A typically brutal and hard-edged thriller from William Lustig, the man mainly known for his video nasty epic MANIAC. This follows the same path as DEATH WISH and THE EXTERMINATOR in its depiction of a man pushed over the edge by street gangs, who goes out on to the street himself to enact a hideous revenge on those responsible for the death of his loved ones. Although this is a film very rough around the edges (sometimes dialogue is muffled when background noise comes through), the pacing and well-staged chase sequences are spot on and the film has a vibe of realism which makes it more than viewable. It also concentrates less on the violence towards the innocent than other films of the genre which makes it a little bit less tasteless than most, and indeed more enjoyable.
Although the plot will be largely familiar to anybody who has ever seen a 'vigilante' movie, the story keeps on moving and is careful to stick with characterisation at the expense of action, turning it into something more than another blood-and-bullets high-octane thriller. Saying that, the action keeps on coming and is well-portrayed, my favourite scene being the chase between Williamson and the drug dealer. Although the ending of the film can never be in doubt, Lustig makes some ponderous comments about justice and the handling of crime along the way.
Robert Forster takes the lead role of Eddie Marino, forced to become a killer to get revenge for his family. Although not a brilliant actor, Forster is nonetheless likable AND understandable (that's the key) in his portrayal of the man, and doesn't go over the top - instead his subdued performance adds to the realistic feel of the film as a whole. In comparison, Fred Williamson gets to bag another hard-as-nails tough guy role for his screen career, and plays one of the coolest, iciest and just plain strongest roles of his career. Familiar faces appear lower down in the cast list, such as the British Carol Lynley as a district attorney, old-timer Woody Strodes tough as ever as a prison friend, MANIAC himself, Joe Spinell, as a corrupt lawyer and Steve James as an investigating cop. Ultimately, however, it's the unknowns who do well, particularly the guys playing the street gang members who create some of the most hateful and believable thugs you'll ever see on screen.
Although the plot will be largely familiar to anybody who has ever seen a 'vigilante' movie, the story keeps on moving and is careful to stick with characterisation at the expense of action, turning it into something more than another blood-and-bullets high-octane thriller. Saying that, the action keeps on coming and is well-portrayed, my favourite scene being the chase between Williamson and the drug dealer. Although the ending of the film can never be in doubt, Lustig makes some ponderous comments about justice and the handling of crime along the way.
Robert Forster takes the lead role of Eddie Marino, forced to become a killer to get revenge for his family. Although not a brilliant actor, Forster is nonetheless likable AND understandable (that's the key) in his portrayal of the man, and doesn't go over the top - instead his subdued performance adds to the realistic feel of the film as a whole. In comparison, Fred Williamson gets to bag another hard-as-nails tough guy role for his screen career, and plays one of the coolest, iciest and just plain strongest roles of his career. Familiar faces appear lower down in the cast list, such as the British Carol Lynley as a district attorney, old-timer Woody Strodes tough as ever as a prison friend, MANIAC himself, Joe Spinell, as a corrupt lawyer and Steve James as an investigating cop. Ultimately, however, it's the unknowns who do well, particularly the guys playing the street gang members who create some of the most hateful and believable thugs you'll ever see on screen.