I debated watching this film for a few days because I had no desire to watch another clichéd and formulaic fight story. And to be quite honest, I had no desire to see Halle Berry in a role that called for a battered face sporting black eyes, cut lip, and whatever else goes with a martial arts beating. I relented though, and caught this on Netflix the other night. The story fulfilled expectations I had for a by the numbers story, with the added wrinkle of Berry's character, Jackie Justice, coming to grips with the arrival of a young son she lost custody of when she divorced some years earlier. I had some trouble with the name 'Justice', feeling it was a nod to the woke culture of dealing with life's grievances, of which Jackie had to endure her share. I also question the casting of Sheila Atim as Jackie's trainer Buddakhan, who's looks didn't suggest having been around the fight game long enough to be of value. On the plus side, Berry's performance in the training and fight sequences was really impressive for someone her age. The fight scenes in the ring were exceptionally well choreographed to look very physical and demanding. Both she and her opponent Lady Killer Chavez (Valentina Shevchenko) made it look as real as possible on the way to a 'Rocky' style ending in which Lady Killer won a split decision, but Jackie was the victor in the eyes of the ringside fans as the people's champion. The picture ends, as one might expect, with Jackie's son Manny (Danny Boyd Jr.) finally relenting to take her by the hand for a double feel good ending. Which as I stated earlier, fulfilled all the expectations one might have for a formulaic fight film.
Review of Bruised
