Review of Vigilante (1983) by Al M — 04 Aug 2010

Essentially, Vigilante is a Death Wish ripoff--Robert Forster's family is attacked and he decides to join some friends of his in their vigilante exploits. What saves Vigilante from being totally derivative is William Lustig, who brings his stylish direction and brutal sensibilities to bear upon this rather cliched plot.

While Vigilante is not where near as nasty or groundbreaking as Lustig's Maniac, the film still packs a visceral punch and depicts a stylish, late 70s/early 80s dystopian cityscape that fits well with more futuristic films such as Escape from New York, The Warriors, Serpico, etc.

Of course, Vigilante features the familiar plot of criminals who get away with their crimes because of our overly bureaucratic and flaccid judicial system, but it also provides a profound comment on the dystopian nature of urban life.

However, more than anything else, Vigilante is a bad-ass revenge flick that will have you cheering for the deaths of the bad guys and reveling as they get their just rewards.