Movie Review: “Death Wish” isn’t even controversial enough to be upsetting or debateworthy

Movie Review: “Death Wish” (R)

The Charles Bronson-headlined “Death Wish” from 1974 was a product of its time — a gloriously exploitative, seedy, cold, and brutal tale of vengeance in the name of family. This updated version follows a lot of the same beats, but in the end, it’s pretty silly by comparison and more akin to those super ridiculous “Death Wish” sequels from the ’80s … only less entertaining.

In this take on “Death Wish,” Bruce Willis is Dr. Paul Kersey, a reputable surgeon who takes on a rather dangerous side hobby after his wife (Elizabeth Shue) and teenage daughter (Camila Morrone) are attacked by a trio of home invaders. Fed up with the police department’s lack of leads following the assault, Kersey decides to take the law into his own hands by training himself in the art of gun usage, tracking the men responsible for the attack, and ultimately taking out the garbage.

Goremeister Eli Roth (“Hostel”) is at the helm here, and while the man behind “Cabin Fever” finds a few creative opportunities to let loose with his trademark gore (a sequence involving a carjack is certainly a noteworthy highlight), his take on “Death Wish” is pretty much the last thing you’d want a movie of this nature to be: boring! The idea that Kersey is a sort of urban superhero could have been fun, but despite a few occasional moments — including Kersey’s confrontation with a baddie called “The Ice Cream Man,” a split-screen sequence that juxtaposes the fine line between saving a life and taking one, and a rousing final exchange between Kersey and his primary foe — “Death Wish” is anything but. Furthermore, this movie owes a debt to M. Night Shyamalan’s vastly superior “Unbreakable.” Look no further than a depressed Bruce Willis riding the train, rocking the hoodie, and punishing bad guys.

Speaking of Bruce Willis, he looks thoroughly bored in this movie. Seriously, he virtually sleepwalks through this thing. It’s a shame, too, because he’s Bruce Willis! That said, it’d be lying if I suggested this veteran action star didn’t still look supremely badass while firing a gun! All those years as John McClane have taught him well!

As for the supporting cast members, they are all infinitely stronger than the material they’ve been given to work with here, but if any of these actors deserve to be singled out, it would have to be Vincent D’Onofrio. As Kersey’s down-on-his-luck brother, Frank, an often over-the-top D’Onofrio proves to be surprisingly warm and likable in the role.

Overall, “Death Wish” is pretty forgettable. Even with all the guns, it isn’t controversial enough to be upsetting or debateworthy in any substantial way. In fact, if the recently released “Winchester” is a tepid, anti-gun-themed ghost story, then “Death Wish” is its dull, pro-gun-themed urban superhero movie counterpart. That said, the edge has to go to “Winchester,” because at least that film had awesome production design. This movie doesn’t even really have that going for it. In the end, you’re better off staying home and watching the 1974 version instead.

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