SEEKING JUSTICE
(R)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
Nicolas Cage is one of those actors who has become a parody of himself. However, in a strange way, it’s his biggest movies (like this year’s flop “Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance”) that make him such a joke at times. Yet, the man still has to make movies because he’s got those whopping tax payments to take care of.
The latest in the Nicolas Cage tax-payment express is “Seeking Justice.” Starring alongside January Jones and Guy Pearce, Cage plays Will Gerard, a high school teacher whose wife (Jones) is sexually assaulted. While he is in the hospital caring for her, he meets a mysterious stranger (Pearce) who offers him a deal: Agree to do something in return, and they will “take care of” the assailant. Distraught, Will takes the bait, and his wife’s attacker is killed. Unfortunately, later on, he’s told to kill someone else. At first, Will’s told his victim is a child molester, but he soon finds out that things are not always what they seem.
With all the crazy antics of Cage in his smaller films, you expect things to go over the top quickly. However, “Seeking Justice” is surprisingly watchable. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and things really go off the rails in the third act. However, it’s not a bad little film.
The production value is decent, along the lines of the other smaller releases that big stars find themselves in. January Jones is expectedly terrible in her acting, though Guy Pearce has some fun with his role. “Seeking Justice” is a bit forgettable at times, but it’s the kind of movie you’d stumble onto while flipping channels on a Saturday and enjoy watching.
The biggest problem the story has is its sheer unbelievability. It sets the stage for a massive conspiracy that ranges from school teachers to the cops, and someone everything always goes as planned. It’s unlikely that innocent victims will be good at assassinating anyone, no matter how bad of people they believe them to be. It’s just not in human nature to become a cold-blooded killer. There’s a reason hitmen are so expensive and a limited commodity.
Still, as far as a Cage film goes, “Seeking Justice” is better than the last couple major theatrical releases that have hit the screens.
The DVD comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette.