Peppermint Review

Peppermint starts off as what appears to be a nice family movie, following a young couple Riley (Jennifer Garner) and Chris North (Jeff Hephner) celebrating their daughter Carly’s (Cailey Fleming) birthday. Due to some misunderstanding Riley watches her family get gunned down by three members of the Mexican cartel headed by Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba). Just when things couldn’t get any worst for the now devastated mother and widow, her court case gets thrown out by a corrupt judge and attorney forcing her to be sentenced to the psych ward. But Riley manages to break free and disappear.

Then Peppermint kicks it up a notch and transforms into a shoot ‘em up and resumes our story five years later on the anniversary of Riley’s family’s murders. It starts off strong with her hunting down and killing the gunmen that started the whole cycle. However, this is just the start for our now badass revenge seeking mother, who will not stop until she brings the whole cartel down or die trying.

Peppermint is directed by Pierre Morel (Taken, The Gunman) who is a veteran in this genre and constantly makes good movies, Peppermint is no exception. I must say I was not disappointed by the film. The movie also features Hollywood legend Jennifer Garner as the main character, getting back to her action roots, which is awesome to see that she hasn’t forgotten about them.

Garner is supported by some pretty big supporting actors as well, with John Gallagher Jr. and John Ortiz, both playing detectives, with some nice but small roles like Method Man making an appearance. With such an experienced cast, there is no wonder why production is so good. The film is dark and gritty, which plays into the overall feel of the movie in such a strong way.

I personally feel that darker, gritty action movies, which emphasize on story and don’t stray too much are the best, Peppermint defiantly delivers on that. Although not based on a comic, Peppermint gives off a very comic-like feel, and it plays very well into the whole picture.

The Conclusion

Peppermint is a dark, gritty, and bloody shooter, which does the genre justice. I don’t think Garner couldn’t have picked a time or film to tap back into the action scene. With a strong cast and great care from them, they made a great film. And with Morel it is an action to rival most. If you were a fan of Garners “Alias” days, you’ll love this film.

Peppermint Review at Theater with Standard Viewing
Screening Provided by Elevation Pictures

Rating Overall: 7.1