Death Wish V The Face Of Death

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Death Wish V The Face Of Death

DEATH WISH:FACE OF DEATH – DVD Movie

Drifting as far from Michael Winner’s introductory and interesting 1974 Death Wish as possible, this belated sequel in an often ugly series is nonetheless a harmless, somewhat established adventure story featuring a watchable cast. After his life of loss and misery at the hands of criminals, vigilante Paul Kersey is ready to settle down in romantic bliss with a fashion architect named Olivia (Lesley-Anne Down). Unfortunately, the lady happens to be the target of her mobster ex-husband (Michael Parks), who has a tight grip on New York’s garment district. Disfigured and at last murdered by her former spouse, Olivia is avenged in very originative ways by Paul, who resorts to such esoterica as using a remote-controlled soccer ball to deliver an explosive punishment. Bronson for the most part phones it in for this potboiler, even though even in the winter of his life he may look rather compelling in his stoic way. Helping to keep things interesting is Parks’s kinky remorseless cruelty and Saul Rubinek’s vaguely bemused performance as a well-meaning prosecutor. –Tom Keogh

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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
Hugely Entertaining Bronson Romp
By Jeffrey Leach
When Charles Bronson died recently, he left behind a body of work spanning four decades. One of his last film projects was an entry in a memorable franchise, the final installment of the “Death Wish” films. “Death Wish V: The Face of Death” marked the end of more than one era. Gone forever is the reliable low budget Bronson actioner that predominated the 1980s. I grew up on a steady diet of Chuck Bronson films, so paying homage to this enjoyable actor by watching this film was quite easy. It was a surprise to notice that one member of the Golan-Globus team that ran Cannon films in the 1980s produced “Death Wish V,” giving the movie even more of a nostalgic feel. The “Death Wish” series introduced America to Paul Kersey, an architect by trade who, through a series of unfortunate and violent circumstances, sought bloody revenge on criminals who murdered his family. The first film did wonderfully at the box office, providing a measure of vicarious thrill for a population weary of rampant crime on the streets of America. Then the series got ridiculous as Kersey literally became a death wish for anybody who associated with him. In each subsequent film, a girlfriend or soon to be wife bought the big one, inspiring the architect to hit the streets one more time in search of retribution. This guy lost more people close to him because of criminals than would ever be possible, but such is the dangerous world of filmmaking.

In “Death Wish V,” Kersey, now in the witness protection program after his last outbreak of bloody violence, again decides to look for a wife. He finds one in Olivia Regent, a one time model who now runs her own fashion studio. Even better, Olivia has a young daughter who thinks the world of Paul and eagerly wants her mother to marry him. The only obstacle to this happy union is Olivia’s ex-husband, a brutal Irish gangster named Tommy O’Shea, a guy who persists in harassing his ex-wife because he has a stake in her business. He also wants his daughter back and will do almost anything to achieve this goal. When O’Shea isn’t terrorizing his family, he spends his time shaking down other businesses in the garment district. Oh, and just so we know this guy is a big time baddie, the film makes sure to let us know that O’Shea is also a racist. Within minutes Paul and Tommy exchange a few words, and we just know that Kersey will go after this guy. After a goon roughs up Olivia and murders her factory manager, Kersey quickly realizes that his complaints to the authorities fall on deaf ears. Both the police and the D.A.’s office say they can do nothing because no one will testify against the nasty O’Shea. In fact, they tell Paul that they have been on this criminal’s tail for some sixteen years without success. The architect’s rage knows no bounds when Olivia dies in a shoot out and her daughter ends up in the custody of her gangster father. Out comes the gun and Kersey is off on yet another bloody crusade against street predators.

Bronson looks surprisingly fit for a man well into his seventies. While I didn’t buy some of the antics he took part in, the filmmakers wisely decided to minimize any physical confrontations between Kersey and O’Shea’s goons. Instead, the revenge killings that take place involve some cyanide, a soccer ball filled with explosives (which works well as an idea and leads to a cool “guy on fire” scene), and your typical final showdown with plenty of gunfire and explosions. Some of the deaths are unintentionally funny, such as the factory worker soaring through a storefront window and the acid bath at the end. Overall, “Death Wish V” delivers some satisfying screen violence that fits in well with the arc of the series overall. Special mention goes to the special effects technicians who punched up the sounds of the gunfire and explosions. Every time a gun goes off it sounds like a howitzer, and the explosions boomed out of my speakers in deafening peals. Expect to hear some classic Bronson lines as he delivers justice the only way he knows how. I roared with laughter over the soccer ball scene, especially when I noticed how Kersey smiles and laughs as the guy dies. Overdone, perhaps, but realistic if this is really a guy seeking revenge for the death of a loved one.

The performances aren’t too bad for this type of film. Bronson phones in his performance, which isn’t surprising because he’s played this character so many times. The guy who played Tommy O’Shea decided to imbue his character with a drollness as thick as an Irish brogue. Lesley-Anne Down doesn’t do much as Olivia Regent, nor does the actress who plays her daughter. The various actors playing O’Shea’s goons failed to stick in my memory five minutes after I watched this thing, but who cares, really? As long as Kersey blows ‘em away by the end, I’m a happy camper. The violence is the real star of this movie anyway. Be sure and look for the familiar faces of Saul Rubinek as Tony Hoyle and Miguel Sandoval as his suspicious sidekick Hector. The DVD doesn’t contain too much in the way of extras, but the picture looks good for such a fun, throwaway movie. You simply have to like a film that uses a poisoned pastry and a remote controlled toy to dispatch bad guys. You should also like a film that makes dandruff a major plot point. Perhaps Bronson deserved better projects for his final movie appearances, but I appreciated the fact that he made another one of these films. R.I.P., Charles Bronson.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Not your average Death Wish sequel.
By Lunar Strain
I love the first Death Wish sequels, but lets face it…they were trashy entertainment. They had little plot (basically shoot the hell out of scum), they portrayed unenthusiastic performances by supporting cast, they had characters that you didn’t care about, silly love interests for Bronson, and paltry directing. All this is what actually made those films so much fun. You won’t exactly get that with Death Wish 5. The filmmakers actually seem to have tried to make a decent film with this sequel. The villains seem to have more depth and there’s actually a plot. It try’s to develop characters you care about, though it doesn’t quite succeed on some levels. What I found amazing is that Bronson’s love interest is actually somewhat believeable, unlike in Death Wish 3 & 4 which it was more laughable. I actually found myself very surprised by this film, in a good way. You could say that Death Wish 5, should I dare say, is the best Death Wish sequel. Though I said best, it does not mean most entertaining. Death Wish 5 may have the most developed plot, better acting, and overall better filmmaking than its predecessors, but the first sequels are actually more entertaining. You can’t beat the final shout-out in Death Wish 3 or the roller rink ending to Death Wish 4. That’s pure entertainment! So in conclusion, Death Wish 5 is not your average Death Wish sequel. This could be a good or a bad thing. If you absolutely love the other Death Wish sequels and think they are the best films ever made; you may not like this one. But if you, like me, love the other Death Wish films for what they are and are able to accept change, then you will find Death Wish 5 to your much liking.

TRIVIA: The original VHS release portrayed the title DEATH WISH V: THE FACE OF DEATH on the box art and in the film itself. The newer DVD release has the “V” removed from the title so now the film and box art portray DEATH WISH: THE FACE OF DEATH. Why Vidmark Entertainment removed the “V”, we may never now.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
It’s Death Wish V. You were expecting…?
By N. P. Stathoulopoulos
Hey, I was glad when I saw previews for this way back when. Charles Bronson, who was something like 72 when this flick was made, was back. God bless the man.

I think that the original Death Wish was a very powerful and relevant film. As for the sequels, hey, they’re for Bronson addicts, period. Part II was exploitation pure and simple, Part III was ridiculous and highly enjoyable, Part IV was going through the motions, and Part V…? Well, let’s just say that Paul Kersey is back. Period.

Yeah, he’s still an architect. But he’s just THAT close to taking up his night job, which is vigilante extraordinaire. By now, he’s a very seasoned pro. So when some mobsters whack out his girlfriend, he’s goes on the offesive and starts doing the cops’ work without the whole civil rights problem, etc.

Bronson’s revenge is swift and violent. He poisons a canolli, he blows up a soccer ball in someone’s face, he kills. Period.

Is the film any good? Naturally, no. This is low budget. Heck, even the film stock looks crusty. But it’s a Death Wish sequel, and even fans won’t expect more than the usual. Paul Kersey tries to live a normal life, but gosh-darn-it, he winds up being the vigilante, yet again. Someone’s gotta do it.

This is not the best Death Wish sequel. That honor may be taken by III. But it’s watchable. It’s Bronson. Nuff said.

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