Death Hunt

release year: 1981
genre: wilderness action/adventure
viewing setting: 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 mean and pick fights. Of course, in both movies, the "victim" ends up handing the pursuers' a$$es to them. Good scenery and plenty of gunplay, plus some interesting characters, make this quite entertaining. It's also based on a true story.

things to watch for: When the posse blows up the cabin and moves in to investigate.

something this movie has that no other movie has: The Mad Trapper, identity unknown, who prowls the wilds killing men for their gold teeth.

acting: Charles Bronson does a good job as a tough loner who fights back. Lee Marvin is the burned-out old Mountie who gets fired up and heads up the chase. Carl Weathers and Andrew Stevens were the other police, while Ed Lauter was nasty as the jerk who started the whole thing.

final word: Good action/wilderness movie.

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