There is something extremely appealing to a strong female lead role in a film. Especially when that woman is also an action heroine. And before you all fall over me, I don’t mean that in a sexist way at all. I have always believed that women can pretty much do anything a man can do, and sometimes they do it even better. For the people that have been following my blog for a while now, you know that I have a particular love for revenge movies. It was only a short while ago that I reviewed the Korean revenge movie The Villainess which coincidentally also featured a lady that could seriously kick some booty. So why are women in such roles so appealing? I don’t exactly have an answer to that question. But I do know it is great to see a woman pretty much beat the living daylights out of men that are so evil that they don’t even deserve to be alive in this world. This month we see Jennifer Garner finally make a very welcome return to the action genre. Looking back to quite a few years ago, some people might remember her playing the feisty agent Sydney Bristow in the hitseries Alias. In Peppermint though she seems to pay homage to that character, only this time she plays the completely psychotic and lethal version of it.
Riley North is a woman who struggles to make ends meet. She and her husband Chris have a lovely daughter and live a good life, but they do seem to have trouble keeping their heads above water financially. Chris almost went off to do something stupid and illegal but changed his mind at the last second. One night on their daughter’s birthday they head off as a family to the local carnival. They have the time of their lives, but that changes in the blink of an eye when a drive by shooting by local drug cartel members results in something absolutely horrible. Riley survives the incident and has the chance to appear in court, as she alone has managed to step up and identify the suspects. But a sleezeball lawyer and corrupt judge manage to turn the tables, and as a result the perpetrators get set free. But then something snaps in Riley. The once quiet and loving mother is determined to bring a justice of her own to the cartel and woe to anyone who will stand in her way. They say hell hath no fury to a woman scorned, and Riley North has become the living embodiment of that saying….
Well, if this sounds like a story you might have seen and heard of a countless number of times in movies, you would be right. Yes this is a straight up good old fashioned revenge movie, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. What we have here is one of those films, that will probably leave your mind by the end of the week, but is still solidly entertaining and worth making a trip to the movie theatre for. One of the reasons for this is most certainly Jennifer Garner. She is amazing as the grieving mother with a heart, and brings a cold determination to her character as she continues with her mission of vengeance. And what a mission it is. She is a one man erm woman army as she shoots, stabs and kicks all sorts of low life trash to the afterlife. It almost felt at times that I was looking at an old 80’s Stallone or Schwarzenegger movie, but without the over the top and unrealistic action. (Althought I love those movies in case you were wondering). Garner is totally believable in this role, and it was nice to finally see her step out of her pretty mundane roles of late, and go into full on action mode again.
Storywise this just isn’t an original tale, although there was a twist during the later half of the film that I did not see coming. And it’s always nice to see something like that happening. But in a movie like this it’s the action that counts, and in that way this film doesn’t let up for a second. We have a total adrenaline rush here, that sees you moving from one fight scene, to the next gunbattle and all of these are pretty brutal too. The director doesn’t have a problem with depicting violence, but it never get too gory. As mentioned though, the action certainly wasn’t unrealistic, and it was also refreshing to see that Riley isn’t an invulnerable superwoman but actually get’s wounded, and quite a lot too. The action sequences were choreagraphed very decently, and certainly won’t leave anyone who craves for action in their films feel slighted. The rest of the roles in this film weren’t very memorable to be honest, but this is pretty much a film that is carried by the role of Garner, and I was fine with that.
I had fun with this film. It’s a movie that doesn’t reinvent the revenge genre, but I have to be honest that I’m not always looking for movies that feel the need to do that. Sometimes it’s nice to see just a solid entry into a familiar genre, and on that front this movie absolutely delivers. So do I recommend the film? Well, if you love oldschool action movies, with gunbattles, and energetic fight sequences with a solid female lead, I would say go for it. If that isn’t you usual cup of tea, this movie won’t convince you otherwise, and it’s best to avoid it then. What this movie does prove though is that it’s never a good idea to mess with a mother’s love for her child. Or women in general. Some can certainly turn into angels of vengeance, a lesson that one does best to not forget. And in case you might have forgotten it, I hope you won’t ever run into Riley North. Because I am pretty sure she won’t mind in helping you remember it…..
I give Peppermint a 7 out of 10 score.
Not everything needs to be original and this sounds like a great film. Might have to give this a watch!
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Totally agree. Sometimes you just want to see a bit of mindless, but entertaining fun, and this one certainly delivers that 😊😊
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Awesome! I really wanted to see this, so thank you for reinforcing that desire in me :]
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Haha, you are very welcome 😊😊 I hope you will enjoy the film too! 😊
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A strong female role can be really good in a film 🙂 I loved the role Uma Thurman played in Kill Bill (Beatrix Kiddo/the Bride/Black Mamba), she was amazing in it 🙂 What you’ve described here, sounds a lot like a Kill Bill type movie and if this movie is any way as good as Kill Bill, it’ll be a great watch 😀
Glad you enjoyed the film 🙂
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It is definitely that type of film, although Kill Bill is a classic, and this one certainly isn’t. That said, it’s still a lot of fun, and Jennifer’s role was absolutely amazing and pretty much the main reason to watch this movie. Thank you, I really hope you will enjoy the film yourself if you get around to it at some point 😊
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This does sound very Kill Bill, which I loved, so will defo be seeing this!
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It certainly is that type of film, so if you loved that one..this is certainly worth it to give it a watch 😊😊
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I remember when Jennifer Garner was in the Electra movies which even though they were kinda bad, they were entertaining to watch as well.
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Yeah, those films were so bad they were kind of fun too if that makes any sense. She was seriously good in that role though and her martial arts prowess in that was amazing 😊😊
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*sees the title of the post in her feed*
*sees who wrote it*
“I’m guessing this movie doesn’t have candy…”
*reads*
Well, no candy, but there was a carnival.
I really don’t think I’ve heard anything about this film. All I keep seeing is advertisements for Small Foot.
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Lol…really had to laugh at your comment, it was seriously funny 😂😂 Nope…no candy, but does peppermint icecream count? Because that was in this film 😂😂😂
Nope the film has gone a bit under the radar, but it also came out just a few days ago, so that might also be the reason you haven’t heard much about it yet 😊😊 It’s a fun film though…even though there was no candy in it😂😂
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Great review… Maybe one day I will watch this… Ah well… Yeah maybe
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Thank you so much. 😊😊 Well, maybe one day you will. It certainly is a fun film. And even if you don’t see this, I can give you plenty of other movie recommendations to watch one day 😊😊
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Even though the story looks like a old fashioned it looks good. I love the movies with female lead. The movies which are released where I stay mainly has male as the main lead and heroine are nothing but just a guest appearance, but things are changing now. Heroines are becoming the main lead and people are encouraging their movies.😊
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Things are definitely changing, and I say that is a very good thing. There are couple of very good films heading our way with some hopefully good female leads again, most notably Captain Marvel. I’m hoping this change continues, as it’s certainly a positive change, that’s for sure. Thanks for you great comment! 😊
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I agree with you that we’ve seen this story a hundred times before but that Jennifer Garner makes it worth watching, even if it won’t be one that sticks in mind for a long time. It was a fun diversion especially heading i to TIFF where aside from the Predator I doubt I’ll see any action movies.
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It really was. I had a lot of fun with the film! And Jennifer Garner really was amazing in it. Predator will be up next for me, so after having seen that review from you I’m really excited to go see it 😊😊
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Terrific review Michel! I already had this on my radar because…well…Jennifer Garner of course! Now it’s really at the top of my Must See movies. And that movie poster is gorgeous!☺️
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Thank you so much! It really was a fun film, and this one would probably not have been so good if anyone else had starred in it. Jennifer just really did an amazing job in this movie. And I agree that poster is seriously cool! 😊😊
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I don’t know why it’s cool to see a woman in this role either, but it is! This does sound like fun and I’m always up for a good old fashioned action movie! Great review!
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It really was a good old fashioned and very enjoyable action film indeed. Jennifer was just absolutely terrific in her role, and that’s what elevated the film above average levels 😊😊 Thanks as always for your kind words and comment! 😊😊
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Awesome!! 😀 You’re welcome! 😊
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I agree. It’s not going to astound anyone but she’s just great in the role and fun to watch.
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Absolutely..sometimes you just simply need films like this in your life: mindless, but enjoyable fun 😊
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Oooo! Great review! This definitely sounds like a movie I’d be interested in checking out and you’ve got me really excited about it!
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Thank you so much! That’s always nice to hear 😊😊 It really was a fun film! I hope you will enjoy it yourself when you get around to seeing it 😊
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Hitseries – histeries 😉 I liked Alias and I like peppermint, I would like to watch peppermint movie.
I don’t know does Jennifer was doing all her stunt scenes as Tom Cruise, but at the age of 46, she looks good.
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Yes Alias was really an amazing show. One of the better ones in the history of television. Don’t know if she did all the stunts herself either. But I definitely know that all the fight scenes are her, as shse is well trained in the martial arts 😊 And she really does look good, totally agree 😀
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Ahhh, I might just have to keep this one in mind for a good entertaining acton film. I do love me revenge plots, I do! 🙂 Not a HUGE fan of Garner.. mainly due to those mundane roles, but I’ll not write her off yet 😀
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Well: the mundane roles certainly are not the ones that I remember her for: but she was really good in Alias (pretty much the first time I saw her). If you love revenge plots: than this one is certainly one to check out. As mentioned it’s not the best film you will see, but it’s certainly an enjoyable one😊
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Very nice review. Still haven’t seeing this movie yet (you actually beat me in seeing it). Plan on seeing it this coming week.
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Thank you so much!😊 Well as I said it’s not the best film out there, but it doesn’t aslways have to be in my opinion. This one is just very entertaining and Garner’s role is just very good in this. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it😊😊
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Great review, man. I’m keen to see this one.
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Thank you 😊😊 It’s definitely a fun film. Hope you will enjoy it when you get the chance to see it😊
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I love reading books with strong female lead so I’m glad you enjoy movies with them in it. When the girl is a badass, the read is even more awesome. I haven’t heard of this movie before but I’m glad you enjoyed it. Great review!
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Thank you so much!😊 Yeah books with strong female leads in them are something I love as well. It always (well pretty much always anyway) makes for a very entertaining read 😊😊 This film has just come out, so it’s no real surpise you haven’t yet heard of this one. It’s well worth checking out though 😊
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… Sexist pig. We SOMETIMES do things better than men?? 😉😉🐽🐷😂😂😂 I kid… Btw, I’M BAAACK!!!! 💖💖💖 Yup, that’s right! No escaping my stalking now!!
So…. Do they explain HOW she becomes a bad assed killing machine?? Downtrodden mother, to killing machine? Is there a training montage? Does she have some sort of a background?? Or, does anger give her the sudden ability to sharpshoot?? 🤔🤔
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Hey!! Who are you calling a sexist pig! 🐽 Oh well, guess I was asking for it…better not go into too many details right now 😂😂
And YAY you are baaaackkk! 😊 Too bad I am not…well not completely anyway, which I guess is typical 😢 But getting there again…erm, well, I think anyway 😅😅
Lol…well there is some kind of explanation yes…and as far as things go, this one really is realistic in the fact that she is not someone who walks away from a fight totally without damage 😊😊 So…I guess that’s good 😊😊 And you know Yoda always said that anger leads to hate right?? 😂😂😂
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…. HATE I can understand…. Yoda did NOT say “anger leads to kick ass elite skills”, if he did, I would have ALL THE SKILLS, since I pretty much hate everything!! 😉😂😂
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Lol 😂😂 Well…I hope you don’t hate me 😅😅 Else I might just have to go all Sith Lord on you lol 😂😂
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Jennifer Garner back in the action, count me interested! I loved her in Alias, she kicked major ass.
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Hell yeah she did! She was amazing in that, and kicked some major ass. It was a great series, but she most definitely elevated it to an even higher level 😊
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She was a bad ass. How you doing, buddy?
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She totally was…Ugh…felt better my friend. This flu bug seems to think that the start of my vacation is a good time to really begin making me even more sick. Not a good start of the vacation, but I hope to beat this thing soon, and get started on it for real 😊
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You’ll get there.
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Hopefully, yesterday I had a very high fever, but that’s gone today, so I hope to finally be able to get back into things today 😊 Thank you😊
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Good to know you’re doing better.
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Hope to see you on my blog, I’ve missed talking to you.
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Definitely missed you too my friend 😊😊
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God, I love revenge movies. There’s a twisted sweeteness to watching someone who deserves pay for what they did, especially if what they did was horrendous… I mean, we get enough injustice in the world, let the bad guys suffer for once!
I think Gardner was a perfect choice for this. Even though she’s no longer in her prime years, her time in ALIAS probably helped shaping this role a lot easier than it would most people. So yeah, I’m intrigued! And like you, I love watching women kick men’s butts xD (as long as they deserved it, of course)
I like the fact that it’s kept realistic and she’s not invencible. That has to be the best part, because it puts the audience in the edge of its seat: will she make it? Will she not? Will they pay? Will they walk away?
Great review, Michell, as always! ^^ ❤
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Thank you so much for another wonderful and amazing comment as always. I’m sorry for responding so late, still not feeling a 100% my usual self, this flu bug thing is annoying as hell😢
But yeah: revenge movies are awesome! I can never seem to get enough of them 😊😊 This one certainly did a lot of things right! Especially on the casting department as Jennifer really did do an amazing job with playing her role for this 😊 Yes, the realistic part was one of the highlights for me, as too often you see people in films like these that seem to be impervious to anything the bad guys throw at them.
Thanks again for this great comment, and I hope you will enjoy the film once you get around to it 😊
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Aw that’s totally fine! I hope you’re feeling better ❤ I know how screens can be a pain to someone who's sick… So try and avoid them if you can (though this is so counter productive because I really want you to start blogging again hahaha)
And no worries, as always it's a pleasure 😊
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Well, actually I am feeling worse lol. It seems the bug waited until my vacation started to really become annoying 😢 But, hoping some rest will make me feel better soon 😊 Thanks again as always 😊
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Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that 😦 At least you don’t have all the stress and schedules to make you even worse, so that’s a plus I guess?
I honestly hope it goes away soon so you don’t waste your holidays completely! That would be a shame
All the best and please take good care of yourself ❤
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Yeah, I had a really bad day yesterday almost 39 degrees celcius fever, but today I woke up feeling somewhat better again. So i hope to get back into things again 😊 Thank you for your concern, appreciate it 😊❤️
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Ah that’s a relief! I’m so happy to hear you’re doing better ❤️ Wishing you a full recovery this week!!
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You sure do love your revenge thrillers huh? 😀 The movie definitely sounds like one of those classic 80s/90s action movies, and Garner is a nice actress too! I’m glad you enjoyed this though, and it’s definitely nice to read about these movies. Reminds us about all the great movies we can always watch as throwbacks! Great review, Michel!
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I really love those films…totally agree with you 😊😊 There are probably going to be a lot more reviews coming in the future for those type of mocies. Garner did a terrific job in this one, and it’s certainly one worth checking out. Thanks as always Lashaan for your great and kind comments 😊😊
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Energetic female leads suddenly reminded me of the Powerpuff Girls for some reason. But aside from that, yes it’s nice to see a female lead in an action-revenge movie who doesn’t seem totally invincible but can still kick some booty! Even if this is an old-school theme, I too don’t think we need to think too much for that, because as far as revenge movies are concerned , the good old-fashioned plots never go old really. Great post friend!
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Haha, well…this is probably best described as the Powerpuff Girls on acid lol 😂😂
But true enough, even though this film had an age old theme, it was a pretty good movie. Especially because of the role of Jennifer Gardner. Thanks so much for the kind words and your comment as always 😊
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Powerpuff girls on acid LOL! nice reference hehe! And you’re welcome Michel!
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