The Brave One

Ok, I must admit, I only watched this one because Jodie Foster is cool. Reading the box sort of gave me the impression it would be a retooling of Death Wish. And what can you do with that concept that Charles Bronson hasn't already done.

Well, turns out I was only partially right. It's definitely a vigilante movie, and the theme was pretty close, but I ended up enjoying it more than Death Wish. Foster puts in the human element that is often missing in the genre, showing a troubled, tormented woman driven to do what she does by a pain she can't control. It's more than just an excuse to shoot people, although most of the people who get shot are fairly one-dimensional baddies. But the point of the movie is not to focus on them, but on how the violence impacts the main character.

I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.