Director John Singleton is a bit like an agile DJ who creates something exciting and illuminating out of pieces of old songs you already know.
Four Brothers (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:125
Fresh:65
Rotten:60
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Despite striking a believable rapport among its principal actors, Four Brothers overwhelms with ultra-violent, vigilante-glorifying action and devolves into too many fractured, insubstantial thematic directions.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence, pervasive language and some sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Aug 12, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $74,484,168
Synopsis: When their beloved foster mother is killed in a holdup, four tough brothers reunite in their old Detroit neighborhood with revenge on their minds. Mark Wahlberg plays the brawl-hungry leader,... When their beloved foster mother is killed in a holdup, four tough brothers reunite in their old Detroit neighborhood with revenge on their minds. Mark Wahlberg plays the brawl-hungry leader, Bobby. His brother, Angel (Tyrese Gibson), is a rowdy sailor with a high-strung Latina girlfriend (Sofi Vergara). Garrett Hedlun plays the young rock & roller of the clan. And Outkast's Andre 3000 is the family man whose tenuous mob connection may link him to the killers. Director John Singleton ably blends his action skills (SHAFT, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS) and his gift for capturing the warm heart at the center of violent urban masculinity (BABY BOY, BOYZ N THE HOOD) to create a cooked-to-perfection gangsta stew. A soundtrack jammed with 1970s Motown classics roots everything firmly in the gritty tradition of the best of that decade's blaxploitation and urban revenge thrillers. Action highlights include a skidding car chase through snowy streets, some rough street hockey, and a bullet-intensive neighborhood shoot-out. With its talented, likeable cast, clever plotting, and sharp dialogue, this is a real crowd-pleaser that nonetheless doesn't shy away from depictions of street violence. There's not an ounce of fat on it--no extraneous romance, and no going "straight" at the end. Terrence Howard (HUSTLE & FLOW) is the well-meaning but ineffectual detective who tries to put a lid on the boys' rebelliousness. The spirits of Dirty Harry and Charles Bronson should be proud, and action fans will be well pleased. [More]
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Josh Charles, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Paul Stewart
Director: John Singleton
Director: John Singleton
Screenwriter: David Elliott, Paul Lovett
Producer: Lorenzo Di Bonaventura
Composer: David Arnold
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Reviews for Four Brothers
Rough-and-tumble and sometimes raucously funny, Four Brothers can't decide if it wants to be a bloody revenge movie or a heartwarming family piece, so it settles on being a bit of both and the heck with smooth transitions.
Singleton must be reclassified from sellout to filmmaker who's capable of selling out.
With its lean script, strong acting, and punchy direction, Four Brothers has to be regarded as one of the most professional and entertaining action films of the year.
When Singleton kicks out the jams during the hard-core rough stuff ... helmer delivers the goods with edgy kinetic flair.
As an absurd riff on baadasssss gangsta movies, Four Brothers has an undeniable visceral kick.
Gritty but totally unfocused: it could have been great, it if weren't straddling four genres.
Fails to develop the kind of noble bond between adoptive siblings that would reach some degree of inspiration. A nice way to meld the ethnicities isn't enough.
Why is Four Brothers so cheesy? Why does it look like junk? Why are the lines so oafish, the scenes so sloppily pasted together, and the characters so false?
An unusual and uneven mix of genres that is both intriguing and rewarding.
Endearingly crummy. When it works, the movie has the loose, slightly screwy vibe of an early-'80s exploitation picture (something from Cannon Pictures, perhaps.)
Due to clumsy helming, the combo of gritty urban drama and emotional family saga is strained, and the transitions from violent sequences to siblings bonding acts are jarring
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