Review of Death Sentence (2007) by Ryan O — 06 Mar 2011

I finally caught up with 2007's Death Sentence and I'm still trying to figure out why it got so panned by the mainstream critics. This is a film that isnt going to win any awards and certainly not for everyone, but its not nearly as bad as the critics would make you believe.

Make no mistake, Death Sentence is brutal, violent, bloody, over the top, and in some scenes, cringe-worthy. Kevin Bacon has never failed to disappoint me and he certainly doesn't here either.

John Goodman is outstanding as well - finally a part that he can sink his teeth into and carry. He's outright scary and haunting.

I think the biggest problem with this film, and why it wasn't embraced by audiences or critics is two-fold:

1. The violence is brutal. If you have a weak stomach for graphic violence, skip it.

2. As a society, we've become so PC-oriented that everything needs to be turned back - in order not to offend anyone. There's lots of offensive things in this picture, and it carries it like a badge of honor.

Finally, I think the most glaring detraction from this film is its familiarity with the vengeance/revenge flim's that have come before it. It borrows heavily from most of them, then knocks up the vengeance aspect to an 11.

I'll admit, I did liked this movie for what it was. The biggest disappointment for me was the end, it seemed like a cop-out to the effect that the story had painted the characters into a corner, to the point that the outcome was the only option left.

I'll recommend this one with caution. Its uber-violent and if that's not your cup of tea, move along, there is nothing to see here. You've been warned.