When you think of Ron Pearlman, you aren’t exactly thinking of a rom-com. You would think of him in a tough-guy role looking to fight and do anything for those closest to him. This one aligns with the same general idea of complete chaos and violence that we have seen in series like Taken and John Wick. So, we are all set to see some good old-fashioned ass-kicking by…a baker? Let’s see how this one goes.
Pearlman plays a war veteran that is now alone with no family around him that has decided to run a bakery. Pappi’s is where he works and baking is what he does. Some of the scenes will make you hungry and you could almost smell the freshly baked bread so do yourself a favor and don’t go into this one hungry. Although, there are scenes later on in the movie that will help you to lose whatever appetite you already had. One day, his son, Peter (Joel David Moore) drops by the bakery and introduces his daughter, Delphi (Emma Ho) to her grandfather. I might be partial to cute kids, but Emma does really well as Delphi. After a small snack, Peter leaves Delphi with her newly introduced grandfather to go handle some business.
Peter ends up disappearing from sight and the grandpa/granddaughter pair are now forced to “bond” as Gramps takes care of business. One thing that complicates things is that Delphi is mute and communication is always the key factor in making a good team, so this is something they surely have to attempt to overcome. Pearlman’s character believes that his son is dead, but there seems to be no reasoning with law enforcement, so he takes matters into his own hands. Probably not great news for his enemies, but it is pretty good news for the moviegoer.
The Baker is really nothing original, but just because a flick lacks originality doesn’t make it a bad one. This one provides the violence it promises and delivers what you would expect out of a Ron Pearlman movie/role. Not all movies are meant to be Oscar-worthy – some are meant for you to check your brain at the door and simply enjoy the madness and this is one of those movies. Pearlman does his job as does Harvey Keitel, but again, no awards here…just some fun and violence!
