In his silence he is able to slow down, be more observant and focus his mind and body. This information sets Frank on a journey to bring the killer to justice with unexpected inspiration from a paperback of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations he stumbles upon, which leads him to take a vow of silence until his mission is complete. We learn Strode is a local cop, who’s taken to MMA-style fighting to let off some steam from the job, someone who happens to know that the police investigation has now gone cold. During this time, he takes a leave from his law firm and finds becomes disappointed when the despondent detective ( Johnathan Schaech) he persistently checks in on offers zero progress in the investigation of his wife and daughter’s murders.Īfter intentionally getting into it with a fight club onlooker, Frank finds himself submitting to constant beatings each night inside the fight cage until another fighter, Strode ( Karl Urban), sits him down and hears him out. First his reliance on alcohol and then his pursuit of penance by way of physical self-punishment after finding an underground fight club in the back of a local bar. His concern turns to devastation when police arrive at his door and Frank is taken to the reservoir where his family’s dead bodies were discarded.Īt the cemetery, Olivia’s father ( Robert Forster, in the definition of a walk-on role) berates Frank, blaming him for his daughter’s death and informing his son-in-law that he never ever wants to hear the sound of Frank’s voice again. His workaholic behavior has frequently kept him from being present for his wife, Susan ( Cristina Serafini) and their pre-teen daughter, Olivia ( Lillian Blankenship, who also starred in “Security” with Banderas) and one night he becomes concerned when his wife and daughter aren’t yet home from Olivia’s talent show performance earlier that evening.

Now he’s back in action with “Acts of Vengeance” a movie that’s a step up from his recent work, applying some interesting devices to a familiar revenge tale, but it’s unfortunately a story that ignores its potential, settling into a serviceable and predictable actioner.įrank Valera ( Antonio Banderas) is criminal lawyer, who often successfully defends controversial clients, getting them off on a NG (not-guilty) plea, which has built him a popular reputation.

I’ve seen two out of those three and would only barely recommend one of them. The actor has starred in a handful of recent VOD (that’s Video On Demand, FYI) action flicks, such as “Security” with Sir Ben Kingsley, “ Black Butterfly” with Jonathan Rhys Meyers (now streaming on Netflix) and the wretched “ Gun Shy” from Simon West.

In case you weren’t aware, Antonio Banderas has been a busy guy in recent years, but specifically this year. release date: Octo(limited, VOD, Amazon & iTunes)

Is acts of vengeance a true story