with Leslie Anne Down , Michael Parks , Chuck Shamata , Saul Rubinek and Miguel Sandoval . Sequel to successful crime thriller that created the Vigilante genre with Bronson as the main star as architect Paul Kersey (wooding acting by Bronson who looks bored and tired with this rehash material) turned the one-man vigilante when his sweetheart , a clothing manufacturer (Leslie Anne Down) , has her business threatened , being attacked by mobsters , one of whom turns out to be her sadistic ex (Michael Parks) and a hired killer (Robert Joy) hitting her on a mirror . This fifth entry with excessive violence concerns about Paul Kersey , an ageing architect who becomes again into vigilante and wiping out the band of mobsters . The main amusement results to be to guess the kinds of deaths that Bronson executes against the villains , as he carries out retribution and vendetta . This 5º outing from the novel ¨Death wish¨ by Brian Garfield in which an architect taking the law into his own revengeful hands and acting as judge , jury and executioner . It contains suspense, noisy action-packed , intrigue , thrills and lots of violence . Initial excitement at the welter of violence son palls into boredom , only intermittently relieved by the preposterousness . Mediocre screenplay manages a couple of nice twists , but it's too formulary to pursue the ambiguities it reveals . Here filmmaker emphasising a hostile , nightmare terrain and relying his virtually sympathies with the confused , violent Paul Kersey . Bronson with his usual stoic acting displays efficiently his weapons such as ¨Harry the Dirty¨ and killing mercilessly nasties . Screenwriter re-wrote the entire script while filming but Charles Bronson constantly had problems with the dialog . It's certainly thrilling , though the morality may be questionable , even in this time, as the spectators were clearly on the Kersey-Bronson's side . Furthermore , it benefits from some good support actors , as here appears a nice secondary cast , such as : Chuck Shamata , Michael Parks , Saul Rubinek , Miguel Sandoval , Kenneth Welsh , among others . It packs a screeching musical score composed, orchestrated and performed by Terry Plumeri . The studio, Cannon : Yoram Globus, Menahem and Damián Lee produced this one in enough budget . The motion picture was poorly directed by Allan Goldstein (2001 a space travesty , When Justice Fails , Home team , Jungle boy , Chain dance , Private lessons) . The original film ¨Death wish¨ had great commercial hit , it was followed by various extremely violent sequels to this successful 1974 movie , that's , of course , the best from the series , being starred by Hope Lange , Stuart Margolin , William Redfield and Jeff Goldblum . This first big hit motion picture was middling directed by Michael Winner such as the successive films with his main star, Charles Bronson , usually giving wooden performance . In the mid-70 Winner , in need to other hit smashes attempted with the sequels , but both , Bronson and Winner , looked increasingly passionless and mechanical in the later years of their partnership in this cheap as well as worn-out final series . The worst sequels in which Kersey goes on to torture robbers , all of them inferior and the violence could be deemed exaggerated , they are the followings : ¨Death wish II¨ by Michael Winner with Jill Ireland , Anthony Franciosa , JD Cannon and Vincent Gardenia , ¨Death Wish III¨ by Winner with Ed Lauter , Martin Balsam , Gavan O'Herlihy and Deborah Raffin . However , Michael Winner showed no interest in directing Death Wish 4 because he had heard that Charles Bronson had a terrible experience filming Death Wish III (1985). Following ¨Death Wish 4 : The crackdown¨(1987) with Kay Lenz , John P Ryan , Perry López , Soon-Teck-Oh directed by J.Lee Thompson . In addition , an intended but unfilmed sixth movie was also to have a subtitle: 'Death Wish 6: The New Vigilante'.
Spikeopath Ah yes, the Death Wish series of films, each and every one guaranteed to invoke some ire and even hatred from critical circles and film lovers alike. Yet to think that they don't have fans from movie land would be wrong - case in point Death Wish 5: The Face of Death.Often considered to be the runt of the litter, it's actually better than what some would have you believe. OK! So the formula is the same as usual, Charles Bronson's Paul Kersey will have to take up his vigilante arms once again when someone close to him falls by the wayside. The law is still an ass and the bad guys can literally get away with murder, but they can't get away from crossing the path of Kersey.It is what it is in that respect, another chance for Bronson to please fans of the series, to attack his role with machismo and a quip on the tongue. Where inventive deaths are conjured with a side order of vigilante relish. There's even strains of film noir in here, with a henchman as a transvestite and another with a dandruff problem that bothers him so. There's even a mannequin factory for added noirish flavours.The production isn't exactly high end (tongue in cheek folks), and the usual suspension of disbelief is very much required, but for fans of Chuck and the series, then this delivers the goods. Bloodily so. 7/10
Prannock Is this the guy who heads the American Gun Club or whatever? Or is that Charlton Heston. I find it hard to tell those kinds of people apart.Anyway, the movie was a bubbling pile of badly-produced compost, although it did make me laugh in a few places. The star (what was his name again?) reminded me of Charlie Chan after a detectives' party. Or maybe someone from a 2008 remake of Star Trek using the original cast. He did have a nice thick coat, though, which must have got a bit crumpled when he was driving.The guns in the movie made me chuckle, with their bursty-flamey-spurty blue flashes. I love Quake.Still, give it another 10-20 years and it will become a cult comedy.BTW, I didn't think his bird had come out too badly after the mirror episode. A few scratches? Big deal. (But then, it didn't really matter for very long.) I've shagged worse.
chow913 I remember seeing the original trailer for this in theaters and it was thrilling. I finally got around to seeing 'Death Wish V: The Face of Death' and it was a total waste of time.The movie isn't nails on chalkboard it just lacks any redeeming qualities. Characters, action, or entertainment of any type.The 'Death Wish' series have always had their own unique style as high budget exploitation films. 'Death Wish V' breaks that mold by trying to be something the audience doesn't want to see, a low quality mainstream Hollywood action film.Paul Kersey's (Charles Bronson) back in NYC after his stint as a California vigilante in 'Death Wish IV' and remarried to a beautiful rich fashion designer on 9th Avenue. Predictably she's being extorted by her ex-husband and gangster Michael Parks. While the gangsters' ethnicity is never made clear, Irish? Italian? Well at least they're Catholic as there are two separate Catholic funeral scenes. These gangsters have no gimmick at all. They're just boring.Mrs. Kersey wants to expose the illegal dealings of 9th Avenue to district attorney Saul Rubinek. It's also never made clear what kind of crimes are being committed in the garment district other than simple money laundering. Laundering money from what illegal business? Child labor? Smuggling drugs in clothing? It's never explained.Predictably Mrs. Kersey ends up just like the last two Mrs. Kerseys, dead. Bronson's 0 for 3 on wives in this series. I've been keeping count.Worse still, Bronson looses custody of his step daughter to Michael Parks. They don't fight it out in family court or anything. His goons just beat Bronson up.Now it's time for Paul Kersey to emerge as the vigilante to avenge his wife's murder. He better hurry, the movie's already half over! None of the death scenes are interesting, and the final shootout is reminiscent of 'Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.'What's also odd is how the gangsters and the DA both know Kersey as the vigilante killer! So why is he walking the streets? He's killed dozens of people over the last four films? This movie is a total waste of time and makes no sense. Quit while you're ahead with number IV.