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Chris Eberle
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Riley North is a middle-class suburbanite just trying to get by with her loving husband and devoted daughter. When her family is killed in a drive-by shooting, she seeks justice through the system but finds it stacked in favor of the criminals. She goes underground for five years then re-emerges ready to exact revenge. What follows is nothing short of a small war.
2018, Color, Rated R, 1 Hr 42 mins
DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Jennifer Garner, John Gallagher Jr., John Ortiz
Directed by Pierre Morel
Rating
Violence: Yes
Sex: No
Language: Yes
If you’re a fan of The Punisher, this film will be completely familiar. I suspect Universal originally planned to call the movie The Punisher, Ladies Edition but feared raising the legal eyebrows at Marvel Studios. Though it mimics the back story of John Bernthal’s character almost line-for-line, Peppermint provides solid entertainment with good acting, clear writing, and a heroine that’s easy to root for. It checks the action flick boxes with gratuitous violence and our main character shows enough vulnerability to maintain believability. The drug dealers are stamped from the same mold as just about every other similar film I’ve seen. You’ll cheer as each one is dispatched, some in creative ways. While there is nothing new here, Peppermint is a good movie night choice when comic-book action is called for.
The picture is reasonably sharp though there are some soft moments. Color is natural and appropriately drab given the subject matter. Contrast is excellent with deep blacks in nighttime scenes and bright highlights when needed.
Audio comes through in a polite mix that’s better suited for the living room rather than the home theater. The soundstage is fully up front with clear dialog and just average dynamic range. Actions scenes don’t have much impact thanks to a lack of sub and surround effects.
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Bonus features are slim and include just a two-minute plot recap with character introduction, and audio commentary by director Pierre Morel.