Death Sentence (2007)

While I did expect Death Sentence to be a B rated movie, I didn't expect it to sink as low as it did. It stars Kevin Bacon and John Goodman.

It starts out with a decent enough plot. Bacon is the mild mannered, insurance risk, numbers man, Nick Hume. He lives the boring suburban life, and is perfectly satisfied with his family of two children and his wife. This all changes in a heartbeat when he stops at the proverbial gas station in the bad section of town. Faster than we can say "roll up the windows kids" his firstborn child is knifed, the victim of a gang attack, while his father watches by helplessly. Thankfully the murdered is caught, but justice does not prevail as the DA wants to make a deal for 3 to 5 years for murder because there was no other physical evidence to support the eyewitness. So far, the film was gruesome, but it hadn't sunk yet beyond retrieval.

Next thing we know, Bacon decides to take the law into his own hands, which consists of dusting off a hunting knife from the shed, and getting into a knife fight with this trained killer. Yeah right, like this insurance number cruncher was going to be able to take on this gang banger? Who writes this stuff?

Next thing we know, it's an all out gang war with Bacon on one side, and a whole gang of thugs on the other. At least Bacon stops by the neighborhood gun salesman, Bones Darley, played by John Goodman in his departure from his usual happy go lucky roles where he is known for his belly laughs. After trading in his life savings for a small arsenal, he's off to settle the score once and for all. Along the way, it's total violence, with the bodies piling up including his own family that get taken out along the way. I was particularly dismayed to see the shotgun, with one shot, go through inches of reinforced concrete. Seriously, aren't there any technical experts on these films?

I suggest you take my word for this. While Death Sentence starts out ok, it simply goes in a downward spiral, and every time I'm thinking we've reached rock bottom, it dropped another notch. While at least I got through this one, I was all to happy at the end to end the experience. This film reminds me of why I don't watch horror films.

Overall Grade: D-

Reviewed by Jonas