ACTS OF VENGEANCE 2017 (A REVIEW)

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Title: Acts Of Vengeance 2017

Casts:
Antonio Banderas, Cristina Serafini, Atanas Srebre,Eric Ali, Lillian Blankenship, Clint Dyer, Isaac Florentine, Robert Forster, David Sakurai, Mark Rhino Smith, Karl Urban, Raicho Vasilev, Paz Vega

Rating: R (for violence and language)

Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama

Directed By: Isaac Florentine

Released Date : Oct 27, 2017

Runtime: 86 minutes

Studio: Saban Films

Losing a loved one is one of the most painful thing in the world. Frank Valera(Antonio Banderas) lost two, his beloved wife Sue Valera(Cristina Serafini) and his beautiful daughter Olivia Valera(Lilian Blankenship), he didn't have that coming, but then no one who have experienced this type of loss or any type of loss at all had it coming.

Frank Valera was a fast talking celebrity lawyer who spoke around 80 thousand words a day and amongst those words, he only spoke 3 words to his family "I love you", of course if he could turn back the hands of time, he will speak more to them. He was a sleek tongue defence attorney who made money defending any type of person, of course including criminals and that cost him his family. Due to an unexpected work in the office and the heavy traffic on his way, frank was late to his daughter's talent show recital(nice performance by the way). Judging from the number of Teddy's with the "I'm sorry" tags in his daughter's room, he never showed up for anything but this time around his daughter didn't get to see the teddy because she and his wife was attacked and murdered on their way back home, and their body was dumped in a well known violent neighborhood.

He kept going to the police but there was no lead on the people that committed the crime, the case went cold by the day and finally closed. Frank began to take alcohol and one he stumbled on illicit stage fighting matches behind the bar and as a penance for not being there for his family, he decided to get himself beaten. He went there day after day,and was almost beaten to death until an off duty cop Strode(Karl Urban) rescued him.
One night after a drinking session, he had fight with some bad guys who was pimping a 13 year old girl, he got stabbed and crashed into a bookstore and landed on a copy of Marcus Aurelius' Meditation and he stumbled on a sentence that motivated him to find his family's murderer and make them pay.

He resigned from his work, and started training in martial arts. He got his inspiration from the Meditation, took an oath of silence and promised never to say a word till he avenges the death of his loved ones.

POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Frank's love his daughter is admirable. Initially, it looked like he had no plans of going to the talent show until he heard her voice. He just had to leave everything aside and go even if he got there late..

After their deaths, he kept going to the police for answers, he didn't just take the laws into his hands, he tried to be a law abiding citizen despite the odds.

When approached by the 13 year old for sex, he didn't fall for it even as he was drunk. All he could see was someone's daughter, he even fought for her. He didn't lose his sanity or dignity over the loss of his family.

The nurse Sheila (Pat Vega) got herself a knight in Frank by not giving up on him. She showed care and tended to his gunshot wounds and frank saved her from drug dealers too. I guess one good turn deserves another.

SPIRITUAL CONTENT
The only religious activity is at the funeral of Sue and Olivia, a clergyman was reading out Psalm 91.

SEXUAL CONTENT
Apart from the scene where the 13 year old prostitute offered Hank sex, there is no nudity or sexual content of any kind.

VIOLENT CONTENT
What's a vengeance story without violence. Frank attacks Shivers(Clint Dyer) in the kitchen of a restaurant not knowing that he was the eye witness of the murder. After exchanging blows, Frank attempts to strangle him with a rope.

At the stage fighting matches area, drunken Frank caused a rockus and he was beaten to stupor day after day.

He went back to the crime scene to search for answers, he was met by 4 men that wanted to rob him. It ended up in a fight, he displayed his martial arts skills, beating up the guys and finally got shot.

While talking to the 13 year old, some guys came to pimp her and he tried to fight them off but this was before his martial arts lessons, so he was stabbed.

The nurse was caught up with some drug dealers. Frank dropped her off at her place but she was ambushed by them. Suddenly Frank she's up and fought them off.

Finally, face to face with the murderer, a lot of fighting and violent skills were displayed as Frank was determined to make him pay.

CRUDE OR PROFANE LANGUAGE
There is a use of the f-words twice, and one use of s-words." God's name is misused once.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL CONTENT
No physical use of drugs but the bad guys were requesting of it from the nurse. Characters drink beer,champagne and whiskey.

OTHER NEGATIVE ELEMENTS
Frank is a good guy with a loving heart, but he rarely had time for his family. He was more involved at work than his family, which is not good.

CONCLUSION
I will rate this 5.3/10. Honestly I find the plot very childish. I get the concept of the whole vengeance stuff Florentine was trying to force down our throats but the plot was not an adventure movie I expected, I mean Frank crashed into a bookstore and the opened the book and abracadabra!! the first text he saw was a "sign" to get vengeance, this sounds like beauty and the beast stories you tell kids (skip the violent part). Why didn't he decide to take vengeance while watching the illicit fights then maybe find the book to further help his cause? Well, I guess Florentine was trying to get creative.

So Frank have been watching Strode for days and he didn't notice that the later keeps his key by the flower? Or did he just keep the key there for the first time on purpose? It looked like Florentine was tired of dragging us through the movie and then decided to cut it short there, like hey man, just drop the keys let Frank find it so we can end this movie and go home!

While it was thrilling to watch Banderas with his jacket playing 007, it would have been better to have a younger, mean looking actor do this. Not that Banderas wasn't good, he was considering his age but it would have been colorful and more satisfying to watch a younger person play the role.

Meanwhile our attention was drawn to the mafians and it turned out they didn't have any relationship whatsoever with the murderer, then why involve them in the movie? The music and sound used at every scene is great though. Acts of vengeance did serve as an entertainment tool.