Death Wish Review: 2 Ups & 7 Downs

4. Eli Roth's Disappointingly Lifeless Direction

Though a lot of people will dismiss Eli Roth as a hack director of trashy horror films, he's at least a far more interesting choice than the typical, cheap journeyman filmmaker you'd hire to make a movie like this.

His better films (namely Cabin Fever, Hostel and Knock Knock) have a rough, scuzzy quality to them that's oddly appealing and, honestly, should've made him an intriguing fit for material like this.

Sadly, though, there's virtually none of Roth's gonzo stamp on the end product, which sight unseen could easily be dismissed as the work of a second-rate TV director making their feature debut.

Scenes are mostly flat and uninteresting to look at, and aside from some compelling blood-letting, Roth's direction is just as tired as Bruce Willis looks throughout.