I am a huge fan of the late Charles Bronson and, in my opinion, every movie starring the toughest guy who ever hit the screen is worth watching. Out of all Bronson flicks I've seen however (and I've seen quite many), J. Lee Thompson's "Murphy's Law" of 1986 is my least favorite. The film is worth the time due to Bronson, but I recommend to watch any other cop thriller with good old Charles before watching this one. Director J. Lee Thompson made several other films with Bronson, such as "The White Buffalo", "10 To Midnight" and "Death Wish 4". "10 To Midnight" is also a police thriller, but a very decent and suspenseful one that I recommend to see instead.
What bothers me about "Murphy's Law" is not only that it gets boring occasionally, but that all the characters except for Jack Murpy, the cop Bronson plays, are quite annoying, and even Bronson's character himself has some very unusual weaknesses. In the beginning of the movie, tough cop Jack Murphy is desperately trying to convince his ex wife to come back to him and to quit her job as a stripper. We all know that, whoever he plays, Bronson is always Bronson. Is a character played by Charles Bronson supposed to be pushed around by his wife? I don't think so! A psychotic woman then gets released form prison due to the help of psychiatrists (usually not the most prestigious profession in Bronson flicks), and vows revenge on those she thinks are responsible for her prison stay, amongst them Jack Murphy. She murders his stripper ex-wife, and Murphy is arrested for the murder. Murphy escapes, in order to find the real killer. Unfortunately, he is chained to Arabella (Kathleen Wilhoite)a young woman who is constantly in trouble with the law. Unfortunately for the viewers, since Arabella is the most annoying little pest imaginable, and I certainly wasn't the only one who would have appreciated if Charley had shut her up. Carrie Snodgress, who plays the psychotic murderess, does an OK job being psychotic, but she is even better at being annoying. Bronson, however, is tough as always, and his presence alone makes this film a worthwhile time waster for his fans. This is why I recommend this film to my fellow Charles Bronson movie enthusiasts. To those who haven't seen many of his films yet, however, I recommend to watch his other films. "Murphy's Law" gets a 5/10 from me, but only due to Bronson.
- SPOILERS! -
What bothers me about "Murphy's Law" is not only that it gets boring occasionally, but that all the characters except for Jack Murpy, the cop Bronson plays, are quite annoying, and even Bronson's character himself has some very unusual weaknesses. In the beginning of the movie, tough cop Jack Murphy is desperately trying to convince his ex wife to come back to him and to quit her job as a stripper. We all know that, whoever he plays, Bronson is always Bronson. Is a character played by Charles Bronson supposed to be pushed around by his wife? I don't think so! A psychotic woman then gets released form prison due to the help of psychiatrists (usually not the most prestigious profession in Bronson flicks), and vows revenge on those she thinks are responsible for her prison stay, amongst them Jack Murphy. She murders his stripper ex-wife, and Murphy is arrested for the murder. Murphy escapes, in order to find the real killer. Unfortunately, he is chained to Arabella (Kathleen Wilhoite)a young woman who is constantly in trouble with the law. Unfortunately for the viewers, since Arabella is the most annoying little pest imaginable, and I certainly wasn't the only one who would have appreciated if Charley had shut her up. Carrie Snodgress, who plays the psychotic murderess, does an OK job being psychotic, but she is even better at being annoying. Bronson, however, is tough as always, and his presence alone makes this film a worthwhile time waster for his fans. This is why I recommend this film to my fellow Charles Bronson movie enthusiasts. To those who haven't seen many of his films yet, however, I recommend to watch his other films. "Murphy's Law" gets a 5/10 from me, but only due to Bronson.