Vigilante

Robert Forster's wise old black man guardian angel . So many things are introduced in this movie and just dropped with no explanation, BUT I DIDNT CARE AT ALL I WAS TOO BUSY BEING WON OVER BY THE SOUNDTRACK

This is basically a Death Wish clone, but instead of one vigilante, there's a whole gang of them! Fred Williamson and his cronies murder their way to the top of the local drug chain, and Robert Forster gets bloody revenge on the lowlife scumbags who murdered his son and stabbed his wife. Slow to get going, but this is full of early 80's badass low budget action and violent killings.

The court scenes are absolutely terrible and written by someone who, while their cynicism is in the right place, makes the most cartoonist characters. Things get more interesting after that anyway. It's not a good movie but the justice porn is satisfying. I'm wary of the race panic undertones of the time period. Fav scene: Fred Williamson gets a great chase through a fenced off area.

An entertaining, violent exploitation piece that feels like it is from the 70s. While the continuity and focus are a bit off, the performances, setting and direction are solid enough. If its nihilism starts to drag you down, the beefy score will keep the juices flowing. Decent.

70's style exploitation thriller made when most trash directors, together with audiences, already moved to horror genre. Williamson's coolness oozes through screen, but the plot is full of holes, there are scenes that doesn't belong to overall continuity, and overall it is not very fun to watch.

This was a lot better than I remembered. One of the most serious vigilante films with a gritty feel throughout. Good cast: Williamson is cool and Forster convincing. I must also praise Blue Underground's Blu-ray which showed that this is actually pretty good-looking film visually with great vintage NYC locations and a nice soundtrack. It's a pity that Lustig hasn't directed more as he sure knew how to make them in 80's.

Oh man, this was a hard as hell to get through. I usually like vigilante movies, but this...this was just not a good decision.

Catharsis for anxious homeowners.

Solid Death Wish knockoff that's actually about equal or better than most of that series.

Viewed March 31, 2022. Unlike Michael Winner’s terrifically boring Death Wish, William Lustig does a superb job crafting atmosphere — the scuzziness feels authentic — and a sense of creeping dread, both in the violent crimes and in Forster’s increasing anger. Contra Charles Bronson’s blank performances, Forster seems so tortured and heartbroken underneath the surface, which adds some moral complexity, as does Lustig’s focus on more marginal details like Forster’s conflict with a judge.

Less exploitative than other revenge/cops-don't-do-shit movies, Vigilante relies on a great Forster performance and some wicked tunes. Somehow this feels restrained for a Lustig flick.

Average late Seventies/early Eighties gang film. Not much character development and a slow pace keep this from becoming engaging.

Charles Bronson would have sorted this out all by himself and wouldn't have taken so long.

For a film called Vigilante there are remarkably few vigilante killings. Okay, not great, watch it if you're a fan of William Lustig

How come such a superb film didn't have a PSI for me? Oh.