Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Mark Turner J. Lee Thompson and Charles Bronson had a long running partnership on screen. The duo ended up making nine pictures together over the years with this being their sixth collaboration. The only other director to work with Bronson this many times was Michael Winner with whom he made seven pictures. MURPHY'S LAW was one of the last major theatrical films Bronson released and thank goodness it's a not a bad movie.Bronson stars as LAPD detective Jack Murphy, one of those tough cops who takes no guff and who gets the job done better than most. Unfortunately he's going through a rough spell, separated from his wife and drinking more than he should. It's even more uncomfortable for him knowing she works in a strip club now.Things go from bad to worse when a psychopath Murphy helped put away is released from prison with revenge on her mind. Joan Freeman (Carrie Snodgrass) has it in her mind to take out everyone involved in the case that put her in prison ten years earlier. Her method of getting back at Murphy is to kill his wife and frame him for the murder.Murphy is arrested and when taken to the station handcuffed to the foul mouthed girl who stole his car that he arrested earlier in the film, Arabella McGee (Kathleen Wilhoite). Knowing that the odds are against him he escapes taking McGee with him and set out to clear his name and find out who the real killer is. This sets in motion a back and forth patter between the two as they begin to respect one another the longer they're together.As the body count rises while Freeman continues down her path of revenge against everyone involved, the clues eventually lead Murphy to realize who's behind it all. But no longer on the force he has to confront her on his own terms now as well as provide the evidence to clear his name.The use of opposites chained to one another has been a plot device used before, most notably in THE DEFIANT ONES, and it works well here. Both do a great job of fleshing out their characters though Wilhoite seems to do more of that than Bronson who's playing the type of role he'd become accustomed to at the time. Their back and forth adds a touch of humor as well as humanity to both characters.The action is enough to keep fans of Bronson satisfied and has enough story to make it a workable film. No doubt this is not award winning material but it does show why Bronson was once the top money making film star alive at one point. It gives fans exactly what they want from one of his movies and provides enough escapism to keep everyone interested from start to finish.Twilight Time is offering this film like they do all that they release with the best looking presentation there is or has been. Extras include an isolated score track, a commentary track featuring Wilhoite and film historian Nick Redman and the original theatrical trailer. As with all Twilight Time releases they are only making 3,000 copies so pick one up before they're gone if you're a Bronson fan.

PimpinAinttEasy The only law I know is "Jack Murphy's law." It's very simple. Don't *fuck* with Jack Murphy. You remember that.Now that is a great dialog mouthed by Bronson's hard drinking disillusioned cop. But some of the abuses that comes out of Kathaleen Wilhoite's mouth made me wonder whether Gail Morgan Hickman, the film's writer was drunk when he (or is it a she?) wrote this film.Murphy's Law is a pretty simple film. A disillusioned cop has to team up with a foul mouthed female thief, when he is falsely accused of murdering his nude dancer wife and her pimp.It makes no pretensions of being high art. It is a sleazy 80s action thriller. It never rises above a certain level. But films like this were the mainstream in the 80s. Before the superheroes and special effects took over.I wont really recommend it. But it is not a bad film. It sucks but also has a few amusing bits. I don't think I would watch it ever again.

Scott LeBrun Mostly routine, but agreeably trashy goodness from the Charles Bronson-J. Lee Thompson- Cannon Group-1980s assembly line. The almighty Bronson plays Jack Murphy, a detective whose motto is simple: "Don't *beep* with Jack Murphy." But of course, somebody does: a vindictive, psychotic woman named Joan Freeman (Carrie Snodgress), who goes about murdering people who Jack knows and framing him for the crimes. However, Jack seizes upon an opportunity, breaking out of prison while handcuffed (shades of "The Defiant Ones") to a foul mouthed car thief, Arabella McGee (scene stealing Kathleen Wilhoite).With this team, you expect some pretty straightforward, and effectively sleazy, entertainment. It's fairly violent as well as exploitative (ever delectable Angel Tompkins, as Jacks' ex-wife Jan, plays a stripper and shows off some of the goods). Gail Morgan Hickmans' story is diverting, throwing in a subplot involving a mobster named Frank Vincenzo (Richard Romanus) and creating a reasonable body count.What gives this otherwise formulaic scenario a shot in the arm is the give and take between Bronson and the sexy, husky voiced Wilhoite. She's constantly firing off insults at him. While they were much more profane in the original script, Wilhoites' one-liners are still ridiculously funny. And you can see that Bronson is having some fun with this premise. It's not often that he had a full blown sidekick in one of his vehicles.Other familiar faces that turn up include Robert F. Lyons, Bill Henderson, James Luisi, Janet MacLachlan, and Lawrence Tierney. It is somewhat novel that our vengeance crazed villain is female, and Snodgress is just fine as the kind of psycho who's *well aware* that they're a psycho.Capped off by a finale that offers up some fairly good suspense, and a typically amusing Bronson quip.Wilhoite gets an "introducing" credit, although she'd actually made her film debut in "Private School" three years previous. She also belts out the theme song over the end credits.Seven out of 10.

PeterMitchell-506-564364 Murphys Law is a tight, action packed, psychological adventure, thriller. There, I said it. It's one of his better vehicles. I love adventure thrillers like this, and it's revenge theme is a bonus. Settling an old score, psycho killer (Snodgress), who's escaped from the looney bun, sets up Bronson good, only having him escape, handcuffed to a reluctant foul mouthed prisoner (the great versatile character actress, Kathleen Wilhoitte) where they escape in a helicopter off the top off the police building then crash into a barn, occupied by druggie bikers. I'll just let you see how Bronson handles this one. Wilhoitte's insults deserves recognition for their originality. Soon the two become pals, where she assists him in tracking down the SOB responsible for killing his wife, then framing him. One suspect, a gangster, who Bronson cautions, with his own brand of Murphy's Law, after he made threats towards him, is literally caught with his pants down down. If you love watching Bronson do what he does best, just add this better title to the list. Murphy, a bit of a boozer too, doesn't like other cops insulting his wife either.