1983 film with Robert Forster and Fred Williamson. Eddy Marino (Forster) is just an average, law-abiding citizen in New York City, when suddenly his family is attacked and son murdered by a gang, and only one of the Gangbangers gets sentenced — 2 years in prison because of a corrupt judge — and Eddy gets pissed. He joins up with a vigilante squad led by Nick (Williamson)
Tropes in this film:
- Ambiguous Ending: The ending makes it unclear if Eddy is now part of Nick's vigilante crew or is doing it solo.
- Asshole Victim: Rapists, drug dealers, murderers, pimps — you name it.
- Badass Bystander: Vickie is a house wife uninvolved in the vigilante movement, but she intervenes to stop Prago and his thugs when they viciously assault a gas station attendant over a slight. They take it poorly, follow her home, and shoot her eight-year-old son (the latter fatally). This leaves Vickie bitterly regretful about her earlier heroics and triggers her husband's Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Covers Always Lie: A quick glance at the films poster may lead you to think the individuals on it are the vigilante crew; they're actually the gang member antagonists.
- Destination Defenestration: The killer of Eddy's son takes a nice long fall.
- Flat Character: Typical for this type of film, Eddy's wife and young son have very little in terms of depth or personality, due to the fact that their only purpose in the film is to be attacked by the gang to set the plot in motion.
- Friend on the Force: Patrolman Gibbons is an acquaintance of Eddy and Nick who tries to talk the vigilantes down a few times and work to solve things legitimately.
- Gory Discretion Shot: Averted; when Scott, the corrupt lawyer and his valet are blown away with shotguns, a big blood splatter sprays from their exit wounds, though Scott is the only one not seen being shot on screen, his splatter is still shown.
- After Nick drops Prago to his death, his body is seen on the ground, his head in a puddle of blood and brains.
- After Rico is killed, Prago assumes control of the gang and thinks two dirty cops did it. Cue Officer Gibbons and his partner getting gunned down in a hail of bullets so bloody the tollbooth ambush from The Godfather looks like a waterballoon fight.
- Hand Cannon: When Rico's girlfriend bursts out of the bathroom after he is killed and shoots Burke in the shoulder, Nick returns fire with his handgun which blasts her across the bathroom.
- It's Personal with the Dragon: Although Rico leads the gang who broke into Eddie's home, it was actually his second-in-command Prago who killed Eddie's son.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique / High-Altitude Interrogation: Nick and his two pals beat up a drug dealer to find out his source. When he won't squeal, Nick hangs the guy out of a window.
- Job Title
- Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Vigilante Militia leader Nick calls himself a judge and jury. The executioner is implied.
- Karma Houdini: Several gang members who take part in the home invasion, such as the fat guy who smashes the TV and the girl gangbanger, never get any kind of karmic punishment.
- Laser-Guided Karma: No matter who it is, if they break the law, Nick's vigilante team will make they pay; a rapist had every bone in his body broken and his head bashed in. Those who murder are killed themselves by Nick's gang.
- The corrupt judge who set Rico free and sentenced Eddy to 30 days in jail for contempt is blown up by a bomb planted in his car.
- Though not all crimes are met with death; one gang member seems to be not as evil as his brethren as the worst things he's shown doing are selling marijuana to kids and flipping over a person in a wheelchair to distract Nick while he attempts to flee. All he gets is a savage beating for the name of his supplier and is left groaning in pain of the floor. In fact, he is the only gang member the vigilante team confronts without killing.
- Men of Sherwood: Nick and the other members of his vigilante group (only two of whom help him in many attacks on criminals) have less characterization and more moral ambiguity than the protagonist who ends up working with them, but all of them survive, although one is injured.
- Obstructive Vigilantism: After a woman is raped in her building, an old woman tells the police that she did not see who did it, despite passing them on the stairs. She then gets into a van with Nick and the gang, driving around town looking for the guy.
- One-Word Title
- Pimp Duds: Horace the pimp goes around in his pimp car, slappin' ho's who don't make enough.
- Police Are Useless: The cops claim they can't do anything for just a verbal threat when Vickie calls them about Prago being outside her house.
- Prison Rape / Shower Scene: Eddy is alone in the showers when a few guys try to do this to him, but fortunately the Cool Old Guy gives the lead prisoner a Megaton Punch and saves the day.
- Token Good Cop: The cops are portrayed as helpless at protecting people from the many criminals of the neighborhood, with one of Nick's vigilantes being a cop who was fired for actually taking risks to try and bust criminals. Officer Gibbons, however, stands out as a decent cop who does his job on the streets in an effective way while also trying to talk the vigilantes down. In a sad twist, he is murdered by hoodlums who think Rabid Cops committed the vigilante killings.
- Van in Black: The vigilantes park their black van in the red light district, wait for Horace to show up and follow him.
- Vigilante Militia: Multiple characters form a squad that goes around doing what the cops can't. Their leader, Nick is also making rallying speeches for new recruits at secret gatherings and having plenty of locals tipping him off.
- What the Hell, Hero?: One is delivered to Eddy by his wife once she recovers enough to leave the hospital. She says that he should've been there to protect them and pretty much divorces him on the spot. Though had he actually been there, it still would've been just him and her against eight gang members and the outcome would have likely been the same if not worse.
