A well renowned newspaper reporter, Garret Smith(Charles Bronson),for the Denver Tribune, writes an article on the slaughter of a Mormon family, soon investigating it. He discovers that the massacred family's patriarch, Orville Beecham(Charles Dierkop) is feuding with his brother, Zenas(John Ireland) over a religious separation, a change in doctrine which divided them to the point of hatred. Smith believes someone else hired an assassin to kill the family(which included seven children)and it could be over artesian water rights Zenas wouldn't sell to the Colorado Water Company because it was farm land going back generations. Trish Van Devere is the owner of a small newspaper company who also has familial ties to the Beechams and joins forces with Smith hoping to help uncover the culprits responsible for the murders of relatives. MESSENGER OF DEATH is a bit different than the usual Bronson fare for Cannon Group, his Garret Smith more of a peacemaker trying to keep two families from annihilating each other, almost successful until the hit-man returns to sniper shoot one of the Beechams instigating a shootout which leaves very little men left. Laurence Luckinbill(Sybock of STAR TREK V)is Homer Foxx, a big supporter for the mayoral candidate, Chief Barney Doyle(Daniel Benzali), and who has an uncanny ability to motivate charitable contributions from the wealthy elite. John Solari is the repulsive assassin who, at the opening of the film, unloads shot gun blasts into defenseless Mormon women without hesitation. Gene Davis(many will recognize as the psychopath Bronson is after in 10 TO MIDNITE) is the assassin's tag-along who wants to come clean to Garret..for a price. The storyline is a little more unique than what we are accustomed to seeing in an action vehicle for Bronson, although he does get to beat the assassin's ass at the end. There's a hairy, suspenseful near-death sequence for Smith and Van Devere's Jastra Watson when two huge Colorado Water Company trucks attempt to crash them. As she does once again, Van Devere's warm, pleasant presence adds quality to the film as does the old timers like Ireland and Jeff Corey(as Willis Beecham, leader of his family's village, moving his men to act against Zenas who he believes killed Orville's family). Smith treads lightly around his more aristocratic peers, two of which own the Colorado Water Company, and is a best friend to the Denver Chief of Police. I felt the major star of this particular film was the breathtaking Denver locations.

Try and beat THIS for an opening sequence! Images of women amiably chatting and young children peacefully playing in the morning sun get barbarically interrupted when suddenly a shady figure holding a shotgun comes driving up to the house. Without speaking one word, the man unhesitatingly butchers the women (one pregnant one) before turning towards the children and shooting them too. The latter killings occur off screen but the footage is nonetheless shocking considering the madman's emotionless modus operandi. This bit of content represents the promising beginning of a compelling and highly suspenseful – albeit flawed – thriller starring the almighty Charles Bronson in an unconventional (at least, for him) role. Charlie depicts a journalist of the Denver newspaper who sinks his teeth into the circumstances surrounding the tragic massacre and stumbles upon a story bigger than he bargained for. The murders initially appear to be a dramatic consequence of a long-running vendetta between a separated family of Mormons, but our courageous reporter gradually uncovers a convoluted and inhumanly cruel conspiracy which concerns – of course – eminent politicians and wealthy businessmen. I honestly expected to find a slightly higher rating and more positive-toned reviews for "Messenger of Death" around here to be honest. Admittedly the evolution of the storyline is rather predictable and the eventual settlement is too tame, but the film definitely maintains a high tempo and a good number of sequences are very tense and literally action-packed. Charles Bronson tries his hardest to come across as a plausible journalist, but there are definitely some problems regarding his character. Bronson isn't exactly known as the most talkative actor in Hollywood; a trademark that usually fits his regular roles of mercenaries ("The Mechanic", "Violent City") and tormented avengers (the "Death Wish" franchise) very well. But even here his number of speeches and dialogs are kept to an absolute minimum, which isn't normal when you're a reporter. Moreover, in spite of his 'normal' job and life-style, he still wipes the floor with professional hit men and stunt-drives his way out of an assassination attempt! Since when do Denver journalists receive training in martial arts and defensive driving? The remote Colorado filming locations, as well as the largely unfamiliar traditions of Mormon families, add up to the ominous atmosphere but still director J. Lee Thompson ("Cape Fear", "The Guns of Navarone") doesn't use up the full potential of these terrific. "Messenger of Death" is an interesting film, to say the least, and it deserves a bit more appreciation from Bronson fanatics as well as fans of suspense films in general.

Easily skip-able Charles Bronson movie that starts out strongly but doesn't follow through. He unconvincingly plays a Denver reporter covering a case of a Mormon family living in the Colorado mountains who had nine members massacred, including five children. He then sets out to find the killer by visiting the eccentric community and finds that much of the evidence leads to a family feud between two brothers, along with ties to a water company. Why Chuck's character would feel so personally bent on dealing out vengeance when it's not his own flesh and blood didn't ever strike me as authentic. J. Lee Thompson directs (as usual) and manages to serve up some pretty scenery along with a good cast including John Ireland and Jeff Corey, but this is rather weak tea. ** out of ****

After a massacre was committed on a family of Mormons, newspaper reporter Garret Smith decides to dig a little deeper into the story, to only find out that there might just be more to it then just two feuding brothers.Another IMDb reviewer mentioned "Messenger of Death" is somewhat a change of pace for Bronson compared with his other efforts within this period, and definitely they got that right. Here it's a steely eyed Bronson doing a lot investigating and self-advertising his newspaper articles, than handing out much forcible punishment. Get ready for conversations and story development deluxe! Is more so a mystery set-up than action splurge. Actually don't fear, he gets 'some' hands on action. This Cannon presentation can't seem to escape it's cheap, and almost TV movie quality. However this wasn't a huge fault, but the main one was it promised so much to only fizzle out. The opening atmospheric musical piece, established by haunting chants sets the mood and the beginning sequence is brutally eerie and unsparing with director J. Lee Thompson's stylish guidance. After this well-implanted beginning, what we get afterwards is mostly lacklustre and anti-climatic textbook fluff. Too bad it has to go to waste, as Thompson shows scope, ace pacing and strings along the set-pieces with a beautiful Colorado backdrop captured by fluent cinematography, but breaking it down has got to be that the story can get too causal and unintentionally comical. The revelation to what's happening just comes off feeble, and lacking. Thompson does invoke few terse spurts of suspense throughout the rest of the running time with a rather inventive brush, but this notable sequence involving two trucks loses out to the same-old, same-old pattern. Robert O. Ragland's airy, uncanny tremble that features heavily in his persistent instrumental score is really well pulled off. The religious aspect is there, but more so a stepping stool for the story to play out then share any real light on the topic. Even the money hungry and corrupt side of business corporations finds some similarities between the two, where Bronson's character becomes "the avenging angel". At least Charles Bronson makes for an appealing protagonist and he shows some colour in his calculated performance, and the support cast chip in with very solid and somewhat ripe turns. Passable Bronson venture.