Written by: Ian Mackenzie Jeffers (screenplay), Brian Garfield (novel)
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Kevin Bacon , John Goodman , Kelly Preston, Garrett Hedlund
Rating: R
Plot
Nick Hume is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume takes the law into his own hands.
Verdict
A depressing tale about a vigilante with jarring consequences. It's easy to see where this is going in the beginning, but it doesn't end up being a simple revenge tale. Violence begets violence until the end. Kevin Bacon does a solid job, but the story is often transparent. The moral is clear, this doesn't paint a pretty picture of vengeance.
It depends.
Review
This is loosely based on the 1975 novel Death Sentence by Brian Garfield. Garfield is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels.
Home video footage of the fictional family is an effective opener, especially when you know what's coming.
Nick (Kevin Bacon) and his son find themselves in a bad part of town late at night. This slowly dawns on Nick as he's getting gas. The foreshadowing is heavy. Of course the bad guys drive muscle cars. That just seems to be a bad boy staple. Nick then experiences every parent's worst nightmare. It's a terrible thing, but the way it comes together is almost comical. The bad guys are the worst offenders are stretching your suspension of disbelief.
The killer was apprehended, but the DA is rather callous, telling Nick a plea deal for three to five years is the best hope. It's certainly not fair, but this doesn't deter Nick. When the defendant is acting cocky in the courtroom a crazy plan springs to Nick's mind. We see the though cross his mind and we wonder if he'll identify the accursed. He says he can't positively identify his son's killer. The DA is outraged and the detective is suspicious. You know what happens next.
Nick goes vigilante. These movies are a bit of twisted psychology. People imagine retribution and revenge and this takes fantasy to reality. It's dark. This also showcases the short term gain versus the long term cost.
Nick's revenge starts a back and forth between him and the gang. They find him rather quickly and have no problem firing weapons in a crowded public areas. The villains often felt like cartoon characters. They embody many of the typical tropes from trench coats and tattoos to a base of operations in an abandoned mental hospital.
Nick starts on a path of destruction. It's either him or the gang. This gets dark as Nick's actions create consequences for his entire family. Nick's selfish. He wanted to avenge his son's death, which I get, but no one is better off, especially not Nick or his family.
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