Trilogy Week #21 - Revenge Movies

A concept as old as civilization itself. Told in many different ways, from many different cultures. The believe that the wrong doings done unto you shall be given to the ones that we think deserve it. Revenge is even in the bible, "an eye for an eye". But is it justified? A tricky question to a complex answer. But you do love to live out these dark fantasies of ours, in stories. So here are three movies about three different versions of that sweet comeuppance of revenge.

Title: Taken

Year: 2008

Director: Pierre Morel

Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 1hr. 30min.

My Review: Liam Neeson show how even at the ripe old age of 58, he can still be a bad ass. Showing how messing with his family is not something you want to play with. The movie itself is pretty entertaining. A masterpiece it is not. There's no real sense of danger, or suspense you get. Liam Neeson's character might be reaching retirement age, but it seems just a little too easy for him to find this secret underground kidnapping ring. Does that take away from the movie? A little. The revenge is nice, to see these scumbags get their asses handed to them, but in the line of the history of revenge movies, it's ok. 5 out of 5.

Title: Cape Fear

Year: 1991

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lang, Juliette Lewis, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Joe Don Baker

Rated: R

Running Time: 2hr. 7min.

My Review: This is the first time I've seen this movie, I knew I was in for a treat because this is a Scorsese film. He just knows how to show the cool grittiness of gangsters and thugs. The film is a little slow paced, but it works. Because of this being a revenge movie, it adds to the suspense. De Niro's character is calm, collected, charming, and terrifyingly unpredictable. He know he will snap eventually, but the pace of the movie keeps that tension stretching tighter and tighter. His character Max Cady is relentless, a freight train of anger, boiling with 14 years of hate, waiting to act on his revenge. The acting by everyone is awesome, especially De Niro, and Juliette Lewis, where their seen in the high school theatre was completely ad-libbed, and done in one take. De Niro has always been one of my favorite actors, and he proves it in this film. 8 out of 10 

Title: Payback

Year: 1999

Director: Brian Helgeland

Cast: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, David Paymer, William Devane, Kris Kristofferson, Lucy Liu, Deborah Kara Unger, James Coburn

Rated: R

Running Time: 1hr. 41min.

My Review: This film is hard to place in a specific time period. Who had rotary car phones? Or is this even our world? Well where ever this cool film noir world comes from, I like it. Mel Gibson is looking for his money, and will tear down a entire gangster syndicate to get it back. I like how the movie pokes fun of the fact that Porter only wants 70 grand. But to him, it's not just the money, it's the principle of the whole thing. You don't take what belongs to him. But didn't he steal that money from Asian gangster's? Well, that's beside the point. the point is you don't mess with Mel Gibson. Whether it be gangsters, Jews, or police women with sugar tits. A fun dopey run to mow down.... wait..... what do the gangster run?... drugs, women, guns, gambling?..... It doesn't matter, they just gotta die! BLAM BLAM! 7 out of 10