**7.5** rounded up, because I thoroughly enjoyed it

I wasn't really sold on most of the attempts at hinting at to establish a backstory in the beginning, and some of the hard boiled lines are a bit pulpy, and aren't delivered with enough weight (probably intentional since Scott probably knew how on the nose they were), but the main heft of the drama works, and the acting is generally very good, with special nods to Dakota Fanning, who could out-act Anthony Hopkins on a good day in the nineties, but also Marc Anthony, who outshone Denzel IMHO. Christopher Walken was a delight to watch. Denzel makes the role, but I also think he's the weakest part of the Creasy/Rayburn piece of the plot. The development of the relationship between Creasy and Fanning's 'Pita' were the highlight of the portion of the film that wasn't dedicated to violent poetic retribution.

The lighting must have been painstakingly realized, and especially the closeups on manual actions (the mini hi-fi etc.), and the light scattering off of skin in the darker scenes were some amazing examples of photography, and I'm guessing that was thanks to the work of the DOP. The Ramos' house was gorgeous, and the picture showed it. I want it, as is, and I'm not even Catholic.

Solid revenge flick.