Death Vengeance

A muddled narrative undercuts this overly ambitious film's attempt to explore urban vigilantism, and diffuses any insights the film might have offered. Tom Skerritt stars as a fed-up everyman who organizes a vigilante squad to clean up the streets; Yaphet Kotto plays the black leader who voices concern over a racial backlash that may be created by the situation; and Michael Sarrazin is the cop who tries to be the voice of reason. But the characterization of the urban street people, many of whom are morally reprehensible, ultimately determines where most viewers will place their sympathies.