Peppermint - Movie Review

The 1970s introduced us to the vigilante-revenge film a la Charles Bronson. The Death Wish films were widely popular in the 1970s and 1980s, despite the decreasing aggregate ratings of the films. The original started at 7/10, devolving slowly over the next decade and three sequels to a 5.4/10. In spite of the tepid ratings, the films were popular and successful. Enough so, that we saw a resurgence of the franchise this year with Bruce Willis as the star of Death Wish 2018 which I rated a paltry 6/10. It seems 2018 may be attempting to revive the genre with a second vigilante film, Peppermint starring Jennifer Garner.

Like many families, Riley North (Garner) and husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) are just trying to make ends meet. Chris becomes involved in a shady deal that he hopes will lead to easy street. He backs out at the last minute, but it is too late. A local drug cartel has caught wind of the plan, which involves ripping them off, and has decided to show extreme prejudice. The cartel does a drive by shooting as the North's are visiting a local carnival with daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming). The cartel kills Chris and Carly, leaving Riley to face a justice system that is rotten with dirty cops and judges. Riley disappears off the grid, training for the ultimate revenge, delivered with the same extreme prejudice five years later. The trail of carnage and destruction Riley leaves in her wake elevates her to celebrity status on social media, leading to a showdown between the cartel and jaded survivor.

Peppermint is every other vigilante film ever made. It is predictable, derivative and hackneyed. The only difference is that this film has a female lead. 2018 also appears to be the year of the empowered female in Hollywood. Nothing wrong with that. But in this format, there isn't much room for value or new material. The script follows the inevitable formula of victim, corruption, and self-administered justice. I was engaged with the action and interested in seeing how this film differed from others like it, but wasn't given much to hang my hat on. I love Garner, so there was that. The plot was basic, relying on great pacing to give the film some value.

If I were casting for a badass female Charles Bronson, Jennifer Garner would definitely make the list. She was a great choice for this role. Looking at Garner, it is easy to forget she is in her late 40s. She looks great in this film. She obviously put in some work in preparation. She carries this film and makes it look easy. Had the casting opted for someone younger, say Rhonda Rousey, this film would have suffered for it. I think the casting helped this film immensely. John Ortiz is strong as the straight detective. John Gallagher Jr. was tolerable as his partner/underling. Overall, the casting helped push this film into the recommended category from the forgettable hackneyed tripe category.

Peppermint earned an easy R rating from the MPAA. The film is violent. Extremely violent at times. The film also depicts that violence with graphic imagery. It is meant to have some shock effect. It succeeds on that point. I thought the violence was somewhat contextual, although often over-the-top. The film also has a fair share of coarse language. Beyond that, the film is tame. There is no nudity or sex. The film deals with a drug cartel, so there is one scene where drugs are being packaged by women in their underclothing. Another derivative Hollywood concept, but not out of context in the greater scheme of things. Tweens and above should be fine for this film. The run time is one hour, 41 minutes.

Peppermint doesn't tread any new ground. It is a typical vigilante revenge film reminiscent of the Death Wish series and its many sequels. There is only so much you can do with this niche genre. In this case, they give us a female lead. But haven't we seen plenty of that as well? A few come to mind: Salt, La Femme Nikita, Hanna, Kill Bill, etc. This film has a predictable plot, but it was a mild bit of fun getting there. While derivative, I liked the acting and the visual look of the film. It had enough redeeming qualities for a recommendation. Which, oddly enough, mirrors my ratings for Death Wish 2018 and Salt. Without planning to, I gave both of those films a 6/10. The same goes for Peppermint. 6/10. Hannah is much better at 7.5/10. If you are in the mood for a revenge film with a female star, rent Hannah.

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