Death Hunt

"Fact is that he's running to save his hide, and every man he killed, he killed to protect himself....Johnson didn't do anything I wouldn't do if I was in his boots." - Constable Millen

release year: 1981
genre: wilderness action/adventure
viewing setting: home Bluray 12/8/19 and 2/12/14 and home DVD, 1/27/05 and home VHS, 1/14/04

synopsis: In the Canadian wilderness of 1931, a trapper is unjustly attacked and then chased through the frozen tundra by a posse.

impressions: This was a pretty good wilderness/survival movie and reminded me a lot of First Blood. There must be something about small towns on the edge of vast wilderness areas that causes the inhabitants to be jerks and pick fights. Of course, in both movies, the "victim" ends up with the upper hand by far. Good scenery and plenty of gunplay, plus some interesting characters, make this quite entertaining. It also happens to be based on a true story.

body count: 10 people, 1 dog

acting: Charles Bronson does a good job as a tough, competent loner who fights back. Lee Marvin is the burned-out, drunk old Mountie who gets fired up and heads up the chase. Carl Weathers and Andrew Stevens were the other police, while Ed Lauter was just plain mean as the jerk who started the whole thing. Angi Dickinson has a small role as a widow who falls for Millen.

final word: Good action/wilderness movie.

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