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SYNOPSIS:
Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) is a mild-mannered executive with
a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses/experiences
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.
MOVIE
REVIEW
Why on earth has Kevin Bacon yet to get a nod at
the Oscars? This man can do no wrong. He is such a charming
chameleon on the screen over the years, you name it and he
plays it. A pedophile, an astronaut, an estranged scientist
and the list goes on.
In
“Death Sentence”, Bacon plays a white collar worker,
Nick Hume who took the law to his own hands by avenging his
son’s death. A victim of what the police termed as “Initiation
Killing”, the motive apparently was not robbery but
just a random act committed by the killer to prove one’s
bravery before joining a gang.
In
the true style of the Bride character in “Kill Bill”,
there is no compromise to the level of violence shown. Coming
from the hands of James Wan who helmed the famous psychological
thriller “Saw”, “Death Sentence” is
more realistic but still not for the wimpy. Wan proves that
he is no flash in the pan here and he gets the audience rallying
for Hume with an excellent, heart-pounding long street chase
sequence which stretches to a multi-level carpark.
Unfortunately,
“Death Sentence” is let down by a weaker third
act. The beginning was a setup for the audience to enthrall
in the world of the Hume family. A lovely wife (Kelly Preston)
with two teenage sons. A fitting job and a nice cozy shelter
to call home. A typical example of a close loving family.
With the death of his son, the character of Nick Hume turns
into a tragic figure and one that is forced to protect his
family from the rest of the gang. After Hume’s parental
love confession for his second son and escape from the hospital,
the movie slumps into a typical shoot-em up action movie.
This is not to say it’s irrelevant perhaps writer Ian
Jeffers has written himself into a corner or it’s meant
to be this way. For comparison sake, it’s just weaker
to end the story.
“Death
Sentence” is a slick, entertaining piece of cinematic
experience if you could get past the ending. You got to credit
Wan for giving it that magic touch simultaneously proving
to Hollywood that he can do more than mere horror. Lastly,
he has the wondrous Kevin Bacon to thank for.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
NIL.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Even
though the movie was made last year, the DVD transfer seems
slightly grainy. Can’t be sure it’s intentional
though.
Since
the DVD only comes with Dolby Digital 2.0, you won’t
get to hear some of the surround bullets sound effects. Other
than that, the dialogue and sound mix is pretty clear.
MOVIE
RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Linus Tee
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