Death Sentence (Blu-ray)

A successful businessman and family man Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) enjoys living a trouble free secure life with his wife Helen (Kelly Preston) and his two sons Brendan (Stuart Lafferty) and Lucas (Jordan Garrett).

On the way home in their car from a hockey game, Nick and his son Brendan stop for fuel at a service station and Brendan goes into the convenience store for a can of drink. The neighbourhood is less than friendly, and Brendan is confronted with a local gang about to launch a new member with an initiation right to kill on command, so as to be a loyal gang member. Unfortunately, at this point Brendan is the sacrificial lamb and dies in his fathers arms shortly after the ritual killing.

Arrested for the crime, Joe Darley (Matt Leary) is taken to trial, and the prosecutor informs Nick that he will get a maximum of three years sentence in jail. At this point Nick decides not to identify Joe Darley as the man who killed his son, and the trial is acquitted and Darley is released from custody. Transformed by grief, Nick Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no length is too great to go when protecting his family.

That evening Nick, seeking revenge for the death of his son goes to Joe Darleys address and during a frenzied fight stabs the killer to death.

The gang leader Billy Darley (Garrett Hedlund) is Joes older brother and a member of the gang informs him that his brother has been killed for no apparent reason. Having found evidence that Nick is responsible, the gang are called to track down Nick and his family with catastrophic consequences.

Integrating revenge and violence with the main characters existence works well, and the movie never drags on pace or becomes tedious. Revenge is a good subject matter and Death Sentence is no exception. The plot is engaging and the reaction of Nick who has a mental breakdown due to the defective justice system, devoid of laws to adequately convict a criminal is totally acceptable.

I think Kevin Bacon always performs to the highest degree and the vast characterisation and depth he is able to turn on in many of his films highlights the quality of actor he actually is.

The main theme within the story is cycles of violence and how they are really never-ending until everyone ends up dead or quadra-spazzed on a life-glug.

However, the filmakers are bold enough to use some highly effective editing and pacing techiniques in order to really ramp up the tension in the early scenes of the film. This is where it is most sucessful, the real terror coming from the 'enemy within the system' (the sadistic gang, a creation of society yet alienated by it) and thats whats makes them so scary.

The other interesting and fresh element is how the model citizen is drawn into the world against his will, becomes one with it, and eventually embraces it. And thats what makes this a truly interesting film.

Not a classic by any means....not least yet, anyway :-)
but still a very entertaining film and with enough action to keep more gore-hounds happy.

A father witnesses a brutal attack at a petrol station, the victims included his eldest son who dies of his wounds/
During a brief struggle the father ( kevin bacon ) manages to remove the mask of the attacker ( a gang member )
He is able to identify the youth in a police line up, but withdraws his evidence after being told the killer would only have a short sentence
Because of unsupported evidence, the gang member walks.
The father only has revenge on his mind, after an attack on the culprit, the gang seek to even up the score, the situatio soon spirals out of control.
Despite the police suspecting what was going on the seem powerless to prevent events.
This is seriously a good yet very violent movie, the action is on-going throughout.
Try to at least watch it on either format, you'll not be dissapionted.

100% Ignore the review before me ! This film is amazing in HD and it is in full 1080p ! I think he needs his tv fixed, plus Entertainment in Video hasnt got many titles out but they are all amazing and in 1080p. Anyway I heard really good things about this film and the director of Saw did it so how could I resist. If you put Hitman and Taxi Driver together this film would be the out come. Its full of action and non stop violence and the story line really makes you feel like you are Kevin Bacons charcter. My advice is buy it as you wont be disappointed. This is Kevin Bacons best work in a long time !

This film is mint well worth watching action all the way a great story aswell