“There’s nothing more deadly than a gentle man pushed too far.” Capitalizing on leading man Bo Svenson’s then-recent role as beleaguered sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall – Part 2, director Bob Clark helmed this entertaining Death Wish knock-off. One night in Philadelphia, mild-mannered judo instructor Svenson happens upon a gang of hoods beating a meek bookkeeper to death. After chasing them off, he reluctantly agrees with the request of the head police official (Robert Culp) to identify the attackers in court. Unfortunately, these killers are made men, working for villainous real estate magnate and mafia kingpin Vincent Karbone (John Colicos, Drum). Karbone will do anything to keep his enforcers from being implicated, and Culp promises to put Svenson and his frightened family in the witness protection program. Things don’t go as planned, with Karbone finding cracks in the system – his talent at corruption guarantees Svenson’s brood haven’t long to live. Finding himself on his own, Svenson rises to the occasion and takes matters into his own hands, with explosive results.
Marc Edward Heuck discusses Breaking Point on the New Beverly blog.
