This is director John Singleton's modern update of sorts on The Sons of Katie Elder. The titular characters are four guys from different backgrounds (and races) who reunite after years of separation for their mother's funeral. Considering that she was the nicest lady ever, they are all curious as to she was murdered. When they can't get any straight answers from authorities, they decide to take matters into their own hands. This is a slick urban drama filled with grit, intensity, and a bit of humor as well. Were it not for their adopted mother, these four guys would have nothing in common, but they do make for an interesting bowl of personality stew. Mark Wahlberg is the short-tempered Bobby, Garrett Hedlund is the struggling punk rocker Jack, Tyrese Gibson plays street-wise Angel, and the only seemingly normal one, the hard working Jeremiah, is portrayed by Andre Benjamin. Fionnula Flanagn is the thread that holds them all together. Other roles include Terrence Howard as a cop on the case, pre-fame Sofia Vergara as Angel's lady, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a rather shady hood. The performances are pretty decent, better than expected for this sort of thing, and everyone mostly seems to mesh pretty well. The pacing and atmosphere are pretty good, the cinematography is well-executed, and the action, when it happens, is great too, a big shootout in particular being a major highlight. All in all, this is far better than is has a right to be, and that actually makes me happy. This is proof that Singleton didn't lose all of his talent after Boyz n the Hood. Give this one a watch- it's pretty satisfying.

This is a good movie in terms of the bonds of brotherhood, family, etc. Yet it lacks the most simplest of reality. I mean, I know that Detroit is the ghetto and it often lacks police intervention but walking into a school with you're guns loaded in the middle of a basketball game? Shoot outs in the middle of the streets like general warfare? All I could keep thinking at some of these moments was, "Where the hell are the cops?" Better yet in some scenes it' was like, "Is there any other people in this city other than the main actors?" The weird thing is I really liked this movie but I wish they would have toned it down just a tad and used the morals and emotions of the story a little more realistically and relatable to a real life scenario. I mean, this COULD happen, but not likely!