Rating: 
Summary: Ultimate Man's Movie! - Finally On DVD!!!
Review: A true "sleeper" film that utilizes to the utmost, the "tough guy" talents of Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin. It's 1931 and Albert Johnson (Bronson) is a man wrongly accused of murder in the untamed Yukon territory. He is an expert hunter/trapper and can survive in the most extreme weather & temperatures. Marvin plays a grizzled old Canadian Mountie, Sgt. Edgar Millen, who's just as tough and not to be messed with! When a group of low-life fur trappers try to make trouble and take on Johnson, they find out too late... they messed with the wrong guy. Then they go and lie to Millen - saying Johnson murdered one of them. Millen knows the reality but he has to control the situation: either do nothing and let the bad trappers exercise mob rule (resulting in more deaths) or "take Johnson in" himself to dispense justice and clear Johnson of any charges.
Millen sets out to bring Johnson in, aided by a young "replacement" mountie just transferred in (Andrew Stevens) who proves to everyone he's not as green as they think - and Millen's long-time friend Sun Dog, (Carl Weathers) also a seasoned hunter/tough guy. Millen's efforts are complicated by the bad trappers who tag along as an unwanted "posse" which begins to grow as the film progresses. The film moves fast enough. There are some well-placed quiet scenes between the action... but the pursuit is grueling and relentless as the protagonists trek across some of the most beautiful, yet unforgiving Canadian wilderness.
The only thing preventing this from being the perfect guy film is a pointless sub-plot involving Angie Dickinson (not that I have a problem with her!) But some of the best guy films have zero women - so they're 100% testosterone!
Despite that, this film is awesome as it proves Lee Marvin, even in the twilight of his career, was an awesome tough guy - and you can see here that it comes natural for him. Also, Bronson delivers through & through as the quiet, deadly force we've all come to know and love. Highly recommended! I'll need to buy 3 copies as soon as it's released! (2 for my bros!)
Rating:
Summary: Too real to be slick or polished
Review: Another reviewer has averred that this is the best of Bronson & Marvin's careers; I'm not sure I agree, but it's certainly on the short list. I'd begin by noting the factual basis - and the working-class focus. Many of the characters in the movie are obviously machismo-deluded jerks who have fled civilization to find an environment that won't expose their incompetence - this remark does NOT include the characters played by Bronson and Marvin. That said, I'll admit the direction is rough - but the story is rough, and the way it is told is not implausible. The continuity favors a distance of view that makes the story's factual basis more apparent. More than one reviewer has made plain the fact that he or she missed the respect and sympathy that Marvin's character feels for the man he is pursuing. See the movie - see if you don't agree with him.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't mess with Bronson's dog!
Review: Bronson's back! This time his role is similar to the one he had in Chato's Land; A guy pursued by an angry mob wanting him dead, dead, Dead! Naturally, because he's Bronson, they don't have the easiest time trying to get him. These guys should have never shot his newfound dog friend, coz after that, all hell breaks loose. The plot is nothing new, it's been done many times before(usually with more style), but this one is exceptional because of the cast. Aside from Chuck, you have tough guy Lee Marvin, Apollo Creed(Carl Weathers who's always a joy), would-be Luke Skywalker-Andrew Davis, the "dude" talking cop from Death Wish 3, and the scary "Buffalo Woman." And to answer some of your questions, Peter Hunt(the director) was the editor of practically every James Bond film, and the director of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He passed away recently.
Rating:
Summary: Don't mess with Bronson's dog!
Review: Bronson's back! This time his role is similar to the one he had in Chato's Land; A guy pursued by an angry mob wanting him dead, dead, Dead! Naturally, because he's Bronson, they don't have the easiest time trying to get him. These guys should have never shot his newfound dog friend, coz after that, all hell breaks loose. The plot is nothing new, it's been done many times before(usually with more style), but this one is exceptional because of the cast. Aside from Chuck, you have tough guy Lee Marvin, Apollo Creed(Carl Weathers who's always a joy), would-be Luke Skywalker-Andrew Davis, the "dude" talking cop from Death Wish 3, and the scary "Buffalo Woman." And to answer some of your questions, Peter Hunt(the director) was the editor of practically every James Bond film, and the director of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He passed away recently.
Rating:
Summary: "Nail anything that moves...except me."
Review: Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin appearing in a film together? The machismo factor must be through the roof...but this isn't the first time these two legendary Hollywood tough guys appeared together. They previously worked together on The Dirty Dozen (1967) and the The Meanest Men in the West (1967), which was actually two episodes of the TV show The Virginian put together to make a feature length television movie. Directed by Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Assassination), Death Hunt (1981) stars, as I mentioned, Charles Bronson (formerly known as Charles Buchinsky...I guess Buchinsky wasn't `Hollywood' enough, hence the change) and Lee Marvin (his original name), who was once on director Steven Spielberg's short list to play the character Quint in his 1975 film, Jaws (think how different that film would have been with Marvin instead of Robert Shaw). Also appearing is Andrew Stevens (Night Eyes, Munchie), who was once married to actress Kate Jackson of Charlie's Angels fame, Carl `Apollo' Weathers (Rocky), Ed Lauter, whom you may remember as Captain Knauer in the 1974 Burt Reynolds film The Longest Yard (which is currently being remade starring Adam Sandler, scheduled for released in '05, further proving creativity is dead in Hollywood), and Angie Dickinson (Big Bad Mama, Dressed to Kill), in a role originally offered to Joan Collins, but she turned it down due to a lack of bitchery within the character.
The film, based on a true story (but denounced by many Canadian historians for its' misrepresentation of the facts), takes place in the Yukon Territories in the year 1931. It centers on Albert Johnson (Bronson), a lone trapper who becomes a fugitive, pursued by the doggedly determined Sgt. Edgar Millen, RCMP (Marvin), essentially for a crime he didn't commit. After a run in with a group of less than savory individuals, lead by Hazel (Lauter), Johnson is accused of murder, and the curmudgeonly Millen, with his rookie Mountie (Andrews) in tow, investigate the allegations. Millen suspects Johnson acted in self-defense, and tries to convince Johnson to come peaceably, but a trigger happy member of the posse (one of Hazel's men) spoils those plans, inadvertently bringing the fury down on their collective heads as Johnson, who we learn later, is a WWI veteran, extremely proficient with weapons and trained to survive in nearly any terrain, leads the group on a bloody chase across the snowy, arctic tundra.
In watching Death Hunt (I dislike that title, and I think it was probably chosen due to the popularity of Bronson's 1974 film Death Wish), I couldn't help notice the similarities with the Sylvester Stallone film First Blood (1982), released a year later.
Both films share a lead characters that;
1. have a military background
2. a loner type seeking the solace of living life of seclusion, preferably away from civilization
3. finds himself in trouble with the law for essentially a crime he didn't commit
4. becomes a fugitive, and the subsequent target of a massive manhunt, which he successfully manages to fend off and elude
Also, both films share a scene where the main character, backed against a cliff, leaps from the cliff onto the top of a tall tree, making their way to relative safety (well, Rambo did get that big, nasty wooden sliver in his arm). The main difference between the two films is that of the law enforcement characters played by Marvin and Brian Dennehy. Dennehy was obviously played up to be the antagonist, thereby garnering a sense of sympathy for the character of Rambo (thereby providing justifications for his actions), while Marvin's character of Edgar Millen is much different. Millen has an inherent understanding and respect for Johnson, leaning towards the belief that Johnson probably acted out of self-defense, but due to forces out of his control (that of a bloody thirsty mob) is now forced to bring Johnson in anyway he can, as it's his duty. There doesn't appear to be any real animosity between the characters of Millen and Johnson, only a mutual understanding that each is doing what they must, either out of a sense of duty or sense of self preservation. The performances weren't necessarily outstanding, but each actor, all professionals, came across well. It's not like Bronson brought anything new to his role, but his character seemed pretty straightforward. Marvin did get a chance to add a little depth to his character, but I always thought his career sort of petered out after The Dirty Dozen...but what a long, successful career it was...the characters played by Weathers and Dickinson (who was the only female character in the film, not counting Buffalo Woman, the local heavy-set prostitute who spoke no English) almost seemed extraneous. The story is pretty straightforward, and moves along well, with lots of action and a nice bits of violence (plenty of guys get shot up, but one in particular gets it right between the eyes, to which we get a nice shot of the bullet exiting the back of his head). The one thing that I did find hard to swallow was a scene where a group of armed men have Johnson's log cabin surrounded, and he's successfully fending them off, to which they decide to use dynamite, literally blowing the cabin to smithereens. Assuming he's dead the men begin to converge on the wreckage, only to be met by an unscathed, armed to the teeth Johnson, who reduces their numbers by a few. Seriously, he didn't have a scratch on him, yet the cabin he was holed up in was completely obliterated. He did dig a couple of trenches within the cabin to better facilitate firing upon those surrounding him, but they weren't that deep.
The widescreen (1.85:1, enhanced for 16x9) picture presented on this DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment looks really good and the audio comes through clean and clear. Special features include a trailer for the film, and a insert containing a reproduction of an original poster for the film.
Cookieman108
Rating:
Summary: Don't Mess with Bronson
Review: Here is an effective movie with Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin. Previously the pair appeared together in at least one other movie, the World War II classic "The Dirty Dozen." This movie is significantly less sophisticated than "The Dirty Dozen," but is enjoyable for the running battle between Bronson, an individualist who just wants to be left alone, and a group of men out for revenge in the thinly veiled guise of a Mounties-led posse.
Albert Johnson (Bronson) is minding his own business until he sees a dog being mistreated. Being the person that he is, he saves the dog and in the process ends up getting accused of murder. The group of men Johnson tangles with is clearly morally marginal characters, as is emphasized over and over so that you sympathize with Bronson from the outset. In order to keep legal legitimacy in this frontier town, Sgt. Edgar Millen of the Mounties (Marvin), takes his shiny rookie assistant and gathers up a posse to take Johnson into custody. Johnson does not want to be taken into custody and he is smart enough and clever enough and a veteran to boot so he knows how to foil the intentions of a bunch of backwoods rednecks that know how to shoot but not a lot else, at least in this movie.
We get a basic understanding of which the important characters are when the posse surrounds Johnson's cabin. After shooting the cabin full of holes the posse takes a look see to determine whether they did anything, whereupon Johnson leisurely takes his own, rather deliberate actions. Of course the cabin is eventually made uninhabitable and Johnson is forced to head for the hills; sorry, make those hills mountains because they are in Alaska.
Now comes the "Death Hunt" part of the movie, assuming that the cabin scene really was not a hunt since the posse knew where he was. Except the only death is that dealt by Johnson. The movie is really poorly named and just as easily could have been named "Johnson," but that might have confused people with another movie. I suspect that the person that created the title was running low on creativity that day.
Now Johnson is running for his life, chased by men, dogs and an airplane. Here is a bit of a twist. This movie feels a lot like something that should have taken place in the latter part of the 1800s, but it actually takes place in the 30s, and machine gun armed planes were available to track down and shoot dastardly criminals like Bronson. The pilot of the airplane is arrogant and supremely confident that his airplane can overcome any evildoer because it has technology and Johnson is just an ignorant backwoods criminal. The viewer can see what happens in the battle between the airplane and Johnson.
During the course of the movie we see that Sgt. Millen sympathizes and empathizes with Johnson. As we watch the two men in action it is easy to see that they are actually very much alike, and as different from the other characters as they are alike. Perhaps director Peter Hunt, who directed the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and was second unit director on a number of previous Bond films, was making a commentary on the imminent loss of individualism and personal integrity. We too come to like both men and see that Millen is just as reluctant to go after Johnson as we are to see him go after Millen.
This movie was released about a year or so before Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo," and shares a number of similarities, including at least one scene involving a jump into a tree. Rambo and Johnson are both ex-military. Both men are quite good at surviving in the wild, and both seem to have special forces backgrounds or the equivalent. Both men are loners and have a very solid sense of right and wrong. Both men push back only when pushed. Rambo battles a helicopter and Johnson battles a biplane. Johnson and Rambo both jump into a tree to escape. Johnson is wearing heavy furs and while the jump may have caused some minor injuries, he was relatively unscathed. Rambo got a really big splinter in his arm and we got to see how macho he was when he sewed the wound without any anesthetic. Johnson was only trying to survive rather than proving he was anything.
This movie was influenced by a variety of sources. You can see elements of Jack London's books and more than a touch of Bronson's earlier movies. Bronson always wanted to be on the right side of the law, even if he had to take an action that others might consider to be illegal.
If you liked Bronson's "Death Wish" movies, you will find this movie more subtle and complex, even though at its core there are strong similarities between the movies. Of course, Lee Marvin always brings something special to any movie he is in and the careful screen choreography between Bronson and the much more vocal and expressive Marvin make this action movie a treat to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible
Review: Implausible, contrived, chocked full of cartoonish characters, continuity breaks, and ridiculous dialogue, this movie should be fed to the sled dogs.If you buy the aging Lee Marvin as a "Canadian Mountie" you'll buy anything. Watching him struggle to climb a tree and then flash his pearly white dentures at Charles Bronson every five minutes was very sad. Carl Weathers, fresh off the Rocky set, walks around looking lost. Overhead, a British bi-plane buzzes around for about an hour, deep in the Alaskan bush country, all on a single tank of gas. Charles Bronson's stunt double leaps off a cliff and lands on a snow covered ledge, although this somehow fails to slowdown the large hunting party that is following him. Not sure what happened at the end as I could not bear to sit through the whole mess. Lee Marvin was a great actor and it was painful to see him in this sad effort. Rent the Dirty Dozen instead.
Rating: 
Summary: A good matinee flick...
Review: Seeing Marvin and Bronson together is great. What makes this film, and all of Bronson's post Death Wish films, is if you convince yourself this is actually Paul Kersey time travelling back to find peace of mind and he STILL won't get cut a break!! It makes sense when he comes back in Death Wish 3 & 5 and begins shooting everything that moves...the world is this man's enemy.
Rating:
Summary: Where the heck was Sam Peckinpah?!
Review: The 1981 film "Death Hunt" is a motion picture screaming for an audience. It has all the earmarks of a memorable action/adventure. But the final result falls short due to the lack of an accomplished director (who is Peter Hunt?) and cluttered second half. "Death Hunt" is a great action flick, make no doubt. It's oddly enjoyable seeing old veterans such as Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin - both in the twilight of their unique careers - chewing up the lush Canadian scenery while involved in a battle of wills during a early 20th century man hunt. But it's the build up to the eventual chase, based on a true story, most viewers will remember from this sadly neglected film. Mr. Bronson plays a man weary of society and war who returns to the mountains to get away from the bustle. Along the way, he rudely breaks up a man-made dogfight, saving a wounded shepherd from certain death. Such a rude interruption creates resentment, and several of the dog's former owners hike up to Charles' cabin to take the hound back. Bullets soon fly and a combatant ends up dead. Lee Marvin, as the local Canadian Mountie, is then drawn into the conflict. A surprise is in store for the angry posse as they discover that trying to corner Mr. Bronson is akin to trapping a wild beast. By the conclusion of "Death Hunt," many in the cast of supporting veterans (Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers, Ed Lauter, Angie Dickinson) will end up stiffer than a frozen tree. I will not give away the build up, suffice to say that the action is crisp, fiery and pumped. And the villains of this film, a sad bunch barely a notch above the fighting dogs they force into battle, are reminiscent of many of the colorful miscreants of early Sam Peckinpah films ("Ride the High Country," "The Wild Bunch"). In fact, Peckinpah would have been the perfect director for this opus, though if memory serves he was working on the European "Cross of Iron" at the time. With Mr. Peckinpah at the helm, "Death Hunt" could have achieved lofty heights. Instead, we are treated to a choppy second half of poor editing, confusing continuity, fabricated character motivation (Marvin constantly smiling through his binoculars at a retreating Bronson) and scenes of an attacking airplane which go on forever. What viewers will remember most about "Death Hunt," besides the already-mentioned opening half, is the near-brilliant performance of Lee Marvin as a burned-out Mountie. His presence is the gritty highlight of this energetic film, and one realizes his persona was one of the most admirably cyncial in motion picture history. "Death Hunt" is a great discovery for those not yet acquainted with its rustic appeal. It is truthfully one of the last quality films of both Marvin's and Bronson's careers, thus it's the end of two commendable eras. That must be worth the price of someone's hard-earned ticket.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent mountain mayhem!
Review: This film may have been the best movie Charles Bronson ever acted in. Not sure why it is not more well know, if you like action this is you ticket. From the opening scene (dog fight) to the closing scene (shootout) it is nonstop action. Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed guy) are in the cast in addition to Bronson. Ms. Dickinson has a couple of makeout scenes but she takes a backseat to the amourous "Buffalo Woman" in the shack. The setting is the Canadian Rockies and is "based on a true story" from the 1920's or so. The mountain scenery is breathtaking. The movie is filled with sleazy tough guy/mountain men...a real testosterone fest. Vintage weapons, clothing and vehicles add alot to this film. Bronson gets to deliver a few one liners (and .44 caliber lobotomies) that will crack you up. You will like this movie!
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