Monday 7 October 2024

Movie Review: Murphy's Law (1986)


Genre: Crime Action  
Director: J. Lee Thompson  
Starring: Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, Carrie Snodgress  
Running Time: 100 minutes  

Synopsis: Los Angeles police detective Jack Murphy (Charles Bronson) is drinking heavily to drown the sorrow of divorce. After tangling with mouthy car thief Arabella (Kathleen Wilhoite), Murphy goes after crime boss Frank Vincenzo (Richard Romanus). But his real problems start when psychotic murderess Joan Freeman (Carrie Snodgress) is released after serving 10 years in prison. She vows revenge on all those who convicted her, starting with Murphy.

What Works Well: Kathleen Wilhoite as scrappy car thief Arabella exhausts the dictionary in search of non-stop colourful insults and innovative vulgarities directed at all-comers, and her best-of-enemies relationship with Bronson's Murphy provides some warmth and wit.

What Does Not Work As Well: This is a crass and style-free B-movie, where the characters are flat and someone's head is blown off in a splatter of blood at least every 10 minutes. The plot is full of holes, and director J. Lee Thompson just points the camera and shoots, taking most care to maximize the superfluous nudity. Aside from a few one-liners, Bronson is markedly disinterested, and neither Richard Romanus as a mobster nor Carrie Snodgress as a psycho are given any opportunities to move beyond obvious villainy.

Key Quote:
Joan Freeman: Go to Hell!
Jack Murphy: Ladies first.






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