Veteran detective Jack Murphy is a highly wanted man, after being framed for the murder of his ex-wife, he escapes and sets off in pursuit of the real killer. But Jack not only has the killer to occupy his mind, he also has the mob hoping to bring him down as well.

Murphy's Law is a very enjoyable and tidy thriller, it finds Charles Bronson in a role that requires a cool veneer, that he delivers is something of a given to this particular viewer, but the unflustered nature of the character actually lifts this film above many of Bronson's other 80s efforts.

The plot is simple, and some of the dialogue comes heavy with a slice of cheese, but the set pieces stand up, and here we have a female villain worthy of the title. Carrie Snodgress is the lady in question, and although underused because of Murphy's other plot strands, she puts gusto and menace into the role of the vengeful Joan Freeman.

A running plot strand involving Murphy and Kathleen Wilhoite's youthful and foul mouthed Arabella McGee, only hinders the film instead of enhancing it, though the simmering sexual tension between the two does make for an intriguing arc - and it definitely helps the film's finale deliver the goods with added impact.

Perhaps I'm being over biased towards Bronson? But I honestly believe that this film is seriously undervalued on internet sites, so enjoy the cool leading man and take in a great female villain - even if she is sadly under written. 7/10

Hard-nosed detective Jack Murphy (the almighty Charles Bronson in fine two-fisted form) goes on the lam with foulmouthed car thief Arrabella McGee (a delightfully vibrant and sassy portrayal by Kathleen Wilhoite) after Murphy gets framed for murder by vicious and vengeful psycho ex-con Joan Freeman (nicely played with fierce intensity by Carrie Snodgress).

Director J. Lee Thompson relates the enjoyable story at a brisk pace, maintains a pleasingly seamy tone throughout, and stages the exciting action with muscular aplomb. The solid cast keeps this movie humming: Robert F. Lyons as Murphy's easygoing partner Art Penney, Richard Romanus as sleazy mobster Frank Vincenzo, Angel Tompkins as Murphy's bitter stripper ex-wife Jan, Bill Henderson as helpful war vet buddy Ben Wilcove, and James Luisi as smarmy jerk detective Ed Reineke. Lawrence Tierney has a cool small role as a low-rent private eye. Moreover, Wilhoite's constant array of wildly creative profane insults are an absolute hoot and she even sings the supremely groovy'n'jazzy ending credits song. Good trashy fun.

All the film makers did here was change the name of Charles Bronson's character from Paul Kersey (of the Death Wish franchise) to Jack Murphy, with an attendant tag line related to Murphy's Law (If anything can possibly go wrong, it will). That shouldn't be too much of a bother for Bronson fans, as he finds himself in another one of those revenge thrillers with the added bonus of being framed for a handful of murders. This one is made much more colorful by the presence of Kathleen Wilhoite portraying Murphy's reluctant accomplice and sidekick following an initial run in. I have no doubt the screen writers put in some serious overtime coming up with the derogatory quips spewed by Arabella McGee in her confrontations with Murphy and a host of law officers. Her trash mouth was a highlight of the picture, and I'm satisfied that the tease of a romantic engagement between the two was duly interrupted because that could have been very awkward. Bronson fans ought to be satisfied well enough with this flick, not as good as the earlier "Death Wish", but about on a par and perhaps better than some of the four sequels to that film.