Death Wish II (1982) movie review - Sneak Previews with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

This is the original review of Death Wish II by Siskel & Ebert on "Sneak Previews" in 1982. All of the segments pertaining to the movie have been included.

[@alcd6333]

The first "Death Wish" is very well made. It has a realistic premise of an ordinary man becoming a vigilante.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

The first one is a fine film and the third film is delightfully stupid.

[@dzanier]

It’s a fine movie. The sequels are terrible.

[@Sparrows1121]

@@ricardocantoral7672 The buddy cop moment was the most dumbest but also funnest part of the movie

[@Mustanaamio7]

There's nothing realistic about Death Wish and it is a truly terribly adaptation. Ridiculous overacting and lots of cheesy scenes.

[@kevint1719]

The smartest thing about the original Death Wish was that Bronson never found his wife's killers - realistically, how could he if the police couldn't? Instead he just killed random muggers and street criminals. Death Wish II has him track down his daughter's rapists and it never even gives him a semi-plausible way of doing it. He just wanders Los Angeles at night and he somehow runs into all of them, and we're supposed to take this seriously. At least the third movie, which is basically Rambo Goes To The Bronx sort of makes sense on its enjoyably silly level.

[@amoeba1533]

YOUR review here was even better than THEIRS!

[@TheMav41]

Death Wish 3 rocks, best movie of the franchise!

[@nicholasjanke3476]

Ok here we go: THINGS I LEARNED FROM DEATH WISH 2: 1. Paul Kersey has developed psychic powers. 2. The L.A. police are dumb as paint. 3. Carol Kersey had extensive plastic surgery. 4. Carol's husband has disappeared. 5.

[@dzanier]

The original is quite good.

[@anothermonday5664]

The only thing I'd give it is that Kersey does hang around the area he was originally attacked. But even in finding the first guy, wouldn't you tail him for awhile so that he may lead you to all 5 guys you want?

[@philbrown1474]

Disagree with these guys on this one. It wasn’t an attempt to remake “Gone With the Wind”. It is what it is. A great movie of its genre.

[@mark11967AD]

What Death Wish II does is immerse you in the senseless, brutal crimes that real criminals, real people actually commit. Sure it’s a little stereotyped and corny, but it basically does let you into that world in a sense. And then that rage based on the atrocities is vented on the culprits. And the thing is we all encounter seemingly amoral, self serving even sadistic people in our lives that personally cause us some kind of unhappiness and conflict. This movie allows us in a sense to expunge some of that feeling left with us. Yes the dialogue is cliche and Bronson seems stoic but that’s who he is. But you can see the determination and relentless pursuit in his face. And though gratuitous violent and over the top perhaps on the rape scenes.. it is psychologically therapeutic and in a sense daring. Something you’d never see in today’s politically correct times. For those reasons.. 👍

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Siskel and Ebert hated Death Wish 2 !?!? *gasp*

[@rubenreyna2198]

LoL stop it LoL

[@warriormanmaxx8991]

Hey @Ricardo Cantoral - re: "gasp" = Do you go through life "gasping" at other's opposing opinions?!? Ehhh?

[@QuagmiresDooflab]

@@warriormanmaxx8991 he's saying that they're predictable and I wasn't surprised that they' didn't like it. It's called sarcasm '

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Haha. Roger hated it so.... i love it for its sleaze attack. The boys at least have minds of their own, bless them for that. I miss them so.

[@babybird871]

He just blast it in his review...."0" stars...but I don`t think its that much worse than most sequels...

[@CaptainSpalding72]

@@babybird871 I like the sleaze factor. I loved it exactly for why Roger hated it. Ah well, he knows he likes and dislikes. I dig that about them.

[@babybird871]

I liked it better than 3...

[@tonyman64]

I really miss Siskel and Ebert.

[@ProfessorKenneth]

The first death wish is a masterpiece 👍🏻 my favourite film. The second is good but it's like... come on...how many times can this happen to a man. It should have been a whole different character in death wish 2. But it's a good movie. Some cool dialogue. It reminds me of the crow.

[@jamesmack3314]

No professor it’s not good…it’s garbage

[@rubenreyna2198]

I saw it on a double cinemax night with Vice Squad. Nice cartoonist action if you don't look for deep meanings. They're just weekend shootem ups.

[@joeohler6069]

There should be a "Death Wish" spin-off in Milwaukee. (Marquette University students are getting robbed practically every day.)

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Endless possibilities

[@edmund184]

most students are

[@sha11235]

Roger is wearing a tie!!!!!

[@rasalghul9331]

The rape scene of the maid was totally brutal and gratuitous.

[@jamesmack3314]

I kno I was completely shocked about how graphic it was it was unbelievable

[@rasalghul9331]

@@jamesmack3314 They even ate her ass

[@Sparrows1121]

But it was a brutal scene for sure

[@lenblack1462]

Ebert wears a tie.

[@tommartin4089]

RIP Charles Bronson Charles Bronson In 5 Death Wish Movies Will Sorely Be Missed

[@michaelperkowski641]

Death wish 2 should been death sentence the novel of the original writer of death wish Brain Garfield. But Brain Garfield the writer of novel hated the original movie so he refuse to sell the rights to the producers of death wish. So they made this film instead.

[@jasonmichael3676]

Death Wish is a great movie. It's not even based on a book. Or didn't need to be.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Ah, so that explains why none of these films were set in Chicago.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

@@ricardocantoral7672 the version with Kevin Bacon called, DEATH SENTENCE was. As was Bruce Willis take.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

I never get tired of this plot. Transpose it on other movies. Still compelling. Mostly

[@babybird871]

I found the Bruce Willis remake unwatchable...

[@dannyholland6564]

The best thing about this movie is the score by Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin

[@frankielucero8372]

Any Fool And Any Film Critic Should Know That This Movie Was Made For Die-Hard Bronson Fans Only.

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

Any Fool Should Know Not To Capitalize The First Letter Of Each Word In A Sentence.

[@chicovoylez3216]

It still sucked.

[@benjischannel3008]

@@chicovoylez3216 Not for most die hard Bronson fans at least but to each their own.

[@ed-gu7ew]

I'm sure Charlie gave two beeps what these clowns thought.

[@pb4595]

you got that right : two clowns

[@nicholasjanke3476]

The film is entertaining.

[@srico7313]

Wrong again boys this film was super fly !!! Late night garbage at its finest with jimmy page adding a haunting now classic guitar theme

[@misterquantum7767]

Death Wish is just a really unlucky guy, or at least the people around him are.

[@tyrenblanch9739]

Death wish is very true and really real because we can become like him and hope and pray 🙏 I never have to its best to leave it with the cops 👮‍♂️ and God the father in heaven knows everything 🙏 Amen

[@franksmith613]

If they were still alive, I wonder what they have thought of the remake with Bruce Willis.

[@mariopalos9238]

I think it would be a copy-and-paste of this review.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Hated it. As they should.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Jodie Foster tapped into something with her female version of sorts, THE BRAVE ONE.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

The Kevin Bacon sorta version, DEATH SENTENCE is solid. A great foot chance in there.

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

@@CaptainSpalding72 , I love a good foot chance. Hope I have the chance to foot it....

[@100domathon]

Death Wish 2 is trash and it aimed to be that. I watched all the Death Wish Films. Pure Cannon Camp

[@sadderthanyou7793]

Exactly.

[@adamquiles2468]

Yep everything went wrong in Bronsons career at this point which is why he should've retired long ago.

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

Siskel and Ebert were actually far too kind to this movie. I watched parts of the film when it came on cable, and it was too unwatchable to sit through more than five minutes. Bronson barely seems alive in this movie, he seems more like a robot (and not a lifelike one), and the violence is extremely sadistic and almost becomes like murder porn. Vincent Gardenia is completely wasted in this film, and probably wondered what he was doing in it. There is nothing redeemable about this picture, and will make you feel unclean and stupid for having watched it.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Of all five DW movies, this one was definitely the most ugly and mean spirited because of that horrific rape scene. As for Bronson, at this point in his career he simply took the money and ran. He admitted that he got sick of these vigilante movies but he did them because Cannon wanted a stable of actors and they were willing to pony up the cash.

[@kdohertygizbur]

Agreed

[@QuagmiresDooflab]

You are wrong on every level. Death Wish II is the best in the series and is one of my all time favourite films. It doesn't make you feel bad. It makes you feel great that this one man army is getting rid of baddies. I'm cheering him on. It's full of brutal action and doesn't pretend to be anything else than a comic book film.

[@user-uw4dj3oc3f]

Surprisingly, they had Jimmy Page compose the soundtrack to this flop. A few halfway interesting tracks, nowhere near Zeppelin

[@knocklinks]

... and Ebert gave it "no stars" in his book.

[@gregorypatton4706]

The first death wish is a classic but the second third and fourth one they were all good in their own right but death wish 5 the face of death was god-awful one of the worst movies I've ever seen if you have a chance to see it see it if you can sit through it and you'll probably agree with me if you do agree with me please reply

[@brianmcmanus4690]

Ridiculously silly flick. Go Chuck!

[@incaguaya]

Movie was fun but it was nowhere near Deathwish

[@Youdontknowwhatliterallymeans]

Charles Bronson was Central Asian, not white.

[@pb4595]

Charles Bronson parents were Lithuanian. That's not Central Asia at all.

[@kdohertygizbur]

In the Original,Bronson was actually acting, in the rest of the pointless and Depressing Sequels, he's just going through sleepwalking mode

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Bronson got sick of the Kersey role and all they DW imitators he did during the 1980's.

[@QuagmiresDooflab]

So? They're great films.

[@jasonmichael3676]

Siskel & Ebert were like normal critics when they first started out....rating based on left-wing political/social views rather than on entertainment value. Once they became super popular, they were free to rate honestly.

[@johndalton3180]

This is ridiculous.

[@akbrakes9412]

Rule of thumb back in the day..if they gave a film two thumbs down..that was good news..i went to see it😂

[@williamhowe1]

One of the worst sequels I've ever seen.

[@frankielucero8372]

If You Ever Watched The First 2 Death Wish Movies Back To Back, You Notice It's The Same Story Over & Over Again. It's No Joke.

[@williamhowe1]

@@frankielucero8372 I just find this one more appalling than the others.

[@CelestialWoodway]

Exorcist 2??

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Hardly. Cannonball Run II is far worse.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

@@frankielucero8372 shocking. Its different in that he has no qualms about stalking the trash.

[@nightmuffin937]

Death wish 2 is a croc of shit

[@citygirl5705]

This movie is so poorly made in every way. The violence and rape scenes are horribly edited, and the acting is stoic and people don't react with normal emotions or sound like normal people would in those situations.

[@QuagmiresDooflab]

Rubbish! It's a brilliant film. So fun.

[@pb4595]

this review is biased on so many levels. even the choice of clips is biased; 1) a 3 minute lazy, yet necessary, exposition scene 2) a heavily edited action scene. blaming a revenge movie to be about revenge, revenge, revenge is the most idiotic thing to say. for me, death wish 2 is as good as the original, in its way.

[@MafiaKingfishNOLA]

I love Charles Bronson but this movie sucks. And if you think Death Wish 2 is bad, you should see part 3.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Part 3 is my favorite guilty pleasure film.

[@RAtheRuggedManTV]

I give Two thumbs down to Siskel and Ebert as film critics. They spent half their careers panning great Action, Horror and exploitation films

[@kmvoss]

If you watched and reviewed thousands of movies before the Internet made word of mouth stronger than ever and DIDN'T get some movies wrong then hey.. maybe you should take up the mantle yourself :P

[@eargasm1072]

Because most of them are pure trash lol

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Get over it. They are at least educated unlike 99% Of the ones doing today and especially the audience. They often were dead on. No one worth anything likes everything. The only huge issue ive had with them is their dislike of DIE HARD. A few others down the road, but they explain themselves so its good.

[@pungisotu]

Well, most of those movies weren’t made for middle-aged jaded moralistic film critics. I think Ebert was about 40 when Friday the 13th Part 2 came out. They both fondly remember b-movies from their own youth.

[@benjischannel3008]

@@pungisotu He was actually 38 when Friday the 13th Part 2 came out.

[@eargasm1072]

Stick with the classic original...the sequels are shiiiiiite

[@QuagmiresDooflab]

Wrong. DW II is the best. 3,4 and 5 are brilliant cheap entertainment.

[@jamesmack3314]

Terrible movie..cheaply made and amateurish with lame “ criminals “