Vendetta (2013) Poster

(I) (2013)

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7/10
We have got a generation of offenders we don't know what to do with.
hitchcockthelegend7 April 2014
Special ops interrogation officer Jimmy Vickers (Danny Dyer) is out for serious revenge on the gang who violated and killed his parents. As he goes about his business, he has to stay two steps ahead of the police and his military employers who want their lethal weapon back.

Slow justice is better than no justice.

OK! Lets cut to the chase here, this is ultimately a gruesome revenge picture, the only thing new on offer here is the methods of the executions administered by the seriously brooding Jimmy Vickers. This adherence to formula, a basic modern update of the Death Wish filmic telling of a tale, is enough to send many critics scurrying around for their most poisonous pens with which to articulate their venom. Add in the Danny Dyer factor, a fella who strangely seems to rile so many in entertainment circles purely because of the genre branches of entertainment he works in, then Vendetta was never going to garner favourable reviews in many quarters.

This isn't revenge. This is a necessity.

Yet there's a question that springs to mind here, namely, what were they expecting? Tag lines and media headings said Danny Dyer enacts bloody revenge on the murderers of his parents because the law is an ass! Do critics and film fans really go into a film like this, one that isn't hiding under false pretences, expecting a scathing and intelligent observation on the lawlessness of Britain? Or a snarky aside to the failings of the law system? Seriously? Stephen Reynolds (writer and director) has put some thought into his picture, there are some potent passages of dialogue, even if they fall by the wayside as the kills come thick and fast, but it was never marketed to the highbrow seekers.

You'll be demoted before you can say Katie Price is a virgin.

Vendetta delivers the goods for those looking for a good night in with a beer and some blood and brooding on the screen. Dyer (a real nice bloke in real life) gives good value as a son hell bent on revenge, whilst he also doesn't look out of place in his fight scenes. Haider Zafar's cinematography is superb, the blues and golds magnetic in their visual appeal, and there's good and solid work done by the supporting cast.

Vendetta has fans, it really does, so much so that a sequel is currently in production. That news is sure to send those critics sitting up there in their ivory towers at The Guardian and The Telegraph crying over their shrimp salads. But you can bet your last British pound that they will be going to view the sequel expecting a far different movie to the one the man and woman of the street knows they are going to get. Death by cement! Hooray! 7/10
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5/10
Don't get too excited Dyer fans...
Eightiesboy22 December 2013
I managed to catch Vendetta at the premier showing at the Genesis cinema in East London. The atmosphere was great and everyone was in good spirits, it was a Friday night and the cinema was packed with Danny Dyer fans. But even with the generous atmosphere it really failed to deliver. I wasn't expecting a Brando performance and I enjoyed watching Dyer in the likes of The Business and The Football Factory, but playing Jimmy Vickers felt like it was a lot out of his depth. Maybe if Danny would have taken this role in his latter years, it would have suited him much more. Saying that, if you enjoy a revenge plot and you love Brit flicks, well then this is possibly for you. Some splendid shots of Canary Wharf and East London make up for a very lack-lustre performance all round. The likes of the brilliant, late Mr Winner needn't worry one iota. Death Wish, it ain't.
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5/10
Cookie Cutter Action movie
besimms5 January 2014
I went into this movie, not expecting anything too crappy, but nothing too brilliant either. I was pretty much bang on the money.

So a guy seeks revenge on the guys who killed his parents. He bumps off the offenders one by one, yet the police have a hard time trying to figure out who is doing all the killing. The writer tries to make the protagonist into a hero but, in my opinion, fails.

Vendetta is just another standard revenge movie, with predictable scripting and a character that you try and empathise with. However, I felt that I could not relate to the character (there was just no dimension in any of the acting) and just enjoyed the action.

If you want to watch a run-of-the-mill action movie, then Vendetta is worth a look. Just be prepared to look beyond some scripting holes.
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6/10
If Charles Bronson was a cockney...
bowmanblue31 May 2014
Bless Danny Dyer – he tries his best. After a string of box office flops which make his good films like 'The Football Factory' and 'The Business' seem like they were set in some weird, parallel reality, he's going for a tried and tested formula – namely the 'revenge' film.

Danny's his usual cockney self. Only this time he's an ex marine returning home from jail (I did briefly recall why he was locked up, but it doesn't really matter) to find a gang of local hooligans have only gone and roasted his mum and dad alive. And, to make matters worse, the police seem powerless to arrest anyone. Therefore, Danny must take matters into his own hands (or 'ands as he would call them) and deliver his own unique brand of justice.

Unfortunately, watching unlikeable characters getting brutally murdered may be mildly entertaining (as we've all see some little thugs defacing a bus stop and wished extreme punishment upon them), but it's hardly unique any more. Ever since Charles Bronson took the law into his own hands there have been countless imitations. Some work okay, others don't. But they all have the same message – namely about how the law doesn't always work and sometimes you have to root for the 'antihero' to get the job done himself. Recently, Michael Caine released 'Harry Brown' and Jodie Foster did 'The Brave One' a few years before that. Both were equally unoriginal, but at least they had more of a budget than Vendetta.

It's an okay enough film, but it just doesn't really have anything new contained within. Danny Dyer does his best (as he normally does) to portray a tortured soul, living on the outskirts of society, but, unfortunately, he doesn't quite pull it off. There's a sub-plot about the various police officers assigned to the case (and the area in general), but many of them come across as too uncaring and inept to be believable.

If you're a die-hard Dyer fan, you'll probably enjoy this more. However, if you're just a casual fan of revenge movies, you'll have probably seen better than this. It may not be Dyer's finest work, or up to The Football Factory or The Business, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/
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7/10
Danny Dyer does well !
j-zed4 February 2014
I felt compelled to write my first review because this film deserves a little more praise! Iv always liked Danny Dyer, yeah he's made some poor movies to say the least but he's also done a couple of gems. This movie is pretty good considering Danny's most recent attempts and because I was expecting less I was presently surprised when I got more ! Its a decent British movie and I do think Danny Dyer has more to offer in future role like this one.....if you don't like British movies then you are never going to like this, but if you do its better than average. The poor ratings I feel are harsh and the film deserves about a 6.5! reminded me of "Dead man's shoes".
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1/10
This film stole 100min of my life!!
cocotherasta3 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This film was so bad in so many ways, it wouldn't be fair on me or you to list them all. It's not bad because that no-one has yet convinced Danny Dyer that he really is NOT a cockney hard man...or the desperately limited acting skills - Vinny Jones & Jason Statham have overcome these to break into lucrative Hollywood film roles. What starts out as a Ronseal (does what it says on the tin) revenge thriller, albeit one that has gone for the most rent-a-mob stock pile of 'gangsters' seen this side of the 1960's Batman show soon degenerates into sound-bite sized pockets of letters written to the Daily Mail masquerading as character development.

The soft lit 'emotional' scenes showing how a psycho who has been leaving a trail of corpses can win back the love of his life by getting his frankly flabby & out of shape torso out & justifying the massacre going on as he had had a bad time of it torturing & killing people in Afghanistan was the first real sign that things were going really awry.

It was around now that the writers realised that even though they had tried to go the Death Wish route, it needed something else...and that was to just lift entire plot points & scenes from other films picked at random...the 50/50 chain ripper (The Hitcher), random Colonel appearing to call back in 'his boy' (Rambo) but then it not only jumps the shark but clears it high and mighty by adding in the suggestion that this super soldier is so important that when bullying the cops doesn't work directly, senior ministers are willing to intervene and demand that he not be arrested, despite that he still has another couple of people to get through...

The Police are portrayed as lazy, dispirited, cynical morons who it seems have been craving a psychopath to come and mete out justice for them, one of whom is not only stupid enough to access files of suspects & then brag about it to a superior officer when busted but then walks away free to set up the final slap in the face at the end.

I'm sorry but I did end up ranting more than I intended & will shorten this in the future but I really needed that cathartic rant! Phew....
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6/10
Gritty Hard Hitting Brit Flick
djkbee31 December 2013
If your a fan of a good raw Brit flick then this one does not disappoint… the first 15 minutes of the film will leave you switched on or switched off. (Violent, cuts no corners and shows you what your in for, certainly sets the mood for the whole movie) hard hitting, raw to the core violent gritty Brit flick that packs a punch. I have been waiting for a new good Brit flick to come along for a while now… If your a fan of British flicks then you'll recognise a few actors along side Dyer and I'm sure you'll enjoy this movie. Solid 9 for me.

Always feel that Brit flicks get tough reviews these days but i see this one picking up the pace a bit more with regards to ratings.
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3/10
Shallow
highfly7613 February 2014
What a glorification of vigilantes and of English mercenaries. If you don't like either above, don't bother.

The story does catch you for some time, until it starts repeating itself. It's about revenge and that's about it. A lot of stereotypical roles in the film and a quite straight forward plot pattern. The individual performances of the actors being decent though, unfortunately the script is not giving room for the movie to blossom.

Oh, also, if you like unique killing methods, the film will provide with some. It is delivered in a Hollywood entertainment mode, but a couple of unique killings there are.
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7/10
Gritty British action
radgavric18 August 2021
Not a masterpiece, but a really good budget action film. Highly entertaining.
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1/10
A very BIG disappointment
alistairc_200028 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Comparing this movie to Death Wish is like comparing the Walking Dead to Dawn of the dead. One is a camp zombie soap opera and the other is a timeless Classic.

In the blurb it is compared to Death Wish. Death Wish is a revenge thriller. Brian Garfield's story is sharp and believable. It has a brutal beginning, a time for self reflection in the middle and a very brutal ending. This is a movie about revenge where the good guy wins. Stephen Reynolds should take note. I also suggest he watches the movie to understand that nearly forty years ago Michael Winner could make a much better movie. Remember the good guy gets to win. He grabs the girl and rides off into the sunset.

In Vendetta Dyer is a hard bitten action hero who is virtually invisible. He appears when he needs to does the deed then disappears like the morning mist. Well that is what the Colonel tells a Police detective half way through the movie. It is of course rubbish. He leaves a trail that anyone can follow.

Spoiler Alert.

So his family is murdered and he is out for revenge. It is a brutal beginning and we get to see the nasty gang bangers having quite a lot of nasty fun. They are bad people. We already knew this but Reynolds has to reinforce it with two hateful events. Then in the middle He takes his time to find the bad people. Like death wish. Then we get to the not particularly brutal ending. Now this is where the movie could have shined after all the bad guys done in his parents. He kills all the people and all of the deaths are off camera. The effects are extremely weak. No gore. I have seen more brutality in The Bill.

It was an okay movie then it has the twist in the tail that changed this from being a Dyer comeback movie to a cheat. In the end the character walks away with nothing a bit like the viewer. It was predictable. All the characters give it large but there is no pay off.

I just paid £10 for Blu Ray now I just need to find someone I do not like to give it to.
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8/10
Solid Action-Drama
jager-marc5 January 2014
When I checked this film it only had a 5.6 rating. My ONLY reason for writing this review is to RIGHT that WRONG.

There is NOTHING so wrong with this film as to rate it so low. 5.6, to me, means 'boring, predictable, cookie-cutter, Hollywood action films with no 'substance' to them....And even some of those can rate a 6 or so just for pure action fun-entertainment value...But THIS film is MUCH better than those dime-a-dozen action/revenge films and "Vendetta" is so well executed. If I HAD to criticize anything it would only be that I don't think the way Alistair Petrie's character, 'Spencer Holland', was written was realistic. It's just my humble opinion that any ranking detective that is next in line for super, would NOT be as dumb as 'Spencer Holland' is written to be. If you like this genre, I don't think you will be disappointed and I'm sure you'd rate it higher than 5.6! ;)

CAVEAT: Most of the negative reviews of this movie seem to be comparing it to 'GREAT FILMS'...or classics... When I review or recommend a film, I review/recommend it based on the genre and what the movie is INTENDED to be. E.g.You don't compare a Steven Seagal film to a Ridley Scott movie! So what I'm, saying (badly, I admit), is that, for what it's MEANT to BE, "Vendetta" is a solid 7-8. (It's not MEANT to be a classic guys!)
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6/10
Better than Dyer's Outlaw, but not as good as I'd hoped
Leofwine_draca21 November 2014
VENDETTA is a British vigilante movie in which an ordinary guy is pushed to the edge by the brutal murder of his parents. The film stars an older, wiser Danny Dyer as the chief character, a man who spares no expense in the way he tracks down and dispatches those responsible for the terrible crime.

At the outset, I was pleasantly surprised by VENDETTA. It bears some strong cinematography and good production values for a low budget British genre movie; director Stephen Reynolds is particularly to be commended for making this look like it stands up against the best Hollywood has to offer. And the first half hour tells an intense, dramatic story via decent editing and well thought-out scenes.

It's a pity, then, that the film can't sustain this calibre of writing, because it starts to go downhill soon afterwards. The issue is the plot, which doesn't really go anywhere as the narrative progresses. It becomes repetitive and vague, with too much time given to inconsequential characters and their actions, like Dyer's military superior and the efforts of some shady government types to track him down. All of this stuff is unnecessary and detracts from the story.

Still, the producers deserve credit for eliciting a decent performance from Dyer, and some of the supporting roles are nicely filled. Roxanne McKee continues with the potential she showed in A GAME OF THRONES, and it's always fun to see Bruce Payne even though he only appears in a cameo here. Watch out for KNIGHTMARE star Hugo Myatt in a bit part, and Vincent Regan as a military type. The violence is strong and the story gutsy, lifting this head and shoulders above the comparable likes of Nick Love's OUTLAW.
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1/10
awful just awful 0/10
telecashcard2 January 2014
awful just awful 0/10 THIS REVIEW CONTAINS NO SPOILERS - except that the movie itself may spoil your night.

I have seen far better Danny Dyer movies than this but have not seen all of his movies - yet it is hard to fathom that ANY could be WORSE than this.

The movie actually starts out pretty good - but as the onion of the movie starts to peel back the layers - you are left with a plot that is brainless and predicable and cheesy and totally unbelievable - so if you like that sort of dribble, then you'll love this dross

But for me - awful just awful 0/10
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7/10
A Very Good One
dhirajkakad21 August 2021
Don't know, Why people have Rated it so low, It is a Very Good Edge of the seat Good Entertainer.
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7/10
Danny Dyer does Death Wish
FlashCallahan22 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Jimmy Vickers comes home from a generic war, to discover that his parents have been brutally murdered. This vexes Jimmy even more because his Mother was Emma Samms from Dynasty and The Colby's.

They were murdered because his dad got a little tasty when he drove into the middle of a robbery and accidentally killed one of the assailants....

So Jimmy goes all out bonkers and starts to plat grim reaper across the streets of London, practising his scowl for Eastenders.....

Whatever you think of Dyer, his movies have a dedicated following. And I must say, guiltily, that I am a fan of his movies. Not because they are good, a lot are abysmal, but you can get a good laugh from all the crassness surrounding his movies.

So I was surprised to find that this is a solid little thriller, and looks wonderful, the cinematography adds a depth to a cold London, especially on Blu Ray.

The performances though are what you expect. Dyer is as average as ever, but you wouldn't expect anything any different. He has a presence, but that's because the rest of the cast (Apart from McKee) are so stereotypical of these sort of films and demography.

The film is surprisingly violent, and some of the methods of Jimmy's vengeance are pretty wince inducing.

If you are a fan of Dyer, you will think that this is the best thing he's done in nearly ten years. If your not, the film looks great, and you can laugh at the silly ending, which looks like the film maker wants to turn it into a superhero franchise...
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1/10
Terrible, so incredibly terrible.
TrackerPrime7 April 2019
Terrible, so incredibly terrible. I think someone should sue Danny Dyer over the trade description act for calling himself an actor in this film. I just don't think Danny Dyer suits playing a hard man, I bet he's glad he has Eastenders to fall back on after this tosh.

The cinematography is terrible, it sometimes look like it's been shot on a mobile phone by a 3 year old. The script is terrible. The acting is terrible. The film is just plain terrible.

Don't waste your time watching this, do something more entertaining, like watching paint dry.
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6/10
Part 1
kosmasp14 October 2014
Obviously the story seems and is pretty thin. The revenge theme has been done before and it's more than understandable if many won't like this (some even for reasons such as Danny Dyer). But if you can try to enjoy this there are a few thing here that are nicely done. One of them being the fact, this is not binding itself to any conventional list. Something that can obviously also be seen as a negative straying away from the formula, but can also be seen as a bit of fun (see first revenge "victim"), if you let it.

Also keep in mind there is another one coming out. So the end is not as closing and some things in the movie make more sense. But those things seem a bit out of touch with the rest of the movie. As single movie it's tough to decide what the thinking behind some things was. Still I liked the fact that it's trying to be different
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1/10
Another Danny Dyer stinker...
scott_thompson74547 May 2016
...Thank Goodness he went in Eastenders and stopped making these films. Vendetta (aka Death Wish 6) is rightwing claptrap, directed by Katie Hopkins ("there was a time I would've bled to keep the red in the Union Jack, but not anymore"), with Dyer giving a typically one note performance as a hard case killing a bunch of chavs for setting some bloke and his missus on fire. The torture and killings are offset by speeches about how England used to be great but now criminals just do what they want and the police don't do nothing guv. In my day, you could leave your front door open without a care in the world. If you did that now, a scumbag would take all your belongings and set your house on fire. To relieve the tedium, why not play a game of spot the actor from other crap Brit flicks. Oh, it's him from that one with Leo Gregory. And him from the film where the football hooligans had a right laugh kicking people's heads in. I also challenge you to a drinking game; have a drink every time Dyer does that 'if I squint and gaze into the distance, it makes me look mean and moody' thing. You will be hammered within five minutes.
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7/10
Good action and keeps you entertained.
leonmessyb4 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Just a shame about the ending. The last 5-10 minutes were disappointing. Shame his wife had to be killed too. And it's dumb that he let the final boy run away in the shoutout in the drug dealer's flat. Some great and inventive ways to kill people though. And there aren't any dry patches in this film. Definitely worth a watch.
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1/10
Don't waste a second of your precious life on this.
cablooie6 January 2014
Steer clear for God's sake.

Plain awful from beginning to end.

Awful photography worth a low rated amatorial footage on youtube, actually there are far better ones on the tube. Cheesy to poor acting, awful script, lots of attempts to raise audience's hate due to total absence of decent ideas in the script (script? hahaha let me take that back, seriously).

There is nothing worth watching in this dough.

Truth is this crap movie isn't even worth this review, so I'll just end it here.
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9/10
Good British Drama/Action Film
tony73-495-2127910 October 2014
Forget all the Dyer haters out there...This is a very good film, end of! No spoilers, no plot line summary's just watch it and make up your own mind.It may not be a 9 out of 10 that I have given it but that is to try and counter balance against the keyboard warriors out there who just want to have a go because Danny Dyer is involved. If you like films like Layer Cake, Lock Stock etc. then you will enjoy this. It may not be an Oscar winner, you may think that the plot is a re-hash, that doesn't stop this from being a good film. Get over yourself, sit down and enjoy...and if it makes you reflect on the state of the criminal justice system in the UK and the state of "Bwroken Bwritain" then crack on me ol son!
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6/10
Dyers Best by a Mile
jon_anderson7711 December 2018
This is a great straight to video revenge flick. Nothing new here but the kills which I thought were more inventive than most. If you like the revenge genre this is one for your library. Don't be out off by the low score. If any low budget action movie deserves a sequel it's this one
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4/10
Good thriller, full of revenge, but no twists or character development.
jgw32113 October 2017
If you want a film full of violence and revenge, to get your adrenaline going, then this will fill the bill. It doesn't have the qualities to make it a great film, but it is not pretending to be that, just an entertaining action flick.

However, it is a bad film in that it seems to have the message behind it that vigilantism is the solution to our current crime problems. In watching the film it dawns on you that the author is saying our current system is broken and out of control. So well and good, that is a good point to make, but in watching the short bundled with the DVD (The Snowman) it seems to be advocating vigilantism as the solution. Our system may be bad and need fixing, but this is not the way to go. It is hard to tell if the film itself is pro vigilantes, as it was left in the air ready for the sequel. However, I won't be watching it.
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6/10
Guesome but conveys a very true message
mlbit22 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I would ignore the Danny Dyer bashers that slate every film on here. Vendetta is really a good film. Highlights police stupidity on arresting the heroes while letting the evil criminals go, in turn allowing them to commit even more evil acts. (sounds like real life) Revolves around a man (Dyer) who carries out a vendetta on the the evil gang members that killed his parents. The police are useless (except for one) so it's left to him to get justice and he does, in some really quite inventive and gruesome ways. I warn you this is not for the faint hearted and even i had to look away a couple of times. However the characters are well played and although Dyers character is breaking the law you cant help but be behind him 100% of the way. I was quite shocked at how satisfied i was as he dispatched each evil vile gang member !! Well worth watching (but maybe not with the kiddies) So ignore the Brit film /Danny Dyer bashers, I'm glad I did..
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6/10
A pretty decent movie but with less than stellar acting
fredgfinklemeyer7 July 2018
07/07/2018 This movie is worth your time to watch but you may have to overlook a few moments of the less than professional acting. The revenge storyline is tired and old, alot to predictable even as it winds down. Either way, it's still worth your time to watch. Wish I had better things to say about it, but it is what it is. Watch for yourself and then you can decide. Bon Appetit
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