Death Wish II (1982)

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

David Engelbach (writer)
Brian Garfield (characters)

Release Date:

20 February 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

First His Wife. Now His Daughter. It's Time To Even The Score!

Plot:

Architect Paul Kersey once again becomes a vigilante when he tries to find the five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper, this time on the dark streets of Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Vigilante | Punk | Architect | Murder | Reporter

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	Paul Kersey
Jill Ireland	...	Geri Nichols
Vincent Gardenia	...	Det. Frank Ochoa
J.D. Cannon	...	New York D.A.
Anthony Franciosa	...	Herman Baldwin
Ben Frank	...	Inspector Lt. Mankiewicz
Robin Sherwood	...	Carol Kersey
Silvana Gallardo	...	Rosario
Robert F. Lyons	...	Fred McKenzie
Michael Prince	...	Elliott Cass
Drew Snyder	...	Deputy Comm. Hawkins
Paul Lambert	...	New York Police Comm.
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Nirvana
Kevyn Major Howard	...	Stomper
Stuart K. Robinson	...	Jiver

Also Known As:

Death Wish 2 (USA) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

88 min | Greece:95 min (uncut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (1982) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (2003) (uncut) | Iceland:16 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (DVD rating) (2005) | Netherlands:16 | West Germany:18 (nf) | USA:X (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | France:-16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) | Norway:18 (video) (re-rating) (uncut) (2003) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1984) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1982-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

1203 South Crescent Heights Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cannon Films

Trivia:

Body Count: 16

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After Paul Kersey kills Charles Wilson, the hospital attendant arrives in the room. When he finds that Wilson is dead, Kersey tells him that he attacked and killed Kersey's daughter. However, Jiver actually attacked Kersey's daughter and she was never killed - she jumped out of a window to her death.

Quotes:

Paul Kersey: Where's my wallet?
Jiver: I ain't got it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ta remalia (2002) (V)

"Do you believe in Jesus?"

"Yes," says the crying thug, knowing his last breathing second on this planet has come. Bronson replies: "Now you'll get to meet him," and blows a hole in his chest! This scene found me laughing in disbelief, shocked and horrified over what the Paul Kersey-character has become, and at the same time impressed that somebody actually dared to make this stuff more than 20 years ago, and even starring one of the biggest movie-stars in the world!

This once bleedin' heart liberal family man has for sure turned into a messenger of death, with about as much mercy for the criminals as a hungry stray cat has for a limp mouse! It's shocking to watch, but at the same time fascinating because the whole movie looks great, the atmosphere gets under your skin, and you still find yourself rooting for Bronson's character.

This is still the best of the "Death Wish"-sequels, and it still packs a wallop and manages to stir controversy even today. It's a movie you will either like or hate, there is no middle road here, and it makes for a great conversation piece.

One final note: this movie sure is a reminder and evidence that when it came to movie tough-guys Charles Bronson WAS the baddest of them all. After the sad news of Bronson's passing a lot of people say he was second behind Clint Eastwood as far as action icons go. I'm a huge Eastwood-fan but Bronson still beats him any day. It really hit me as I was watching this movie. Bronson is driving through down-town Los Angeles, after brutally executing the thug in the above mentioned scene, he passes a movie-theater and sees a guy pretending to be a cowboy outside the theater, and what is the double-billing at the theater? Those silly comedies with Clint Eastwood and that big monkey Clyde!

That kinda' sums it up doesn't it?

Charles Bronson was THE MAN.