Death Kiss (2018) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Rene Perez
STARRING: Robert Bronzi, Daniel Baldwin, Richard Tyson
RATED: UR/Region: O/1:78/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1 (BDr)
AVAILABLE FROM Uncork’d Entertainment
Have you ever watched a movie and thought, “Jesus Christ, did somebody find a guy who looks like Charles Bronson and decide to build an entire film around the fact that he looks like Charles Bronson?” Well, congratulations, because that’s pretty much the entire selling point of Death Kiss. Starring Robert Bronzi, a man who looks so much like the late, great Charles Bronson that you half expect him to start squinting at people and threatening them with a shotgun, this 2018 vigilante flick is essentially a love letter to old-school revenge movies, except the love letter was written by somebody who really, really misses Charles Bronson.
The plot is about as complicated as you’d expect. A mysterious vigilante rolls into a crime-infested city and starts dispensing his own brand of justice while protecting a young mother and her child. Because apparently, the local police department has completely given up, and the only solution to rampant crime is a mysterious dude who looks like he wandered off the set of Death Wish. Subtlety? Never heard of it. Character development? Who needs it when you’ve got a guy who looks like Charles Bronson shooting criminals in the face?
And let’s be honest: Robert Bronzi’s resemblance to Bronson is uncanny. It’s almost distracting. You spend half the movie wondering whether you’re watching an actual tribute act or whether somebody discovered a secret cloning facility hidden underneath a Hollywood nursing home. The resemblance is clearly the whole point, and Bronzi certainly looks the part. He’s got the face, the expression, and that general aura of a man who has absolutely no patience for your bullshit. If they ever make a biopic about Charles Bronson, they might as well just hire this guy and save themselves the trouble of casting.
Unfortunately, looking like Charles Bronson and making a movie that captures the magic of a Charles Bronson movie are two very different things. It’s like buying a cheap Halloween mask of Clint Eastwood and assuming you’ve automatically made Dirty Harry. The ingredients might be there, but that doesn’t mean the recipe is going to turn out particularly tasty.
Death Kiss certainly understands the basic appeal of the vigilante genre. Bad guys do bad things, the authorities are largely useless, and somebody decides to take matters into his own hands. Cue the gunfire, the tough-guy stares, and enough righteous indignation to power a small city. It’s the sort of movie where criminals apparently have no survival instincts whatsoever, repeatedly putting themselves in situations where you know they’re about to meet the business end of the protagonist’s firearm.
The problem is that the movie feels more like an imitation of a bygone era than a genuinely compelling throwback. There’s a difference between paying homage to classic revenge thrillers and simply borrowing their wardrobe while hoping nobody notices that the storytelling has been left out in the rain. The action and violence might appeal to fans of old-school vigilante movies, but the overall experience doesn’t have the same punch as the films it’s trying to evoke.
Still, there’s something undeniably amusing about the entire concept. Somebody really did look at Robert Bronzi and think, “This guy looks like Charles Bronson. We need to put him in a movie where he shoots criminals.” And honestly? I respect the commitment. It’s not exactly the most original idea in cinematic history, but at least nobody can accuse the filmmakers of hiding their intentions. The title is Death Kiss, the star looks like Charles Bronson, and people get shot. Mission accomplished, I guess.
Ultimately, Death Kiss is a movie that gets by largely on its star’s remarkable resemblance to a legendary action actor. If you’re a fan of Charles Bronson, vintage vigilante flicks, and low-budget revenge cinema, you might find something to enjoy here. Just don’t go expecting the next Death Wish. This is more like Death Wish ordered from a suspicious online retailer and received a slightly different product than advertised.
Final verdict: Robert Bronzi looks so much like Charles Bronson that it’s almost worth watching just to marvel at the resemblance. Unfortunately, a familiar face and a few bullets can’t completely compensate for a movie that feels like a secondhand version of a classic vigilante thriller. It’s not entirely without its charms, but if you’re craving a proper Charles Bronson movie, you’re probably better off watching an actual Charles Bronson movie.
Because sometimes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And sometimes, it’s just a guy who looks like Charles Bronson shooting people in a movie called Death Kiss.
Extras
- Audio Commentary
- Trailer
