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Plot: What’s it about?
A review of Death Wish III in some ways feels a bit redundant. I say this since it’s not some 40 years after the film was released, but also that these films, and this one has an established fan base. I include myself in that group as Death Wish III remains a guilty pleasure of mine. The critic in me could tear it apart, but that would almost be missing the point. Director Michael Winner did the first two films but seems to have gone the full action route this time around. And for my money, it largely works on that level. At no point during the film was I bored at all. They all knew exactly the kind of film they were making.
One thing about these films is they seem to love to put the lead character, Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) through hell. Upon his arrival in New York, one of his best friends dies. Kersey is arrested when he is mistaken for the murderer of his friend. Kersey meets NYPD inspector Richard Shriker (Ed Lauter) and the two eventually strike a deal. Shriker knows who Kersey is and the arrangement is that Kersey can eliminate as many thugs as he wishes so long as he keeps Shriker informed of any gang related news he hears. Perspective must be considered when viewing this film as it presents a world so different than anything close to today’s. It’s also highly doubtful that many of the elderly residents who are constantly harassed in this film would continue living there. Still, this is a movie and not a documentary, so on those terms I can accept it. There are scenes that are very hard to watch, including a rape sequence which more modern viewers will find repulsive. Still, this puts the Kersey character and his pals in full vengeance mode. Gavin O’Herilhy plays the main villain here named Manny. He is the kind of movie villain that we all love to hate and has just the right amount of menace. There are occasions in the film that induce eye rolling as the Kersey character shows up at just the right time to stop a thief or defend someone being attacked. I try to distance the critic in me from the viewer and just sit back and enjoy the insanity. For those reasons, it works.
The film builds rather nicely to an all-out showdown during its last half. In fact, the climax is arguably hilarious, especially if watched with a large group of friends. It’s so hectic, so crazy and over-the-top that one can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Yet somehow it all kind of works. You won’t ever hear me call this a great film, not in the traditional sense, but it so heavily leans into the insaneness of it all that a good time sure is had.
Video: How’s it look?
I owned the previous Blu-Ray edition which I recall looking just fine, but the 4K disc here ups the image in almost every way possible. It is worth noting that this set also includes a Blu-Ray copy, but the 4K restoration has cleaned up the film quite nicely. It does so while still maintaining the integrity of the original image. We are given a 1.85:1 transfer that impressed me continually. I came across some other feedback online where a complaint was made that the image was too dark on occasion. While that is a problem, I had with a lot of 4K discs right out of the gate, I did not encounter that issue. It could be that I watched it in a darker room where the image had no outside interference, but it appeared near perfect to my eyes. Either way, whichever disc you choose in this set, I feel viewers will be pleased.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We’re given a 2.0 track and a DTS HD 5.1 remaster as well. I sampled both to give feedback and I find that they both made for a nice viewing. This isn’t the most robust film, but the climax adds a lot of spark. Vocals were clear and there was a nice even playing field across the entire film. I didn’t find myself reaching for the remote to adjust the volume that often. Like the transfer, I find both tracks to be satisfying here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – We get two separate tracks here. One is an archival chat with Paul Talbot. He is an author and knows more than his fair share about all things Charles Bronson. That makes this an engaging and informative track. The second track is a newly recorded one with critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. These two have a lot to say, speaking of locations as well as the director and even more topical issues and how the film might be perceived today. This is a tip notch track.
- Kirk Taylor – He played the Giggler in the film and gives some good notes. This runs for about 9 minutes.
- Alternate Ending – This had me excited when I first heard it would be included here. Sadly, it’s not that much different at all. It alters something about the Kersey character that goes into the end credits as well as putting a caption on the screen to let us know his fate. Its inclusion is most welcome despite not being a drastic change.
- Trailers – In addition to the film’s trailer, we get a few others as well.
The Bottom Line
Death Wish III may not be the best made of this series, but for my money, it’s the most entertaining one. It gets so ridiculous and goofy by the end that one can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. I do wish a more substantial retrospective could’ve been included, but the two commentaries are high quality as well as other supplements. All told, this is an easy recommendation for fans of the film.
