Death Sentence (2007)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

James Wan

Writers (WGA):

Ian Jeffers (screenplay)
Brian Garfield (novel)

Release Date:

31 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Protect What's Yours

Plot:

Nick Hume is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no length is too great when protecting his family.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Death | Revenge | Blood On Camera Lens | Car Theft

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	Nick Hume
Kelly Preston	...	Helen Hume
Jordan Garrett	...	Lucas Hume
Stuart Lafferty	...	Brendan Hume
Garrett Hedlund	...	Billy Darley
Aisha Tyler	...	Detective Wallis
John Goodman	...	Bones Darley
Matt O'Leary	...	Joe Darley (as Matthew O'Leary)
Edi Gathegi	...	Bodie
Hector Atreyu Ruiz	...	Heco
Kanin Howell	...	Baggy
Dennis Keiffer	...	Jamie
Freddy Bouciegues	...	Tommy
Leigh Whannell	...	Spink
Casey Pieretti	...	Dog

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody brutal violence and pervasive language.

Runtime:

105 min | 111 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:18 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:18 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Taiwan:R-18 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:M18 | France:-12 | USA:R (certificate #43539) | Australia:MA | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R18 | Malaysia:18SG | Finland:K-18 | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Portugal:M/18 | Peru:18 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Japan:R15+

Filming Locations:

Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Garrett Hedlund shaved his head for his role in this movie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Nick puts the red Ford into gear, he does so without the key (it's not his car). Modern cars cannot be put in gear without a key AND a foot on the brake.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nicholas "Nick" Hume: [while recording his family at Christmas] Okay, guys. Ready?

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Soundtrack:

Alright

As revenge thrillers go, this has got balls !

As revenge thrillers go, this has got balls ! Nothing new and exciting here for what is fast becoming a tired old genre, but boasting the considerable talents of Kevin Bacon in the lead role, Death Sentence is way above average and never outstays its welcome. Nick Hume & his son Brendan stop at a gas station one night and a violent turn of events transforms Nick into a maelstrom of fury.

Asking the question of just what lengths we would go to to look after our families, Death Sentence is merely following on from the likes of Death Wish and Eye For An Eye, but here the violence is upped to such a gruesome standard, it creates maximum impact. Yet it's not the violence that leaves the lasting impression, it's the decent of the main protagonist that terrifies the most, a humble and decent man spiralling out of control, done down by the system, he finds darkness within him that he surely didn't know he had. Some sequences here are excellent, and although we are asked to swallow the impossible for one too many occasions, the film does find a trick to keep it out of formulaic tedium. Kevin Bacon deserves better than this for sure, but he's great in the dual role and as revenge thrillers go, this hits the mark, kind of like a kick in the privates, 7/10.