classicsoncall Definitely not a thinking person's movie. The main plot element here asks the viewer to believe that a top Mafia Don (Martin Balsam) waited forty two years to exact revenge on the mob families that killed his forefathers, planning it on the anniversary date of the initial murders. So right there, this picture blows away the twenty five years a German agent spent infiltrating the British government to aid the Nazis in "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror". I like my movie protagonists to show discipline but this is just asking too much.And whoa, a police detective rams thorough a dozen flea market stalls and then sideswipes another dozen cars on the way to capture a rogue killer? Not only that, but Lou Torrey (Charles Bronson) barrels through the store front window of a mechanic's garage to boot! If the word 'ridiculous' doesn't cross your mind watching this, then you haven't reached your tolerance level for mindless entertainment yet.But then again, it's Charles Bronson in another one of his Seventies action flicks, and die hard fans will certainly get their fill of the craggy hero here. Personally, I like Bronson myself, so this is one of those guilty pleasures I indulge in every now and then. Even if you have to overlook things like the hood shot by Torrey from an upper story window, who then uses his legs to spring himself forward out the window. Dead guys aren't supposed to be able to do that.The kicker to all this is Martin Balsam in a Godfather styled role who has a fondness for repeating the phrase 'Cappo de tutti capi' a number of times. And since I brought it up, what's with the fellow mobster who seems to be channeling Brando's Don Corleone? That deserved a contract hit right there. You know, when all is said and done, one might have to take in this movie using the advice of Torrey's boss Guido Lorenz (David Sheiner), who at one point stated - "Some mornings I wake up and I wonder why".

dougdoepke It's slam-bang action from rat-a-tat-tat opening to shoot-em-up close. Throughout, Bronson remains his usual deadpan self. As detective Torrey he's on to something big that starts out with small-timer crooks like Jumper and the bi-sexual Langley but leads to the biggest of the big boys. In the process, action jumps back and forth between New York and LA. One thing for sure, this is definitely not a date flick. No romance for Bronson or anyone. In fact, women are hardly even glimpsed at all. Instead, the screen gets clogged with a bunch of ugly guys. Nevertheless, for guys in the audience, it's edge of the seat the whole way.That car chase through LA rivals the big one in Bullitt (1968). Except when Torrey plows through the outdoor bazaar, flinging debris in all directions, I'm wondering where the people are and whether our stone-face cop gives a darn or not. Anyway, I don't think they teach that kind of drive at the police academy. One thing for sure, Torrey's one determined gumshoe. The whole sequence is staged in ultimate slam-bang fashion by director Winner.In fact, Winner stages the whole movie in quick, short shots that include glimpses of the hippie zeitgeist of the time. Happily, the script is a good one that progresses in a single-minded fashion that jibes with Winner's style. Thus plot momentum builds effectively. So why then is the movie relatively obscure in the Bronson catalog. My guess is because of the unrelenting violence and therefore limited audience appeal. Of course, the results never rise above well done thick-ear. But for Bronson fans and action fans in general, the movie really delivers the goods.

zardoz-13 "Death Wish" director Michael Winner knocked the bottom out of the tough guy cop movie genre when he cast Charles Bronson in this Sicilian mafia revenge caper. As steel-jawed Police Detective Lou Torrey, Bronson gets in trouble early when he shoots a kid with a gun. The mafia are staging an attack on their own kind. The car chase where Bronson leaps a car through a gas station is pretty cool. Winner never lets the pace lag in this exciting actioneer. Stuart Margolin has a great role as a commando leader who doesn't believe in luck. The mafia massacre is staged with finesse. Based on the novel A Complete State of Death.

jboldway Has everything a Man needs to see - politically uncorrect saxophone player, wild real life car chase, cops who want to protect the people, bad vermin, mafia, revenge given years later, violence. (Hey, real guy movies have to have bad stuff happen and people getting hurt who need it), corruption, etc. It's a damn good movie. Bullet car chase was gay in comparison. Music is good, shots are clean and show what they want, no artsy-faggy shots. Bronson gets to blow away people who need killing. I've watched this movie a few times and the date of the old crimes (I wont say) keeps popping up in my head. Some people never forget. I like that. We seem to be sissified - real Men need to watch films like this.