There is just something about a flick featuring Nicholas Cage. It seems to be all about expectations; you don’t go to a Nic Cage vehicle for intricate plot of metaphoric subtexts and levels of meaning to unwrap. What you want to see is non-stop action, people are going to get shot and something is about to explode. It is permissible for such a movie to have a scaffold of a story in which to hang the proscribed action. For fans of this popular actor there is a pair of DVD/Blu-ray releases back to back. The sequel to his comic book base Ghost Rider movie previously considered and the film reviewed here, ‘Seeking Justice’. It is your run of the will revenge movie with the promised cage panache. The Bible may state the Vengeance belongs to God but Hollywood has determined that it is far more lucrative to assign acts of revenge to resourceful and exceptionally violent men. Sure God mat visit ten plagues upon your house but an action hero in as movie is certain to illicit more blood, pain and loud expositions exceeding the standard scriptural faire. The success of a vengeance flick is rather simple to understand. The need for retribution or settling a perceived insult or wrong is set deep in our psychological composition. The Bible codifies the human need for revenge setting numerous conditions, circumstances and appropriate responses the wronged party may take. In our society of modern laws and moral restrictions acts of vengeance are severely restricted so a civilized member of society must look to film for an adrenaline filled shot of vicarious revenge. It’s socially unacceptable to harm the guy who stole your parking space but it is okay to watch Nic Cage get even with the people that inflicted such tumult on him. These films just appear to strike a chord with audiences allow then to explore the darkest most visceral impulses that beset are species from the safety of a neighborhood theater or living room. ‘Seeking Justice’ is an example of this scenario as well as one on the best situations to drive a film. Take an otherwise reasonable man and place him in the most unreasonable set of circumstances imaginable. When a normal person is removed from the protection of our system of laws then his higher reasoning abilities and social conformity are suspended as the primitive mind takes over.

Will Gerard (Nicolas Cage) is a typical family who earns a modest living teaching high school English in New Orleans. His life is about to be crushed as he enters a nightmare. His wife Laura (January Jones) is in the hospital. This gentle cellist was attacked and brutally raped. While in the hospital awaiting word on his wife’s condition Will is approached by a stranger, calling himself Simon (Guy Pearce). The mysterious man explains that the jurisprudence system is unlikely to apprehend the man responsible to this heinous action. Even if they do catch him the chances that he will get what he deserves is minimal. Simon makes a proposition to the emotionally distressed Will. He represents an organization that takes care of people that violently act beyond the reach of the law. Simon represents a group of ordinary citizens whose only concern is true justice. Simon assures Will that they can arrange for a stranger to exact justice on behalf of Will. The only catch is at some point in the not too distant future a favor will be asked and Will is duty-bound to oblige. Will is blinded by grief and rage acquiesces to the proposal. Fortunately his wife recovers but the wheels of vigilante justice have already been set inexorably in motion. Will signals his agreement by buying chocolate bars from a designated vending machine. Will thought the nightmare was the attack on his wife but that was about to be eclipsed by what comes next. Sooner than he expected the call comes in for him to provide the agreed upon task. Will is to murder a person designated by the vigilante association. This was obviously not what he anticipated but the group is adamant that he provide the promised favor.

The reasonable man push past reason is a tried and true situation that permits the protagonist to commit acts that normally would be considered morally reprehensible. Unfortunately unlike the apex of this genre in movies like ‘Falling Down’ the premise is so flimsily constructed that the audience would need pharmaceutical impaired to suspend sufficient belief to gloss over the sizable plot holes. There are just too many coincidences and impossible situations to allow the plot to work acceptably. Try as you might there are so many aspects of the story that have to be blindly accepted that it impinges on the potential for enjoyment. There are elements of ‘Strangers on a Train’ with avoiding detection by swapping murders but the loose ends ultimate have a strangle hold on this movie. Simon and his associates seemed to know about Laura’s attack immediately as it happened to dispatch Simon to the hospital minutes after the assault. You start imagining numerous scenarios touching of expansive conspiracies encompassing all levels of law enforcement and civil authorities. The regrettable thing is many of the plot twist you imagined are bound to be better that what is offered here. the screen writer, Robert Tannenis relatively new to his craft and although there is some good thrills provided in the script he has to work of establishing a solid foundation for the story. If the premise used here was more coherent and internally consistent the film could have proceeded on a firmer footing. I have enjoyed several of the films Roger Donaldson has helmed. His eclectic abilities translated well from emotional drama as in ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’ to action filled disaster movies like ‘Dante’s Peak’, a guilty pleasure of mine for years. He has even experiment with science fiction with the Original ‘Species’, you know the good one in the franchise and the unusual Sci-Fi Noir, ‘The Thirteenth Floor’. Even his skill behind the camera and the dependable popcorn flick appeal of Nic Cage were able to bring this movie to its potential.