A surprisingly well-executed and dynamic thriller that is much better that any of the recent Grisham trial based films. Quick moving and suspenseful, this movie features a great performance by the devilish Michael McKean. The movie is about a woman who's brother is murdered and his murderer is let free. Then the victim's sister kidnaps the attorney who got the murderer off and eventually goes on trial for her freedom. The story twists and turns and the directing by Tommy Lee Wallace is top-notch. The musical score by Brian Tyler is especially terrific. The cinematography (didn't catch who did it) is also fantastic. I highly recommend this film if you get the chance to see it.
6 Reviews
Like it more with each viewing !
nicholas.rhodes3 March 2006
I have always thoroughly enjoyed films, like "Star Chamber" or the Charles Bronson vigilante movies where people take the law into their own hands to redress the wrong done by a decaying and unfair justice system. In this particular film Annette O'Toole gives an extremely moving, emotional and lifelike performance of a young lady aggrieved by the brutal murder of her brother who cannot bear to see his murderer get off scot free due to the garbage and slander spilled before the court by the pompous and greedy Merle Hammond. Technically one may argue that she should not have taken Hammond prisoner but rather the judge himself who let the murderer off but this film implies that Hammond's defense was so powerful and persuasive that the judge had no other alternative ! That is a matter for debate but the fact is that Hammond was the chosen victim and it there is a real feel good factor in seeing him humiliated ! The film contains good storyline and also a memorable music score. The ending is extremely touching and laid back .... no gloating over victory ... just the feeling of "having done the necessary to be able to continue with her life". A very laudable piece of cinema which confirms Annette O'Toole as one of my favourite actresses, very human, very real and also very fragile at the same time !
Vigilante Garbage
Squishy-1221 July 2002
A woman takes a defense attorney hostage, subjects him to a nice game of Russian Roulette and other threats and humiliations--then relies on the tricks of another attorney to get her off the hook for it.
Her jaw-dropping hypocrisy could have been the basis for a nice melodrama, but no, this is pure "Lifetime"-style "man-baaaad woman-gooood" constipation, so she is presented at worst as "pushed over the edge by injustice"--and at best as America's Greatest Hero.
The judge at her trial and her attorney are ridiculously unprofessional--but they're women, so it's "okay." Her victim--and his fellow lawyers? Man baaaaaaaad.
Put "Final Justice" to this test: pretend you're the defense attorney. Because you do your job, someone takes YOU hostage, holds you at gunpoint, tortures you with death threats, then walks away free--fully capable of doing it all over again.
Is she your hero now?
Her jaw-dropping hypocrisy could have been the basis for a nice melodrama, but no, this is pure "Lifetime"-style "man-baaaad woman-gooood" constipation, so she is presented at worst as "pushed over the edge by injustice"--and at best as America's Greatest Hero.
The judge at her trial and her attorney are ridiculously unprofessional--but they're women, so it's "okay." Her victim--and his fellow lawyers? Man baaaaaaaad.
Put "Final Justice" to this test: pretend you're the defense attorney. Because you do your job, someone takes YOU hostage, holds you at gunpoint, tortures you with death threats, then walks away free--fully capable of doing it all over again.
Is she your hero now?
"You only kidnapped him. I would have murdered him."
clanciai23 November 2022
The most interesting detail in this matter-of-justice drama, is Annette O'Toole's motivation for kidnapping and humiliating the lawyer who got her brother's murderer acquitted. When questioned about it in court she admits she didn't know. She obviously acted on impulse and did not know what she was doing. But she did it and couldn't do otherwise under the circumstances, being forced by her own female nature to do something, anything, about the intolerable case of having her brother murdered a second time in court by premeditated character assassination. She admits as much as that her main concern and motivation was about their mother.
Annette O'Toole's performance is outstanding and will go down in cinema. History, like similar performances in some Sidney Lumet films ("Twelve Angry Men") and a few more. Her lawyer is also terrific, they make a fantastic pair, and the film is worth watching a number of times, as it is not even without a great portion of humour: Michael McKean in all his humiliation is actually laughable in his grotesque treatment of the law.
Annette O'Toole's performance is outstanding and will go down in cinema. History, like similar performances in some Sidney Lumet films ("Twelve Angry Men") and a few more. Her lawyer is also terrific, they make a fantastic pair, and the film is worth watching a number of times, as it is not even without a great portion of humour: Michael McKean in all his humiliation is actually laughable in his grotesque treatment of the law.
Aftermath of "Final Justice"
charlesblank-29 December 2013
I think that Annette O'Toole should have gone after the murderer of her brother,killed him,and forced society to judge her vigilante murder vs. her brother's murder. But ,just my opinion,now Micheal McKean's lawyer is disgraced,maybe out of work and shunned by society.So,he decides to get back by hurting O'Toole's family and the farmer's family then confronts O'Toole before he kills himself.O'Toole is left without her family,suffers guilt for the farmer's death,and is unable to seek any vengeance against a dead McKean.She learns the price of vengeance is too high and she can be a vigilante target too.Besides I would like to see people, that support vigilante tactics, respond when others resort to the same tactics against their family or friends.Other movies show criminals stalking and terrorizing people to get back at them for things they did to the criminals.But,these actions are evil and unjust in the movie's viewpoint.
Weaseled
tedg15 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is a tepid project; poorly executed in any dimension. But we forgive it.
The reason is simple: the villain is a lawyer. There may be a lawyer somewhere with a justified life, but its got to be a rare as walking bathtubs. This movie fits into a comfortable story, about justice and defilers of justice. There's a background about a murder victim with aids, but its purely background. The juice here is all about the system, how its rigged; how the legal system and justice are relatively independent.
We do hate this lawyer. Its a simple project.
But there is something interesting here. The aberration of humanity that is the lawyer is played by Michael McKean, a prolific writer and performer, the weird talent behind Spinal Tap. The whole thing revolves around how well he portrays the central character. He's actually pretty competent: someone who thinks he is in the right. Its really quite balanced, what he does. And repellent in that balance.
He gets murderers and other evil folks off by using tricks. He is kidnapped by an aggrieved woman. That woman is tried and gets off by using similar tricks but this time more noble. But if there's a lesson here, its lost in turgid writing.
Annette O'Toole plays the woman. She's not a good actress. She has the body, face and hair of Julianne Moore and the mouth of Rene Zellweiger, none of it used as they would.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life
The reason is simple: the villain is a lawyer. There may be a lawyer somewhere with a justified life, but its got to be a rare as walking bathtubs. This movie fits into a comfortable story, about justice and defilers of justice. There's a background about a murder victim with aids, but its purely background. The juice here is all about the system, how its rigged; how the legal system and justice are relatively independent.
We do hate this lawyer. Its a simple project.
But there is something interesting here. The aberration of humanity that is the lawyer is played by Michael McKean, a prolific writer and performer, the weird talent behind Spinal Tap. The whole thing revolves around how well he portrays the central character. He's actually pretty competent: someone who thinks he is in the right. Its really quite balanced, what he does. And repellent in that balance.
He gets murderers and other evil folks off by using tricks. He is kidnapped by an aggrieved woman. That woman is tried and gets off by using similar tricks but this time more noble. But if there's a lesson here, its lost in turgid writing.
Annette O'Toole plays the woman. She's not a good actress. She has the body, face and hair of Julianne Moore and the mouth of Rene Zellweiger, none of it used as they would.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life
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