The Brave One (Blu-ray Disc, 2008)

For the 2nd Time within 2 Weeks comes a major violent movie; in which a "Crime Victim turns Hunter" to 'Exact Revenge'.
Kevin Bacon's 'Death Sentence' (SEE MY REVIEW), was the first one out of the gate; and 'The Brave One' is 'by no means' faultering 2nd out-of-the-gate. Addressing middle-class fears of Urban Crime and Violence; 'The Brave One' is a revenge-thirsty 'Death Wish' that would make even Charles Bronson proud.
'The Brave One'; with an A-List Director in Neil Jordan and Top-Flight Talent in stars Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard is more a combined genius of paranoia, revenge and brutality that succeeds in having it "both ways".
Seeking Vengeance — and not necessarily against solely the people who have actually wronged her — Radio Talk Jock Erica (Foster) feel guilty; but does not stop from making like Charles Bronson and continuing her "One-Woman Vigilante Campaign".
Like 'Death Sentence', 'The Brave One' holds a plot that engages when good people make the mistake of crossing into a land where rules of civilized behavior do not apply. Bacon stopped at a gas station in a bad neighborhood; Erica's Doctor Fiancé David ('Lost's' Naveen Andrews) distractedly throws a ball into a park's lonely tunnel for his dog. When he and Erica step inside to discover what has become of the animal, a group of louts step from the shadows savagely beating and robbing the couple.
She (Foster) awakens from a Coma days later to a radically changed world. The woman who hosts the insipid Talk Show that extols the 'Joys of New York City' now fears the place. She does not want to leave her apartment....and then she buys a gun.
The weapon is for protection; but then forced to - she uses it one night in a case of self-defense, (her first step in transforming into an Urban Hunter). Soon, the tabloids are full of the exploits of this Local Hero.
A Detective, Mercer (Howard), takes charge of the Investigation, vowing to catch someone he regards as no better than the Murdered Criminals. Erica is wracked by guilt, but has the prescence of mind to cover the case on her show and to befriend Mercer.
The vigilante disgusts him; he is a good Cop who believes in the Justice System, even as he privately admits to Erica its failure when it comes to a case that has long obsessed him.
'The Brave One' is viscerally-effective. Foster's histrionics quickly grows. Erica's guilt festers into Vengeance; and becomes less disingenuous, as she begins to continually troll for strangers to dispatch under the merky sides of dark. But can this ultimately be drawn to any peaceful end?
Straight-Up Revenge has created a Warrior; one who has had enough of being a victim; enough of watching others become victims; and has chosen to extol her Virtue and Judgement upon the wicked.
Bravo !! Bravo !!
SEE THIS !!!!

Here's a rare time a take off is getting a TOP GRADE. First off Jodie Foster and the rest of the cast are strong and great. Characters protrayed are WELL fleshed out. Give the writers an award. The only downer is it's really a rip off or 'Tweek' from 'Death Wish' with Charls Bronson. If you liked the Death Wish movies, RUN out and buy this movie. You'll love the fimilar themes. If you did not like Death Wish, this movie may not be for you. Here we go...

Erica (Foster), host of weekend radio show in New York City and engaged to a doctor. During and evening stroll in Central Park, Erica and her fiancée are attacked by a gang of thugs. Her future husband is beaten to death, and she’s left severely injured and hospitalized. When Erica gets out, she’s not consumed by a need for revenge, but rather completely overtaken by fear. The city she’s known and loved her entire life now terrifies her. After several failed attempts she finally makes it out her front door, jumping at shadows and fighting urge to run home screaming. Her tragedy has left her irrevocably altered, but she’d determined not to let the fear she now feels rule her. So, as so many have before her, Erica buys a gun.

Still frightened but feeling empowered, she walks the city, fighting down her terror until tragedy strikes again. She witnesses a convenience store robbery and in an act of self-defense shoots the robber dead. It’s as if her eyes have been opened to an entirely new world. Erica faced her fears, and shot them dead. Determined never to be afraid again, Erica takes to the streets, intentionally putting herself in more and more dangerous situations as if daring the world to give her its best shot. The criminals of the city are more than happy to oblige, seeing only a seemingly defenseless white woman in a place where she probably shouldn’t be. When she attacks, Erica responds with deadly force, becoming a vigilante. With every encounter she grows more confident, but begins to wonder if she’s losing herself in the process.

Tracked by the police and hounded by her own conscience, The Brave One uses her vigilantism as a way of exploring the terrible emotional toll taken on survivors of violent crime. Whether or not Erica gets the bad guys, or whether or not the police catch her becomes much less interesting than understanding what it is that’s driven Erica to this. More than anything The Brave One is about dealing with fear and surviving in spite of it. In exploring what it’s done to Erica, Jodie Foster gives one of the best performances of her career. So does Terrence Howard as a conflicted, honest police detective who befriends her, and then ends up hunting her. One of the best vigilante movies I’ve ever seen. The Brave One takes an obvious, overused movie conceit and uses it to explore something much deeper and more real than you’d ever expect. That only serves to heighten the film’s tense, utterly believable action sequences.

It's got Death Wish all over it. Worth the Theatre house price of $11.00 a ticket and $10.00 for the soda and popcorn. Get the movie on Ebay for $10.00 and under and get your soda and pop corn in a deli. GREAT MOVIE for Cheaper price! Don't miss it!

Wow, what's the body count on this one? 9 I think. Well, if you <like>, live in a plastic bubble in New York City (or anywhere else for that matter), hoping that nothing bad would ever happen to you, then I truly get this movie so that you can learn how to react after a traumatic event. There is something terribly wrong with the character Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) wondering "Why don't they stop me?" from my killing spree.

But, why turn bitter over an incident and kill others yourself unless you wanted to turn into a paranoid schizophrenic psycho vigilante stalker killer female? The answer is, so we can all relive the terror ourselves in the comfort of our own homes.

For some odd reason, a piece of hilarious trivia has circulated its way into the mainstream which goes like this: Release prints were delivered to theaters with the fake title "Sweet Revenge". This film just seemed for me to be this drawn out stereotype filled bore-fest with "Middle Aged Blonde Hair, Blue Eyed Woman fights back against the Big Bad Male minorities in NEW YORK and gets her kicks!" Sorry that I feel that way, but I didn't even really think this could really be a "chick" thing either. I think most females don't even relate to this sort of violence anyway.

I really like Jodie Foster in a lot of different films, but this one was better left undone by her, or anyone else for that matter.

I'm going to give this 3/5 for the acting of Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard.

IF YOU LIKE MY REVIEWS PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW BY VOTING. THANKS.

This should have been great. Jodie Foster doing a female Death Wish. But good acting can't overcome a very predictable story. It is fun to watch Foster change into a vigilante, but then it really goes nowhere original with that idea. The basic plot is that Foster and her husband to be are attacked by thugs in the part. Foster is beaten severely but survives, her boyfriend is not so lucky and is killed. Foster then becomes a killing avenger while a divorced good cop slowly starts to piece together the mystery of who is killing all the bad people in New York. The Blu-ray transfer is good. A nice crisp clear picture. I wish the movie were better. Unless you are a huge Foster fan, this one is a skip.

You either like Jodie Foster, or you don't care about her altogether. Personally, I love her and her choice of roles. This one was no different, in fact, in some way it was her last great role.
With this movie, for those who would be watching it for the first time, you'll end up feeling everything Erica Bain (Jodie) is feeling. You will feel sorry for her, you will worry and feel relieved once all is said and done. Towards the end, it becomes emotional enough for the waterworks to start up... At least, mine did.
The Brave One is a great movie, because it connects with many people (like a fantasy) who have been victims of cruelty, and poor service of justice.

If you're not buying, at least rent.