roneysam
I didn't like it at first. Got a lot better though, once the action started. Camera work didn't make it look very real. Momoa did a a great job, once the action started.
jonahcybarra-82318
The present-day environment of film making is a complicated and demanding task for any filmmaker. With high expectations placed upon every movie director and producer to create something unique and profitable, plots oftentimes become muddled or confusing. Braven is not one of those films, and for this audience member, is a breath of fresh air in its simplicity. Falling into the same type of storytelling as the John Wick films, Braven tells the simple story of a father trying to keep his family together and safe when they find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jason Mamoa heads the cast as Joe Braven, a logger who is being forced to come to terms with his father's ailing mental health while trying to run a successful business and remain a good husband and father. Stephen Lang plays Joe's father, Linden Braven, and he completely dives into this role, managing to play a tough badass who is dealing with a decaying mental state. This aspect of the film is particularly powerful and manages to shed a light on the fallout of a family member's mental health issues and the toll it can take on a family. As Braven fights off the gang of drug runners who have stashed their drugs in his family's cabin, I was able to fully appreciate Jason Mamoa's acting skills. Ranging from a happy family man to a man driven to desperation in order to keep his family safe and avenge the death of his father, Mamoa drove home these emotions and helped make the audience's experience the emotions his character was dealing with. Well shot with steady editing that helps to ramp up the tension, this film did a good job of upping the tension up until the film's climax. While certain aspects of this film were predictable from the beginning and the climax of the film is abrupt and somewhat anti-climactic, it is easy to forgive these shortcomings when taking into consideration the entire film. A well-made, lower budget film that all of those involved with the project should be proud to have worked on.
