Directed by: Anders Thomas Jensen
Written by: Anders Thomas Jensen
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro
Rating: [3.5/5]
Of the many issues stemming from the idea of seeking revenge, blindness from the range can cause a lack of precision. This aggression does not put one in the greatest of circumstances to think clearly leaving room for plenty of mistakes and when seeking revenge as displayed in Riders of Justice, it can lead to some catastrophic results. Exhilarating fun and well put together, this feature strikes a strong balance between the comedy and tragedy of its story.
Losing his wife to an explosion occurring in a train, Markus (Mads Mikkelsen) arrives back home and struggles to find peace with what occurred. When a survivor from the explosion named Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) shares the news with Markus of who he suspects bears responsibility for what occurred, Markus sets his sights on getting revenge by any means necessary.
For as dark as the inciting incident of this feature proved to be, this feature walks the difficult line of dealing with its central tragedy and the general comedy it establishes with the characters seeking revenge. A level of anger met with a comedy of circumstance makes for something quite healing and cathartic for these characters even with the complications this all creates for them. You have Otto and his crew of technological wizards who have no idea how to interact in a physical altercation with Markus more than making up for that with the way he can inflict some damage with his hands or with a weapon of choice.
This encounter has them face off with a motorcycle gang with evidence pointing towards them as the ultimate culprits of what occurred on the train. Their hunt begins to reach their most accessible member and move their way to the top, which comes with several errors seeing as this unit does not have all the requisite training in how to operate as a team nonetheless striking with precision when the correct timing appears. It further makes their attempts and failures to complete some of their missions so comedic, which certainly provides a strange feeling when what they seek to accomplish is murder in the name of justice. The film constantly goes back and forth between these two tones but it all gets handled so well.
When it gets to the all-out violence phase of this feature it truly excels as we have a Mads Mikkelsen kicking all sorts of butt and evidently teaching Otto and the others how to do it as well. Several sequences in the feature truly surprise in the way they capture the mayhem this search for vengeance causes and the formidable force they try to take on in order to achieve this feat. I had no idea violence like this could possibly occur in Denmark, but this film certainly makes the most of the setting to utilize these action sequences allowing for multiple showdowns between Markus and the motorcycle gang.
In addition to the humor and deadly violence at the center of this film, it also works in a lovely formation of family between individuals in mourning. A struggle exists between Markus and his daughter Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg) following the explosion that refuses to let them move on from what occurred. No closure exists for them, which serves as one of the reasons Markus has his sights dead set on doing some murdering on these suspects. As one begins to crumble, the relationship between Markus and these three other men develops into quite the rapport making an impressionable impact as they begin to grow together and learn from each other. The finale really hits the nail on the coffin in such a satisfying manner when it looks at how they all gather leaving us with a warm feeling.
Riveting as a drama and hilarious as a comedy, Riders of Justice has the best of both worlds in how it navigates grief, revenge, and reconciliation. A thoroughly enjoyable film filled with easily loveable characters shepherded by confident direction at the hands of Anders Thomas Jensen as he navigates the various tricky tones of the film expertly well. Striking a proper balance allows for the enjoyment of this feature on multiple levels landing its emotional impact on each occasion.
Films with Josh 