Peppermint

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

When a mother has everything that matters to her taken by criminals, she is left with nothing to lose, and an appetite for revenge.

WHAT WE THOUGHT:

I honestly have no idea why Jennifer Garner ever stopped starring in action movies, she is a total badass!

Peppermint just proves that not only should she never have given up the action genre but also that she has still got it. 

The premise of the film sees Riley North (Jennifer) witness her family get murdered. After the justice system fails her she disappears and returns 5 years later to seek vengeance.

Reviving her characters in TV series Alias and the 2005 film, Elektra, Jen totally nails her role as the dangerous neighbourhood vigilante/ruthless bad guy killer with only one goal in mind – hit every target who did her wrong.

And while she plays a pissed off mom seeking revenge, she, strangely enough, still keeps within the ‘suburban mom’ role we’ve come to know her to play.

Look, I won’t ignore the fact that this movie is a massive package of ‘skop, skiet, en donder’ and pretty much delivers every action movie cliché in the book but, if director Pierre Morel’s (Taken, The Gunman) aim was to keep people on the edge of their seat, then he did his job. 

Peppermint is exciting, energetic, filled with suspense and also plays with your emotions – especially where kids are involved.

Jen’s supporting cast did great in terms of playing their part to ensure Peppermint ran with a strong female lead – there’s no doubt that this is the Jen show and I totally love that about it!

With regards to special effects, this fast-pace movie is beautifully filmed, a little bloody at times and doesn’t sugar coat anything – even when Jen gets roughed up, beaten or stabbed. Those bruises are real!

So, is Peppermint an Oscar-winning movie? No. Is it enjoyable and a great piece of work within its genre? Yes! And should you go watch it? It is without a doubt worth the trip to the cinema.