Movie Review: STXfilms' Peppermint Movie

Peppermint 
Cast: Jennifer Garner, John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Juan Pablo Raba
Writer: Chad St. John
Director: Pierre Morel
Producers: Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Eric Reid, Richard Wright
Release Date: September 7th, 2018

Peppermint is a high impact, Jennifer Garner led, action thriller which tells the story of young mother Riley North (Garner) who awakens from a coma after her husband and daughter are killed in a brutal attack on the family. When the system frustratingly shields the murderers from justice, Riley sets out to transform herself from citizen to urban guerilla. Channeling her frustration into personal motivation, she spends years in hiding honing her mind, body and spirit to become an unstoppable force – eluding the underworld, the LAPD and the FBI- as she methodically delivers her personal brand of justice.

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If you're old enough to have been a fan of Jennifer Garner's action television series, Alias, you will be happy to see Garner in an action role again. While Garner has spent a decade playing mostly goodie mom roles, there is a good bit of kick-ass in her still. This week's film, Peppermint, is a fun action flick with a cool chic lead. 

The entertainment world needs cool chic leads. It's great to see women in the role of rescuer, instead the rescued. And Garner's character, Riley, is no victim. Even as a tragic event sets Riley on a path of revenge, there is no real time to pity her. It was great to see a woman who doesn't spend half of the movie in her feelings. There is a job to be done and Riley goes right to it. 

The plot moves at a lightening pace. The fast pacing works well for Peppermint. This story isn't entirely novel.  It's a stylized vendetta in the spirit of John Wick. Someone does something bad to someone else and that person wants revenge.  People know what to expect, so there is no need for a ton of back story or details. Peppermint jumps right into the action and stays there. 

More than anything, the movie is fun. The guns are cool. The combat is well choreographed. The Skid Row setting feels authentic. The soundtrack matches the genre perfectly. 

Go see Peppermint. Support a female-lead film. It is fun without over thinking. At a short run-time, the minutes will fly-by. The action will not disappoint. Jennifer Garner never disappoints. Peppermint is playing everywhere now.