From the very beginning the franchise had a very straightforward theme: the law is useless and criminals are running amok. Thus, vigilantism is the only solution. Paul Kersey and the US 2nd amendment are the perfect cure for this disease. Good guys and bad guys, nice and simple. Socioeconomic factors be damned! Save that shit for your lecture halls! This scum needs to be eliminated, and the films leave zero possibility for pity toward these lowlifes. Just eat your popcorn and enjoy the bullet ridden justice.
The sequel followed the tradition of increasing of bloodshed and chaos, but Kersey remained basically the same gun toting avenger with a few tactical tricks up his sleeve. By the 3rd instalment he is a vagabond punisher of the US thug, mugger and rapist community. He eventually ends up back in New York visiting a war buddy and gets involved in his local gang strife.
An inspector recognizes Kersey and gives him the ‘don’t take the law into your own hands’ speech. It doesn’t take long for the inspectors’ frustration regarding the overwhelming crime rate to soften his views on Kersey’s solution and just like that Kersey is set loose.
However, this time he is up against a genuine gang, rather than random hoodlums and they seem well prepared to fight back. I believe the inspector even puts Kersey into police protection at one stage to keep him safe. I’m sure I don’t need to explain how that turned out.
Eventually Kersey and the inspector team up and put bullet holes in the bad guys. This sparks an uprising of the law-abiding citizens and any gangsters left alive realise it is time to skip town. Oh, did I mention Kersey takes out the number one villain with a fucking racket launcher?
The inspector gives Kersey a head-start to getaway and our gun toting avenger wanders off like Caine in the Kung Fu TV series.
The next film finds him in L.A going to war against a drug cartel; why not? They sell crack and this one is called Death Wish 4: The Crackdown – get it? We’re into full-on one-man army stuff now. Gunfights with Uzis and AK47s, Kersey even ends up with one of those M16s with a grenade launcher attached. It’s a whole new look now guys.
No unofficial alliance with local cops this time, just Rambo level extrajudicial mayhem. When the smoke clears, the bad guys are dead along with anyone who was unfortunate enough to have Kersey fall in love with them. Oh, did I mention Kersey takes out the number one villain with that grenade launcher? Is that a step down from a rocket launcher? Same result anyway.
The hapless cop tries to arrest Kersey after the explosive kill, but Kersey just watched another love interest meet her maker and is not in a compliant mood. He throws down his weapon, turns his back and walks away saying “do whatever you have to”. The cop relents and our homicidal hobo walks off into the night.
Now we arrive at number five: The Face of Death. Up till this point, despite the cartoonish ramping up of bullet ridden violence, the arguments against vigilante justice were at least given lip service. Although the increased body counts and explosions, have an uncanny numbing effect to the horror of the violence. This finale takes it to its comic book conclusion.
What better bunch of bad guys to finish up with than the Mob?
Witness protection program and name changes aside, the setup is the same. Bad guys being evil and eventually fucking with someone close to Kersey’s (Stewart is his witness protection name but we’ll forget about that) heart and carnage soon ensues. This Kersey is one hell of a romantic I tell you! He won’t let a few raped and murdered ex-lovers dampen his quest for true love.
This time the object of his affection is the ex-wife of a mob boss – great! Somewhere in all the sequels Kersey sparked up a friendship with District Attorney Brian Hoyle. Kersey tries the legal path and connects his love interest with the D.A – fucken great!
The Mob finds out and the vicious warning is sent; not until after Kersey proposes of course. With his fiancé disfigured, Kersey plans to do what he does best, when a cop tells him to hold back because he has been chasing this mobster for 16 years – not a glowing reference. Apparently, the big bust is imminent; they have a stool pigeon willing to wear a wire.
Kersey stands down and the sting fails miserably with the snitch and a cop getting killed. For his hesitation, Kersey is rewarded with the murder of his betrothed – what’s the male version of a black widow? Some people are just meant to be single.
Kersey tries to get custody of his dearly departed’s daughter, who just happens to be the daughter of Mr Mobster himself – yeah seriously! I’m not sure which one she would be safer with at this point.
“Face of Death”, it just hit me! Kersey is the face of death to every poor soul who gets close to him!!!
Anyway. Kersey’s DA friend informs him that the psychopathic gangster automatically gets custody of his biological daughter. Kersey tells his friend to hit the road and take the armed guards surrounding his house with him. It’s time for Kersey to go to work people.
He takes out his first goombah with a poison calzone; an interesting shift in modus operandi. The next victim gets the MacGyver booby trap treatment – turned up to nasty death of course. A remote-control soccer ball…see it for yourself.
Before the final showdown comes, the scene that unofficially sanctions Kersey’s crimefighting methods plays out. After gunning down the DAs police associate in self-defence and the DA coming face to face with the lethal level of corruption in his own ranks we get this exchange:
(Looking down at the dead body of Lt. Hector Vasquez)
DA: You’re right. You can’t trust the justice system.
Kersey: He would have killed you, Brian.
DA: Yeah. (moves closer to the body) No judge, no jury…no appeal and no deals.
Kersey: How do you feel about it?
DA: I’m scared
Kersey: What are you gonna do?
DA: Paul…I’m not even here.
(Both men look at each other and nod)
That was the DA ladies and gentlemen! Let the carnage begin!
The final shootout goes off rather routinely, but the final boss needs some special way to send him off to the great beyond. How about a liming bath? I’m not sure how the chemistry works, but it looks like fucken acid to me! The head henchman goes headfirst into a fucking shredding machine too! We’ve come a long way from popping street thugs with a handgun. Maybe Kersey is becoming Jason fucking Vorhees!
Just prior to the coup de grace the cop who has been chasing our villain for 16 years shows up with his gun drawn and is swiftly shot by the soon be melted mob boss. Thus, Kersey’s acidic retribution was also the salvation of a rather mediocre law enforcement officer.
As Kersey walks off to find his soon to be adopted daughter (God help her!) the wounded cop thanks him for saving his life. Paul calls out as he leaves the room “Hey, Lieutenant, if you need any help, give me a call”.
The metamorphosis is complete.
MINDLESS MUSINGS 
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