Murphy's Law (1986)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writer:

Gail Morgan Hickman (writer)

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

They set him up. He takes them down.

Plot:

An action-packed thriller starring Charles Bronson as Jack Murphy, a cop who is running to stay alive long enough to even the score with his wife's killer.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Stalking | Knee In Groin | Elevator Shaft | Stalker

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	Jack Murphy
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Arabella McGee
Carrie Snodgress	...	Joan Freeman
Robert F. Lyons	...	Art Penney
Richard Romanus	...	Frank Vincenzo
Angel Tompkins	...	Jan
Bill Henderson	...	Ben Wilcove
James Luisi	...	Ed Reineke
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Lt. Nachman
Janet MacLachlan	...	Dr. Lovell
Lawrence Tierney	...	Cameron
Jerome Thor	...	Judge Kellerman
Mischa Hausserman	...	Det. Dave Manzarek
Cal Haynes	...	Reese
Hans Howes	...	Santana

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:R | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Golan-Globus Productions

Quotes:

Joan Freeman: Go to Hell!
Jack Murphy: Ladies first.

Movie Connections:

References "Romper Room" (1953)

A+ Bronson!

All right folks, we all know the late Mister Bronson wasn't a good "actor" in the traditional sense. When you went to see his films, you didn't go to see him do Shakespeare or Tennessee Williams, you went to see him blow scum away and he always delivered. I think he had a higher body count then Clint Eastwood. Murphy's Law is probably the closest thing he ever did to a comedy. He and Kathleen Wilhoite made a good team as a foul mouthed street girl and a drunken framed for murder cop on the run. Wilhoite has to set some kind of a record in this film for the most swear words (the most imaginative swear words). Bronson is stony faced as usual but that was just him. I like the scene where he plays Russian Roulette on that one mobster (he literally catches him with his pants down). Jack Murphy is a burnt out drunk but you still feel for him. The only thing I couldn't figure out is why he didn't show them that bump on the back of his head after those guys killed his ex wife and tried to make it look like he did it? Lapse of logic there. The jail break and helicopter scene are the best part of the film as is the final shootout. Carrie Snodgrass is wonderful as the female psychopath and I love this exchange she has with Bronson (You go to hell!...Ladies first!). Bronson was never really able to have another hit as big as Death Wish (who could top that?). However this film is worth a look, after all in how many films does the hero throw his groceries at the bad guys and get kneed in the cojones by the heroine? Look for 1940s gangster star Lawrence Tierney in a cameo.