With his cousin and long-time partner Yoram Globus gone after the private feud that errupted when Cannon Films went bankrupt, Menahem Golan turned to schlock producers Ami Artzi and Damian Lee to produce the fifth entry of the series. Surprisingly, especially considering the general quality of their output, they manage to improve on the poor quality of DEATH WISH 4. The production values (as low budget as they may be) aren't as cheap as they were before, Bronson is a bit more lively in his performance, and the screenplay tries more for a story of substance. What really makes the movie fun at times is its twisted sense of humor. There's some nice black comic-moments, such as with one particular mobster's funeral scene, or the later plastic wrap sequence. Even better is Michael Parks' performance as the chief bad guy. His various comments (improvised?) about anything are hilarious, and he lays on the ham very thickly to be a lot of fun to watch.
It still could have been better. One of the two big problems with the movie is that it takes about half of the movie for Bronson to start his rampage of vengeance. Even with Parks' entertaining performance, you'll likely be squirming in your seat with impatience for Bronson to get it on. And when he *does* get it on, it's kind of underwhelming - there's not much of a body count, and the length of time between kills is relentlessly padded. At least the end results are not the worst way the series could have ended. (By the way, Golan actually announced "Death Wish 6: The New Vigilante" in the trade papers not long after this one was released, though his company going bankrupt put an end to that plan.)
