Review of Death Wish II (1982) by David L — 16 Jan 2008

Some spoilers here*********************************.

Paul Kersey, Charles Bronson, after a brief stay in Chicago has transfered his architecture firm to L.A and is planing to marry radio KABC personality and news writer Geri Nichols, Jill Ireland, and start a new life. After his old one was destroyed by a group of vicious muggers back in "The Big Apple".

Everything is going fine for Paul as not only that the police have stopped looking to arrested him, he was giving a free pass and ticket out of town courtesy of the the NYPD, his daughter Carol, Robin Sherwood, is recovering from the trauma of being raped and seeing her mother murdered back in NYC.

One afternoon at a local amusement park a group of thugs pick-pocket Paul's wallet and with the information in it go to his home. In a home invasion the thugs brutally raped and murder Pauls live-in maid Rosaria,Silvana Gallardo. Later when Paul and Carol come home for dinner, that Roseria was to prepare for them, he's knocked out and Carol kidnapped and taken to an old deserted factory by those filthy lowlife swines who murdered Roseria. Sexually abused by the drug crazed cretins Carol makes a run for it as they try to gang-rape her and jumps out of a third floor window and falls to her death; you don't have to think real hard to guess as what's to happen next when Paul finds out what these mugger/murder/rapists scum did to Carol & Rosaria.

Unlike the first "Death Wish" movie in this second installment Paul Kersey does track down and finish off the gang who did this dastardly act to him and those that he loved and cared for. With the body-count raising as Paul guns down the killers of his daughter and maid, Paul also puts away a number of other criminals as well, the LAPD gets in touch with NYPD Det. Frank Ochoa, Vicent Gradenia, who handled the the case of "The New York Vigliante Killings" some five years ago. At first trying to arrest Kersey, Ochoa knows that Kersey is the L.A Vigilante, he later saves his life by alerting Paul when he's about to be ambushed at a local park by the mugger gang, who were in the middle of doing a drug deal, at the coast of his own life.

During the shoot-out with the muggers Paul puts away all of them except Charles Wilson, who shot and killed Let. Ochoa, who was arrested high on PCP's the next day.Paul impersonating a doctor goes to the prison hospital where Wilson is a prisoner/patient. Wilson isn't fooled by Pauls disguise and after a bloody and vicious slug-fest, where Wilson almost killed Paul, Pal cures his uncivilized behavior with a strong and friendly jolt of electricity.

The L.A Police Department in the movie "Death Wish II" is as clumsy and ineffective as the NYPD was in "Death Wish". Always the last ones on the scene of a crime and the first ones to try to stop decent and fed up citizens, like Paul Kersey, from trying to do the work that their not doing. Paul in this movie did get help from those you would not have expected him to get assistance from: Det. Ochoa and Donald Kay, Charles Cyphers, an attendant at the prison/hospital. Kay let Paul escape after he did in his daughter's and Rosaria's rapist and murderer the violent and despicable and giggling Charles Wilson.

This is soild sequel to the original. Not as good of course but it is entertaining. The action is turned up a notch and the bad guys are very bad (always a plus in a action movie) A quick word of warning, this film has a very ugly rape scene that is still very disturbing even by todays standards.