Any hope of prestige is dashed by the heavy-handed, clich-ridden direction of former stuntman Johnny Martin and his star's detached portrayal of a guy whose mind is permanently elsewhere.

Vengeance doesn't deliver even the fun of a nutty Cage performance, so viewers are stuck with a predictable plot, terrible dialogue and flat acting.

By now, Nicolas Cage can practically sleepwalk through these types of generic vigilante roles.

If one is only interested in watching poorly coiffed, dentally challenged fiends receive their just deserts, there are worse options out there, with most of them also starring Nicolas Cage.