video credits: JoBlo Movie Trailers via youtube
image edited: Docxdrl via Bitlanders
Peppermint: A Tale of Revenge
Revenge is a dish best served cold! After five years, this dish was well served! As with the director of John Wick, Chad Stahelski, Pierre Morel brings another movie about a revenging mother- Riley North. The director has a knack for movies with a lot of physically challenging roles. Movies like District B13 and Taken. Well, I’m sure Jennifer Garner had to undergo a lot of physical training to play the role of Riley North. It is without a doubt, that the result is a captivating action movie, with a lot of question marks. For a mother that has lost everything. The lonely, dangerous and sad road of revenge is the only option.
image credits: IMDB
Although the movie peppermint is about Revenge, actress Jennifer Garner has played several physically challenging roles in the past. Such as Alias (2001) and films like Elektra (2005) & DareDevil (2003).
No wonder she gave a wonderful performance while acting the movie Peppermint.
Well, what does not kill you can only make you stronger…
image credits: IMDB
Even though the revenge theme has been used in the cinemas to keep us on edge, for its bloodshed, the shooting, the stunts, the charisma, and enthusiasm by the protagonist, it was also mixed with victimization! This however, made the killings somewhat justified. Well, I for one thought so! This is what makes the movie peppermint, a movie to watch. If you haven’t seen it and you are a fan of action movies, do so.
The Cast
After coming back from a self-imposed exile because the law could not deliver on justice. She’s bloodthirsty for revenge. Here are the main casts for Peppermint
Jennifer Garner as Riley North
A mother who lost everything! On that lovely day in the amusement park, Riley North lost her family to the shooting guns of Garcia Cartel. She came back five years later obsessed with revenge and she got every pound of flesh.
image credits: dailymail.co.uk
John Gallagher Jr. as Detective Stan Carmichael
Played the mole within the LA Police department, a double agent if you prefer.
John Ortiz as Detective Moises Beltran
Played LA good police officer that always watch out for this friend Detective Stan
Juan Pablo Raba as Deigo Garcia
Annie llonzeh as FBI Agent Lisa Inman
The Short Story of Peppermint
It is a noble gesture to bring to justice the murderers of your family, criminals, dirty police officers and to become the guardian angel in your neighbourhood. There is no better motivation than the death of your family. This is achievable when the conventional legal system in the country cannot, or rather choose not to deliver justice because of fear, favour, bribery & corruption.
image credits: IMDB
A hardworking mother, a birthday daughter and a husband that put his family first, did not know that the walk in the park will be their last day together. On a lovely evening, The North’s are celebrating the birthday of their daughter in the park, three men seated in a riding car, pulled out weapons and laid waste the family.
The bullets fired took everything from Riley, her daughter, her husband and her career all gone in a single night in the amusement park. After the random shooting in the park, Riley woke up in the hospital. She miraculously survived and seeks justice for the murder of her daughter & husband by identifying three suspects as members of the Garcia Cartel.
Riley was able to identify three suspects when they were arranged in an identification procedure at the police station. Before the scheduled day in court, a man in a suit came over to her house and offered her a deal. She turned the deal down, but while in court, the judge decided that the evidence presented lacked credibility. The three suspects walk!
image credits: IMDB
Riley the aggrieved mother just went off the grid for five years not before breaking into the bank where she works and robbing them. Popping up once in a while and vanishing again. During which she became trained to be a tactician, profiler and a killer, she resurfaced in Los Angeles hell-blazing.
She started by crippling the Garcia cartel and raiding out evil from the streets, delivering justice to the oppressed making sure she stays off the radar of LA Police by keeping a low profile.
The Content of the Movie
This is the classical theme of revenge. The plot, the logic, the action scene, the idea of Holier-than-thou, are all from the classics. To die when the task is completed. There’s no plot misdirection and character dialogue. The story is simply built on a mother’s revenge at all cost. Makes me think of the movie Colombiana.
image Credits: IMDB
The storyline is basically about what anyone would have done if they had the same opportunity where the protagonist moral compass is of a hero and an antihero. Well, in this case, the heroine Riley North is seen by the public as a guardian or avenging Angel. To the Law, she’s a serial killer or murderer of some sort. This is the typical story of movies I watch when I was still a kid.
There’s no movie without its flaw but in this case. A renowned flaw that no one seems to be taking note is. The script was not fully developed when it comes to the sudden turn in the life of Riley. From a good & caring wife, an exemplary and hardworking mother, a banker, to an avenging angel. I get the idea, that all bad guys must just die. Why should an exemplary mother and wife be doing the killings? What are the events that led to the drastic change? Viewers need to know these things! no backstory?
image credits: IMDB
Peppermint does justice to violence, killings and destruction of properties. This is totally rooted in the belief of revenge, there's racism, drugs, absurdities in the injustices within the legal system. Peppermint is not just a movie of revenge it’s a movie that portrays ugliness and the highest level of subjective discontent.
Jennifer Garner Acting
I’m more than impressed with the acting style, directing and adaptation of Jennifer Garner to the character Riley North. Even though she is used to acting roles that require a lot of physical training, I do think her acting in Peppermint is awesome.
video credits: Flickering Myth via youtube
I believe also that the role of Garner in Peppermint took a toll on her. It has been ages since she acted any movie to the best of my knowledge that requires this much physical activity.
On A Finale Note
This is a movie that is full hatred and revenge and a lot of unexplained loopholes. I'm thinking we haven’t seen the last of peppermint. This movie is suitable for individuals that love action movies. Fun movie lovers like romance, comedy and horror movies should sit this one out.
Peppermint is just a standard classic for revenge with no additional twisted storyline, sense of morality and different plot. It is just the action thriller we expect it to be that’s all that it is.
