This simply wondrous work of pure celluloid art deserves much better than the usual synopsis and critique format. So instead I'm just going to list reasons why this picture rules. 1) Charles Bronson as the ever-unflappable Paul Kersey is the very epitome of stoic, laconic and unflappable vigilante cool; this guy not only kills countless low-life criminal scum with a winning mix of style and ingenuity, but also sports one hell of a snazzy mustache to boot. 2) The street gang featured in this flick is a pretty mean and colorful bunch: Gavan O'Herlithy as vicious leader Fraker (you just have to love his gnarly reverse Mohawk haircut), a pre-"Bill and Ted" Alex Winter as the sleazy Hermosa, Ricco Ross as speed-snorting psycho Cuban, and, best of all, the incredible Kirk Taylor as swift, maniacal, chortling klepto the Giggler. Moreover, the gang is multi-racial, which enables the filmmakers to treat us to the touching and inspiring sight of various whites, blacks and Hispanics gleefully engaging in rape, murder, robbery, extortion, destruction of private property, and other such no-count nasty antics. 3) The dialogue is sheer cut-to-the-bone terse and eloquent poetry. Martin Balsam as tough World War II veteran Bennett Cross bellows the following heart-shattering lines as he watches his beloved place of business go down in flames: "My shop! My shop! That's my shop!" 4) Deborah Raffin as feisty public defender Kathryn Davis supplies some mighty fetching eye candy. Alas, after Raffin becomes romantically involved with Bronson the poor gal gets bumped off by the bad guys. Boy, now isn't that a shocking and unexpected plot development?
5) This no-holds-barred fierce and unflinching flick declares open season on everyone: pretty young women are raped (including foxy future "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV series regular Marina Sirtis), little old ladies are brutally butchered, countless evil street slime are blown away, folks are set on fire, and Fraker even gets blasted into the next dimension with a rocket launcher. If raw, savage and over-the-top violence is your thing, then this movie is your crack, baby! 6) The acting is truly Oscar-worthy. Special kudos here to Joseph Gonzalez as Rodriguez; the scene with Gonzalez punching a table with tremendous angst and fury after he's told that his wife has just died is positively gut-wrenching in its stark poignancy. 7) Bronson packs plenty of heavy artillery. Besides the aforementioned rocket launcher, Charlie also uses a Wildey automatic and a vintage Browning machine gun to waste the villains left and right. 8) Legendary rock musician Jimmy Page whips up an exceptionally funky-jammin' jazz-rock fusion score. 8) Director Michael Winner treats the laughably ludicrous material with deliriously misguided seriousness, thereby ensuring that the cartoonish carnage rates as often sidesplitting and always entertaining high camp at its all-time most gloriously absurd and wildly implausible. The last third with the already cruddy urban cesspool neighborhood degenerating into an all-out war zone is the hilarious stuff total kitsch is made of. A true 80's action masterpiece.
5) This no-holds-barred fierce and unflinching flick declares open season on everyone: pretty young women are raped (including foxy future "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV series regular Marina Sirtis), little old ladies are brutally butchered, countless evil street slime are blown away, folks are set on fire, and Fraker even gets blasted into the next dimension with a rocket launcher. If raw, savage and over-the-top violence is your thing, then this movie is your crack, baby! 6) The acting is truly Oscar-worthy. Special kudos here to Joseph Gonzalez as Rodriguez; the scene with Gonzalez punching a table with tremendous angst and fury after he's told that his wife has just died is positively gut-wrenching in its stark poignancy. 7) Bronson packs plenty of heavy artillery. Besides the aforementioned rocket launcher, Charlie also uses a Wildey automatic and a vintage Browning machine gun to waste the villains left and right. 8) Legendary rock musician Jimmy Page whips up an exceptionally funky-jammin' jazz-rock fusion score. 8) Director Michael Winner treats the laughably ludicrous material with deliriously misguided seriousness, thereby ensuring that the cartoonish carnage rates as often sidesplitting and always entertaining high camp at its all-time most gloriously absurd and wildly implausible. The last third with the already cruddy urban cesspool neighborhood degenerating into an all-out war zone is the hilarious stuff total kitsch is made of. A true 80's action masterpiece.