Checked out the new Jennifer Garner action flick Peppermint… Jennifer Garner hasn’t been doing action flicks since the days of her tv show Alias… she’s been focusing on family dramas and romantic comedies so its kind of nice to see her back.
As in The Punisher and a dozen or three other films, Garner’s family is gunned down by drug dealers / mafia / gangsters (take your pick). She’s devastated and, in this case, goes off for 5 years to the Sarah Conner School of Weapons Training, and returns to get he revenge… on pretty much everyone, including people not directly related to the assassination of her family. If they are Mexican and have tattoos, she’s coming for them. There’s a slight bit of fear and paranoia pandering in the depiction of the villains (they have a drug den in a pinata factory… a PINATA factory).
And that’s about it. There’s no real story beyond the basics or character drama in the film and the action isn’t very good. Garner sells it – she looks good and is convincing with weapons – but that doesn’t matter if the scenes aren’t particularly exciting. Really, Garner is the only good thing in the film… and, to her credit, she carries a decent amount. Enough to keep the film from utterly tanking.
And that’s about it… just another revenge film. Garner is good and that’s it. I wish Garner came back for a better action flick… something even on the level of Atomic Blonde or something that excels like John Wick. Instead we get a sub Proud Mary… which isn’t a very good flick either but at least it dares to have a character and character moments.
Score: 66