Film Review: Messenger of Death (1988)

Few action films have opening scene as disturbing as in Messenger of Death, 1988 film directed by J. Lee Thompson. Children are playing outside their rural Colorado home before they sense danger and head in the house where their mothers unsuccessfully try to save them from shotgun-wielding assassins. The massacre is investigated both by Denver police chief Barney Doyle (played by Daniel Benzali) and his friend, newspaper reporter Garret Smith (played by Charles Bronson). They discover that the children’s father and women’s husband was Orville Beecham (played by Charles Dierkop), member of the fundamentalist Mormon sect led by his father Willis (played by Jeff Corey). Willis is in long feud with his brother Zenas (played by John Ireland), whose family lives on a compound in remote town. Garret goes to visit him and ask questions, aided by local newspaper reporter Jastra Watson (played by Trish Van Devere). During the trip he finds out that the powerful and shady corporation is interested in large water reserves on Zenas’ property. He begins to speculate that the corporation might be behind the killings, hoping to cause Willis and his followers to avenge Orville’s family by taking out Zenas and thus doing the dirty work for them. As he investigates, Garret becomes target of assassins himself.

Produced by The Cannon Group, studio (in)famous for low budget exploitation films in 1980s, Messenger of Death represented eighth and penultimate collaboration between its main star Charles Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson. Both men apparently tried to do something differently, and that can be seen even in opening titles with iconography and musical score by Robert O. Ragland that suggests supernatural horror like The Omen, although the film relatively quickly descends into conventional mystery thriller. Script by Paul Jarrico is based on The Avenging Angel, fifth novel in the series by Rex Burns; it changed many details, among other things, switching protagonist from police detective into reporter. That was opportunity for Bronson to play something unusual for that stage of his career – character that doesn’t shoot or kill anyone and actually tries to stop mass shoot out from taking place. Messenger of Death is also one of the rare Hollywood films set in Mormon milieu and it is uncharacteristically non-judgemental when it comes to polygamous lifestyle and some bizarre doctrines like Blood atonement. Bronson’s character is given female colleague and partner, played very well by Trish De Vere, but they are the same age and the relationship avoids cliches including obligatory romance. However, anything good or interesting in the film happens in first half. In the second half Messenger of Death descends back into standard action film with elderly Bronson’s character succeeding to evade assassination. The mystery of the real villain is easily solved by most viewers even before utterly melodramatic finale that takes place at fund-raiser attended by Denver elite. Messenger of Death ends as a disappointment that could be recommended only to most devout among Charles Bronson’s fans.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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