Customer Reviews

Defenders: The Payback [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This excellent movie stars EG Marshall, Beau Bridges, and Martha Plimpton as Lawrence, Don, and MJ Preston, 3 generations of defense attorneys whose latest client is Michael Lane (John Larroquette) a father who is charged with the shooting death of a gentleman who raped his 8 year old daughter 7 years before, and it is a storyline and plot which will provoke deep thought even in the most law abiding viewer - the thought being "What would you do if that had happened to me? Would I do the same thing?" and it demonstrates how violent crime can shatter families. Lane is portrayed by Larroquette as a bitter, vengeful man but a still loving father, a man who is the shell of the person he once was. The daughter who was raped tried suicide several times and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals. His older daughter wound up living in a squat on skid row. Yes, these characters aren't real, yes this is only a movie, but these things do happen. And some people dare to say that the justice system is perfect, and that it does work? It works to protect the criminals, not the victims. Who knows? Maybe vigilante justice is the best kind of justice.

I would have no trouble recommending this movie to anyone else. It deals with a compelling subject in a way that isn't trite or banal, but is thoughtful. The performances by each actor are spot on, and it contains the exact amount of humanity and tension needed to sustain viewer interest from beginning to end. A true must see for those who like their movies to reflect current issues which affect today's society.

Great cast, including E.G. Marshall in a reprise of his role in the 60's TV series, John Laroquette, Beau Bridges, Mark Blum, good premise, familiar territory--more than enough for a good-ole courtroom whodunit.

But this presentation begins to unnerve almost immediately. Martha Plimpton's upstart young attorney is so annoying, it throws the whole meter of the drama off the rails, time after time.

Her dialogue is so trite, so predictable, that it gives the viewer absolutely no room to let her character provide the conflict that's necessary to give the story some depth. Her delivery is so harsh you almost reach for the volume-down button every time she speaks.

Lack of subtlety, in the story, and the dialogue are really the major culprits, Even the scenes without Plimpton are cliché, and heavy-handed. Plimpton's performance is merely the cherry on top.

It's a real shame

This movie really sucked. It was boring and predictable, and it had some REALLY corny lines. The only good thing about it was Clea DuVall in a small part as Jessica Lane. Even though she had some cheesy dialogue to work with, I think she handled it pretty well. If you're going to see it, don't buy it, rent it.