“I will kill every one of you – and then I’ll pretty much wing it from there.”
So says Jennifer Garner as vigilante Riley North in a tense exchange with Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba )in the film “Peppermint“, which opens Sept. 7.
It was Garcia who put a hit on her mechanic husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) for even thinking about robbing him, resulting in not only his death but that of Riley’s beloved daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming) on her birthday – and puts Riley in a coma.
When she awakens, she finds that corrupt judges and lawyers will set the men she identified free without a day of jail.
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On September 7, Jennifer Garner is back in action. #PeppermintMovie pic.twitter.com/OmlS1STilY
— Peppermint (@PeppermintMovie) August 28, 2018
Flash-forward exactly five years from her daughter’s birthday, and the three thugs are found strung up from the Ferris Wheel in the park where Riley lost her family forever. While many vigilante/vengeance films would end with her exacting revenge on the terrible trio, the fact that they are dispatched early – and off-screen – sends a clear message.
That being that Riley North is going after everyone – all the criminals in Garcia’s organization, all the corrupt people in the “system” – so much so, that you know a LOT of bad people are going to die.
That last point needs to be accentuated. Every person Riley kills, you feel is getting what is coming to them. As far as innocent people, they cheer her on, especially the people in Hollywood’s Skid Row, who have seen crime in their neighborhood disappear as she becomes their protector.
No. This isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, from multiple incarnations of “Death Wish” and “The Punisher” to countless direct-to-DVD titles, the vigilante on a personal mission of vengeance is not exactly new.
What does give it a certain freshness is having the vigilante be female. But the difference between “Peppermint” and say, other gender swapping films like “Ghostbusters”, is that “Peppermint” is actually a good movie and that Garner, from her steely eyes to sculpted biceps is believable in carrying this performance off.
The script and direction could be a bit stronger – the courtroom scene is almost laughably weak – and many of the characters are forgettable enough to not even mention.
Plus, for some reason, we see no hint, not even in flashback, of HOW Riley trained to transform herself and her body from reserved PTA mom to unstoppable killing machine.
We do get the finished product hitting the ground running, tough – and that’s pretty fun. But so much else is going on, Garner’s Riley has some good lines and gets to move toward her ultimate target and triumph – all while not caring if she dies in the process – while killing criminal and corrupt vermin in increasing numbers and innovative ways.
While “Peppermint” is not a GREAT movie, in Garner’s hands, Riley North becomes an all-time great character and one you can laugh with and root for.
What more can you want?
Grade: A-
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