Previously I wrote a post about Charles Bronson not getting his catchphrase onto the tongues of action fans much like Clint Eastwood did. I did not realize at the time that Sylvester Stallone is looking to do a remake of Death Wish.

I have to give Sly his props in making Rocky Balboa and the ultra-violent Rambo, both movies I can recommend. Death Wish may be another matter.

We are not living in a time of rising crime much like the period in which the original Death Wish movie appeared and was a hit with audiences sick of rape, robbery and violence. Crime has been steadily decreasing for a variety of reasons–watch CSI, it’s fiction but forensic science puts a lot of bad guys away.

What we are dealing with these days is still the threat of terrorism. It’s not elevated like it was in years’ past closer around to Sept 11th, but it is always in the news and in the mind of the public. Rambo, while not specifically targeting Al Qaeda, did go after a similar group of thugs in Burma.

We can relate to and sympathize with the circumstances in Rambo. A remake of Death Wish may not have the same advantage. What we seem to be facing these days is prison overcrowding. Possibly if we sent the vigilante Paul Kersey to jail to conveniently assassinate….well, everyone, then it might have more appeal. Though it would end the MSNBC series Lockdown.

Stallone does share some of Bronson’s traits like the quiet type who doesn’t speak much–in other words, John Rambo. How Stallone would separate John Rambo from his version of Paul Kersey, I don’t know. I think it may come off as citizen Rambo who now happens to work as an architect (Paul Kersey’s job in Death Wish).

This is one movie I wish would be left alone because the time period is so important. It would be like trying to remake Dirty Harry, a movie that also benefited from when crime was on the rise.

Honestly, I would like to see Stallone do another Rambo film. Aren’t we going to see him take on terrorists in Afghanistan? Maybe he can revisit those Afghan freedom fighters he saved in part 3 when they were fighting the Russians and say, “What the f**k you guys doin’?” and have it out with the Taliban he helped to create by his interference.

Fact is, I’m so tired of Hollywood dodging direct conflict with Muslim extremists in action films. This is what we want to see action films address. Regardless of religious and ethnic sensitivities can’t we have a movie where those bastards exploiting young Muslim men–turning them into suicide bombers–get their just desserts?

Reality is complicated, but Hollywood fiction shouldn’t have to be. Where is Stallone? Where is Schwarzenegger? Where is Bruce Willis? Where is the escape for us to live vicariously through? 

The only one who took on Afghanee Terrorists is Iron Man, and that turned into a hit. Are we really only left with Robert Downey Jr as our hero?

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