“Peppermint”, the latest action movie from Pierce Morel, will have you thinking that you’ve seen it somewhere before. Make no mistake, no matter how familiar this action/revenge film may seem, you have not.

In “Peppermint”, the heroine is a non-descript and ordinary Los Angeles housewife, mother and bank employee.

Jennifer Garner portrays the doting and dutiful Riley North. Unbeknownst to her is the fact that her life will forever be altered by a decision made to relieve her family’s desperate financial situation.

The viewing audience travels with Riley through nearly 90 minutes of climactic nonstop action that highlights Garner’s physical abilities, and Riley’s determination to exact street justice when the court system fails.

A family ordered hit occurs five years prior and is shown in flashback. Riley, her husband and daughter are targeted because her husband agrees to participate in a plan to rob drug dealers working for a Latin cartel.

He changes his mind at the last minute and does not participate in the robbery but it is carried out without him by a friend.  The cartel learns about the plot and orders all conspirators killed.

Riley, her husband and daughter are peppered with bullets at a family outing. Her husband and daughter are killed but Riley survives. Two detectives are assigned to investigate the case and the killers are identified in a police lineup. They are arrested and released which sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

There is one blood bath after another as she hunts and methodically eliminates everyone responsible for the slaughter of her family. The viewers are never shown exactly where she acquires her lethal mortal combat training, but she becomes a one-woman wrecking machine.

John Gallagher Jr’s. performance as Detective Stan Carmichael was mediocre but  there is a delicious surprise offered near the end of the movie, for the viewer.

John Ortiz’s portrayal of Detective Moises Beltran was truly forgettable. As one representing the good in law and order, his performance was laughable at best.

It may be true that “Peppermint” lacks originality and credibility, but Jennifer Garner’s performance more than compensates. She handles the physical demands of her role admirably.

Rating: 2/5 sails

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