Death Wish (1974)

Succeeded by: Death Wish II (1982)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Paul Kersey	Charles Bronson
Joanna Kersey	Hope Lange
Frank Ochoa	Vincent Gardenia
Carol Toby	Kathleen Tolan
Jack Toby	Steven Keats
Sam Kreutzer	William Redfield
Ames Jainchill	Stuart Margolin	½
Freak #1	Jeff Goldblum
Jackson Reilly	Christopher Guest
Cop at the precint	Olympia Dukakis

Review

This right wing propaganda turns out to be every bit as slimy and ill-focused as one could fear. While the film's prime focus should have been to show the dangers and tragedies of a society in which crime has speared out of control, director Michael Winner instead gets hung up with Charles Bronson's inane, emotionless character and his vigilante killing spree. Yes, he is probably frustrated and desperate, but there is nothing in Bronson's world record underacting to back this up. And when the filmmakers start relishing (almost idolizing) their narrative and protagonist, the film is in serious trouble. The jazzy score by Herbie Hancock, some crisp cinematography, and Jeff Goldblum's scene-stealing debut appearance are what stand out.