Four Brothers (2005) User Reviews

Fun 60-70's like movie. Revenge is sweet.

[siderite · 8/10 · 25 October 2005]

I was ready to bet that this was a remake after an older movie. Great 60's and 70's music, the endless theme of the small town terrorized by a villain and the rise to justice of the people involved, Mark Wahlberg... ;)

OK, I am unfair to the man, but it's true isn't it? He is always cast into old looking movies or remakes. I actually like how he is playing. I think that he is a reasonable actor and has potential beyond the action movies in which we've become accustomed to seeing him.

The plot is quite simple: adoptive mother of four and town saint gets killed by thugs. The four brothers kick ass accordingly. But beyond the obvious cliché, the movie was quite good. The actors played well, the feelings were nicely transmitted to the audience and the details were realistic enough and emotion conveying. Actually, for this kind of movie, I am ready to grade high.

The bad thing about this film were the villains. Unconvincing small time crooks that suddenly have the power to hire people with Steyr Augur rifles and other high power weapons. Unconvincing crooked cop who has no motive for actually being corrupt. In the end, the movie is rather relaxing, considering we never meet anything unexpected.

Worth a watch, although I would rate it as a TV movie, to watch in bed, rather than a cinema thing.

How refreshing - a movie that actually exceeded my expectations!

[TheMovieMark · 8/10 · 12 August 2005]

If you had ever told me that I would end up really liking a movie starring Marky Mark from the Funky Bunch and the lead singer of Outkast (the perpetrators of one of the most annoying songs in recent history - Hey Ya) then I would've laughed right in your face. Come on, a movie with three rappers (Tyrese throws down the rhymes also, yo!)? There's no way I would've expected that to satisfy my entertainment needs. But I'm man enough to admit that I would've been wrong.

Four Brothers is a gritty, testosterone-fueled crowd pleaser that mixes drama, action, and humor. If you're looking for something light and fluffy then keep on looking because you won't find it here. But if you're in the mood to see some bad guys get pumped full of bullets and fists then this will put a smile on your face. The audience at the screening I attended was clapping and cheering throughout the movie. You'd have thought we were at a wrestling match.

This plays out a bit like a Western. A wrong is done, a posse seeks to get revenge against the wrongdoers, and the wrongdoers are painted in such an unlikable fashion that you're just begging for them to taste a little vigilante justice.

As for the good guys, well, they fall under the "anti-hero" moniker. They aren't scared to sidestep the law in order to get what they're after. But within the context of the movie you can't really blame their motives. Their mother adopted them when nobody else wanted anything to do with them. They were considered lost causes, yet she took them in, gave them a family, and put her faith in them.

They didn't turn out to be saints, but as one cop says, "They're Congressmen compared to what they would've been." Now their mother, just an old lady always trying to do good, is dead and the cops don't seem to be doing anything about it. Wrongs have to be made right, and the brothers decide they're the ones that have to make it right.

This is one of those movies that I figured I'd somewhat enjoy, but I walked out of the theater thinking, "Man, I didn't expect it to be THAT good!" It's rare that I find such a diamond in the rough, so I savor it as if I'm Rob Schneider at a stupid movie convention.

One reason I had my doubts going in was I feared it might be drowned in loud, annoying hip-hop stylings. Plus, every Outkast song I've ever heard has made me want to gouge my eardrums with a letter opener, so I feared the worst from Andre Benjamin. "How annoying is this guy going to be?" I asked myself. But all my fears were unfounded. Instead, we're surrounded by a world of crooked cops, bad guys who wear man-furs, surprisingly good acting, believable chemistry, a couple of subtle twists, and a really cool car chase on ice. I'm always up for a good revenge flick, and I'm happy to report that this one exceeded my expectations.

THE GIST

Are you easily offended by violent revenge flicks? Then use your common sense and skip out on Four Brothers. But if that sounds like your kind of movie then I think you'll find this one works great within the genre.

Well Crafted Revenge Film

[LAKERS34 · 8/10 · 12 August 2005]

I'm drawn to movies whose trailers inspire a visceral reaction...This one's is so clichéd...Poor old Mom gets whacked and her adopted sons go after the crooks...Still, the action in the trailer inspired me...gave me that feeling of wanting to see the bad guys get it, and after seeing the film, I can say I was not disappointed. The story moves along and does not step outside of itself. There are some intriguing plot twists, but the goal of revenge always remains. The performances are solid; we have experienced film actors and a director here who know what they're doing. Even the newer actors settle into their respective roles...

John Singleton stated he wanted to do something with a "western edge" and in this film he has done just that. The story could be transplanted 100 years back and still work. While there is a great deal of action, violence, and bloodshed, it is not shot with an abundance of CGI or special effects...to that end, the action looks and feels more realistic. The film pulls you in and takes you for a nice ride, which is more than can be said of a lot of recent releases...It's not going to win Oscars, but it should be a hit. It's definitely worth a look!

Very well done action/drama.

[sthapns247 · 7/10 · 13 August 2005]

I remember first seeing the trailer for this movie about a year ago before a movie I watched last summer and thought it looked very promising. A year later I had almost forgot about it until I started seeing commercials on TV and I got my hopes high. To be honest, this is probably the first movie that met my expectations.

I didn't go in expecting the greatest movie ever, I mean it does have Marky Mark in it and I'd hate to think he's be the start of my favorite movie of all time. But I did expect it to be exciting, emotional, and engaging... And it was.

One of the things this movie does best is show the love and commitment between the brothers. The chemistry between the actors was excellent and really added to the feel of the film. It takes a lot to get emotion out of me in a movie, I'm talking the beginning of Saving Private Ryan a lot, so I unfortunately didn't feel as much as some of the other people in the theater, but you know something is right when people cheer when the main characters kill bad guys and yell "NO!" when things don't go right. The emotions between the brothers also led to many very funny comic moments, which I did not expect to see as many as I did. I laughed many times.

Singleton is probably a better write than director, but he does a decent job through out. Most of the film is simple camera angles and what not, but there were a few moments, specifically a car chase, that was shot really well. It was all done in a manor that kept it realistic while keeping it interesting. It should also be noted that this movie had the SECOND most intense shoot out I've ever seen in a movie. Second only to, of course, the LA streets shoot out in Heat which, in my opinion, is the most intense 15 minutes ever filmed.

Acting was decent. Like mentioned before, the chemistry between the brothers was great, but there were many simple one-liners and Mark Wahlberg seems to play the same character way too often. Not really acting so much as reading lines in a tough way.

While this isn't the #1 movie of the year it definitely met my expectations and is a very, very good summer action flick of not more.

my notes

[FeastMode · 7/10 · 1 July 2019]

Great movie, intesnse, fun, serious, action, funny, story. very entertaining (about 3 viewings)

Nice action movie with tension, intrigue and violence

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 1 July 2008]

This film deals with four brothers (Mark Wahlberg , Andre Benjamin, Garret Hedlund and Tyrese Gibson) . They reunite one time their mother (Fionnula Flanagan) has been murdered into a grocery store hold-up . But the happenings aren't as predictable as they might understand . Then , they come to revenge and take the law on their own hands . Meanwhile , Lieutenant Green (Terence Howard) and Lt Detective Towler (Josh Charles) are attempting to resolve the case and track down the killers and the four brothers . The investigation of the killing reveals many suspects and dark activities involving to criminal mobster (Chiwetel Esbofor) and Detroit Councilman (Barry Shakaba ), among others.

The picture packs action-packed , intrigue, thrills , and lots of violence and blood . It's an entertaining and suspenseful story, plenty of twists and unexpected turns . Excellent action scenes with noisy shoot-outs and spectacular car races . Interesting and thrilling script based on Haenry Hathaway's ¨The sons of Katie Elder¨. Cool performances by Mark Wahlberg as tough and hard-edged brother and Terence Howard as good police inspector, among them . Almost all of Mark Wahlberg's lines were improvised , Garrett Hedlund had difficulty improvising his lines, so John Singleton and Mark Wahlberg helped him through it . Furthermore , magnificent secondary cast , such as Sofia Vergara , Kenneth Welsh and Barry Shakaba . Glamorous cinematography by Peter Menzies Jr. and stirring musical score fitting to action by David Arnold . The motion picture was well directed by John Singleton . He's a nice director , his first movies were quite thoughtful and brooding (Boyz in the Hood , Poetic justice , Higher learning), but today he usually makes intelligent action films (Fast and Furious 2 , Baby boy , Shaft). The film will appeal to action lovers buffs and Mark Wahlberg fans . Rating : Better than average . Well catching .

A refreshing change to what is normally coming out today

[roddick-1 · 9/10 · 26 November 2005]

I had been scoping this movie since it was called "Untitled Mark Wahlberg Project'. Being directed by John Singleton and starring Mark Wahlberg it looked promising. I knew I wanted to see it after reading 5/5 reviews and seeing entertaining trailers of it. Eventually I saw it for a friends's birthday party, and I was impressed!

A standout thing in this movie is that it perfectly combines the action, comedy and drama genres together. At times it can have you laughing out loud, others it can have you quite sad and on the edge of your seat in excitement viewing the great action scenes.

The four lead actors do a great job. Mark Wahlberg plays a character which is different from what he normally plays and he pulls it off well. Andre Benjamin (or Andre 3000 from OutKast) does a great job too. He is definitely much better than just the usual rapper turned actor.

The story is great. It has a much thicker plot than what would be expected from a revenge movie. In fact, that is another standout thing, the original storyline.

Overall this is definitely a movie you should see. A refreshing change from the comedy remakes we normally see coming out of the theater. One that will be on my to buy list.

Four times the mayhem in "Four Brothers"

[dee.reid · 7/10 · 2 September 2005]

I have to admit "Four Brothers" is not a movie I was giddy about seeing. I didn't have really high expectations and why should I, much less you? Well, if you do have high expectations, you better lower them, because "Four Brothers" is not a deep and involving picture but is really more of a straight-forward action flick with a few sly one-liners thrown in for good measure.

There's not a single wince of brain activity throughout it, though the four "brothers" of the title (Mark Wahlberg, Andre Benjamin, Tyrese Gibson, Garrett Hedlund), explained by one character as being "total f**k-ups," do express a convincing degree of unity in that you actually believe they're related through their deceased, adopted mother Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan).

Wahlberg is Bobby Mercer, the courageous tough-talking eldest brother and the one with a chip on his shoulder. Not surprisingly, he does the most talking and is the obvious leader. Benjamin is Jeremiah Mercer, the only one of the four to really make something of himself in that he has a legitimate business, a wife (Taraji P. Henson) and children, and the closest ties to their mother. Gibson is Angel Mercer, a (former) soldier of fortune who has the ladies (including feisty Latina Sofia Vergara), the bragging rights, and the connections. Lastly, Hedlund is Jack Mercer, the youngest and grungiest of the four who's also a wannabe rocker and had the most troublesome childhood of them all.

The four are reunited at the funeral of their dear mom, who was viciously slain in a liquor store robbery. The brothers suspect that because of the particularly heinous nature of the crime, their mother may not have been some innocent bystander but was really executed, and the robbery itself was just there to throw off the cops.

After much contemplation and not even bothering to heed the warnings of two flaky detectives (played by Terrence Howard and Josh Charles), the four go after their mom's killer. It shouldn't be any surprise that they find their mother had been inadvertently drawn into the middle of some big insurance scheme or something along those lines (it's not really all that well explained), so the brothers look to settle the score with anyone - everyone.

As directed by John Singleton (whose outstanding landmark 1991 debut "Boyz N the Hood" remains the pinnacle of his career), "Four Brothers" is loud, dumb, and violent. The plot does a little more than resemble "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965), which I haven't seen, but I doubt it was as lacking in intelligence as "Four Brothers."

However, the movie should be praised because it is strangely appealing (the totally PC leads notwithstanding), and the action is fast and furious, culminating in an impossible car chase through the ice-slicked Detroit streets during a snowstorm. And Singleton shows he hasn't completely lost my respect in that he's a good director during these scenes and succeeds in creating a believable atmosphere of unity amongst the four brothers.

I expect this movie to be a success, since it's the last week of the summer and the August season of blockbusters has passed. But hey, it's the last week of the summer, "Four Brothers" is playing, and so don't everybody rush to the theaters. OK?

7/10

Four Brothers Gets 4 Stars In My Book

[bstarter29 · 9/10 · 20 August 2005]

As the Summer is winding down that means a couple things. One is that Fall/Winter feel-good, and more animated movies than you can count are coming to theaters. Also, it also means that the Summer Movies of 05 are closing. HOO-RAYYY!!! But wait hold on, before it is gone one of few good movies sneaks in. It is the new John Singleton movie Four Brothers, and what a good one it is.

Four Brothers is about four adopted degenerates whose mom is murdered and they come back to their old camping ground to, one bury her, and the other, to look for her killers and bury them as well. It starts out fantastic, then loses a little steam, and at the end comes together perfectly to have you talking about it at the water cooler the next day.

Mark Walbergh, Garrett Hedlund, Andre 3000, and Tyrese Gibson play the four brothers and do a fantastic job as playing the delinquents. They really look like they're right out of the mean streets of Michigan. They also act and speak like it as well. So if you're thinking about taking little kiddies (5-12) you might want to make sure they can handle it because there is enough profanity and shooting to go around. So, if you are looking for a good film this Summer, check one out you might pass over called Four Brothers.

Male bonding

[Chris Knipp · 7/10 · 16 August 2005]

Anybody who goes to American movies knows if you enter a convenience store somebody's going to get shot. "Four Brothers" begins with a lovable old lady called Evelyn Mercer (Fionulla Flanagan) meeting that fate. Well, it turns out sweet little Evelyn was foster mom for four tough guys who were so mean as kids she was the only person willing to take them on. They may be less than model citizens now, but they'd probably not even be alive if it hadn't been for Evelyn Mercer. So when the Mercer boys -- Bobby (Mark Wahlberg) and young Jack (Garrett Hedlund), who're white, and Angel (Tyrese Gibson) and Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin) who're black -- all come back together for the funeral and get hints that Evelyn was deliberately assassinated and not just caught in the crossfire, they go into action. When one of the brothers may have had involvement in the hit, the plot and the emotions get more complicated.

Once again as in James Gray's richly atmospheric and brooding and admittedly far superior 2000 movie "The Yards," Mark Wahlberg stars in a story about a doomed gangsterish family whose sins he tries to unearth and cleanse. The special charm of the male bonding is in the multi-racial brotherhood, which Singleton and the actors manage to inject a lot of warmth into. These guys are soulful, whether black or white. Not only is the sound track rich in Motown classics, but the brothers cry a lot.

There are conscious allusions to "Mystic River" with its deep bonds, buried traumas, childhood street hockey games, and clapboard houses -- though this is Detroit, not Massachusetts. The sense of place, in fact, may waver; but the memories and loyalty don't. It's Thanksgiving, and the men stay at the old house, where the memories start the tears flowing. A turkey is baked and drinks are poured but the brothers aren't hungry. Bobby gets them to go out and play hockey.

Next day a little investigation brings on the suspicions of a contract hit against their foster mom. Though Jeremiah objects, Bobby remains in charge. Jerry's relative respectability does not convey any influence in this family; his hesitancy about revenge already makes him seem disloyal. Right away at least three, and sometimes four, of the Mercer boys are in full attack mode and before you can say "assault weapon," the screen is littered with the bodies of cheap gangsters, crooked cops, and gangster politicos. "Hell, this is Detroit," somebody insists. Heads are smashed and weapons multiply, falling into the brothers' hands by the trunk load. Two detectives are watching all this -- one of them played by Terrence Howard, who's so great in "Hustle and Flow" -- and as in another better movie, Joe Carnahan's 2002 "Narc," an element of corruption and betrayal comes in from that angle as well.

Jeremiah claimed his reluctance to participate had moral and filial grounds: he said blood revenge was the last thing Evelyn would have wanted her death to bring about. But you wouldn't have been reading the movie very well if you thought he was the one we must listen to. Before long rumors link him with some insurance and a payoff that put his loyalty in doubt. But is he really a rotten apple, or just a bad businessmen? Suspicion falls inside and outside the family. Don't worry, if you're going to see "Four Brothers," reading this review won't spoil it for you. I'm not going to tell you what the movie's secrets are. Hell, they were so twisted, I'm not sure I really understood them anyway. But this is an urban thriller, or if you like a ghetto western, and the procedural details aren't what it's about. It's about emotion, it's about action, it's about getting the bad guys. And the worst bad guy gets his comeuppance starkly and satisfyingly out on a sheet of ice. It's a nice detail that his gangster crew revolt because trade union experience makes them realize he's an abusive employer. Of course he's worse than that. He's a sadistic creep.

The critics are right: this isn't a great movie. At moments it's not even a very good one. The chief villain's a little too villainous. The Nigerian-descent English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (of Stephen Frears's 2002 "Dirty Pretty Things"), who plays him, is out of his element (maybe he took the role for a change of pace). The plot's too tangled. The cops are too complicit, even for Detroit.

Still, there's something that's underlyingly okay about "Four Brothers." Singleton is returning to the roots of his film-making, the ghetto and its destructive effects on young black men, which he memorably depicted in his 1991 "Boyz N the Hood." Mark Wahlberg's presence here feels right. Everybody's having a good time, which is something that should happen more often. There's nothing wrong with a dose of warm interracial male bonding, with tears and shootouts, every now and again. It can get you through a slow day. Unlike Cinderella Man's, this movies' snow looks pretty real. So do the women's ample cleavage. The movie's action is not convincing, but the atmosphere and people often are. There are a hell of a lot of weapons and gunshots in this movie, and a house gets turned into Swiss cheese like in the shootouts in "L.A. Confidential" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." "Four Brothers" is as lurid as the first and as fantastic as the second; but it still hurts when one of the brothers is lost, even if he goes with a sweet smile on his face.

A confused, mediocre effort

[michaeljharvey · 5/10 · 27 April 2008]

I didn't find this movie to be unwatchable or one of the worst I've seen, as many have commented on here. It's also not a brilliant piece of film making.

The characters were so stereotypical and predictable (cookie-cutter gangster, generic tough guys with hearts of gold, good cop, bad cop, crooked politician, kind old lady, fiery Latina, etc...), it was hard to develop much serious interest in any of them. I found a lot of scenes highly comical; the problem is, I wasn't sure I was supposed to be laughing. When the movie obviously tried for comic relief, I just sighed. It was during the highly "dramatic" or heart-felt scenes where I found myself laughing hysterically. The dinner table scene where each of the four brothers remembers "Mom" was so bad, it made me cringe and laugh out loud at the same time. I think this confusion persists throughout the movie. It's never clear how seriously we're supposed to take any of this.

The plot is full of gigantic holes and leaps in logic. However, movies do require a certain suspension of disbelief, so I'll let most of it slide. The characters are mere cartoons, so nothing feels real anyway. The most real thing here is the setting in Detroit. It looks gritty, cold, abandoned and dangerous. I'm sure Detroit residents weren't thrilled by the city's portrayal in this movie (although it may be at least somewhat accurate).

It's hard to judge any of the acting, because the writing and direction are so uneven and mediocre. Overall, this felt like a decent made-for-TV movie. The plot, direction and acting were on par with a predictable TV crime drama.

5 out of 10 from me. It didn't make me snooze, but I certainly wouldn't recommend this to anyone either.

Nice little action flick

[quinn18 · 7/10 · 12 August 2005]

I saw this movie August 12, the day it came out and I liked it.This is a nice action movie and probably the best action movie of 2005.But I don't understand the "R" rated it should be rated 14A because there nothing serious in it except for language and action but action is what most of the kids 14 and older prefers for movies.

**SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH**

In this movie every thing was perfect like the action scenes.The actors all did a perfect job.But the only thing I did not like is the fight scene between Bobby Mercer (Mark Wahlberg) and Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor) at the end of the movie because the camera was moving too much and it was going around people and behind wild the camera could've just stayed in the middle of the circle.You have a hard time keeping your eyes on the fight scene.

But anyway this is a good movie and anyway who is an action fan should go see it, it's worth watching.

Four Reasons Why This Movie is Good

[T1Thousand · 7/10 · 18 August 2005]

All right, how many of us would actually expect a movie like this to be good or above average? I mean, many urban flicks or street revenge types are usually just average, so-so. But this, I must say, is a good one. The story was catching enough as it is. It might be typical or mindless at times, but it has its funny moments, its tense moments, and parts where you will be at the edge of your seat. There is really not much bad to say about this movie except that maybe the end could have been better and certain parts could have been delivered differently. But there are four reasons (perhaps more) why this movie is good--four main reasons at that. The first one is already mentioned--about the story being catching and so on. The second reason is because in this movie you get a feel of how close these brothers really are, regardless of their differences of race. You see them together as a family and act like everyday brothers when they're not out beating people up. And with that said, the third reason is how convincing the actors are, especially Wahlberg. I have seen him in plenty of movies, but now I think I will see him as the bad boy, hot-headed Bobby from this. He did a very well job as did the rest of the cast. The final reason why this movie is good is because it stays to what it is. It does not stray, suddenly become an intense drama or overly done comedy, etc. I think you know where I'm going here. This movie stays as what it is supposed to be--an urban revenge flick. Other movies like this take whole different route and stray from the story. I was afraid this would do the same, especially when it started explaining why everything happened. But I am happy to say that I am not disappointed. If you are into these types of movies, I'm sure you will feel the same. It was not bad at all =)

7/10 Stars

Good entertainment - violent, dramatic and witty in parts

[leeballen · 7/10 · 18 October 2005]

Good movie, and deserves a solid 7. From the first to the last scene the movie kept you engrossed, with the 4 brothers excellently casted, in a movie about loyalty and revenge. These are brothers you would not want to get the wrong side of.

The movie moves along with the generally fearless and ruthless brothers (and also witty), seeking out a rampage on underground Detroit in order to find out who killed there adopted sweet mother. Meeting some bad guys along the way, including the ruthless gang lord Victor Sweet, the movie contains some excellent scenes, including an excellent car chase in the snow.

Bang On

[setzerman · 13 August 2005]

Original no non-sense dramedy that really delivers the goods. The talented cast shines thanks to a superior script and effective dialog. As dramatic as the story's plot may seem though, the whole thing made me laugh almost as much as Wedding Crashers.

Falls short of higher scores in my book, because of a few too many awkward, bul%$%$ty sentimental grieving scenes, which all having been said, don't dramatically impact the movie's quality.

My advice: Check it out at the theater, well worth the ticket price. Not sure if it is the type of movie worth being purchased on DVD, but if only to share it with friends not lucky enough to have seen it on screen, it would probably be worth it. (assuming you're a good friend)

Mark Wahlberg (Bobby Mercer) 8/10 Probably one of the most underrated lead men out there

Tyrese (Angel Mercer) 6/10 Decent performance, nothing less, nothing more.

André 3000 (Jeremiah Mercer) 7/10 Solid start.

Garrett Hedlund (Jack Mercer) 6/10 Decent performance, nothing less, nothing more.

Sofía Vergara (Sofi) 7/10 Very attractive. Great performance.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Victor Sweet) 9/10 Scene stealer every time. Unfortunately not well known to me.

John Singleton 10/10 Sadly enough, first movie I have seen from this director. Mea culpa.

The way brothers should act.

[jstnosbrn · 7/10 · 13 August 2005]

I went to see this movie last night, and walking out of the theater I told myself I wanted to see it again very soon. There are unexpected scenes in this movie that made me laugh so hard my nose blew my slurpy back in the cup (I did not finish the slurpy after that). The chemistry that all 4 of the brothers had on screen was unmatched. To be honest, I thought the downfall of the movie was going to be Andre 3000. I was wrong. He was actually pretty good in his role. Having two brothers myself, I could relate to a lot of the bickering and arguing that the 4 brothers go through. This movie has great comedy, intense drama, sweet action, and a lot of Mark Wahlberg fighting. And I have now decided that a movie with Mark Wahlberg can not be good unless he punches someone in the face a few times. I mean, let's be honest, he's really good at that. John Singleton deserves a lot of credit too. Considering that the casting was perfect, the story was very interesting, and the acting was far better than I had imagined, I think Singleton did a fine job. Even if you disagree with the above, you cannot disagree that Singleton has a unique way of making innocent faces, like Tyrese and Andre 3000, and making them tough guys with an edge. Don't hold it against him that he worked with Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Remember that he did create Cuba Gooding Jr.'s career. All in all this movie was very entertaining and fun. 4 Brothers is definitely one that you should go see if you like revenge stories and want to see a great mixture of comedy, drama, and action (and who wants to miss Mark pound faces in?).

A Nutshell Review: Four Brothers

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 22 September 2005]

A kind old lady is murdered in cold blood one snowy night in a convenience store. It seemed like the usual stick up by racist hoodlums on the hard streets of Detriot, and that the lady was collateral damage.

Four orphaned brothers of the hood are brought back together to mourn the loss of their foster mother. We see the Mercer brothers Bobby, Angel, Jeremiah and Jack, bond together as they try not to openly weep. But deep down inside, they know the police can't do much to help a covered-up investigation, and swear sweet revenge upon those involved in the killing.

I was expecting loads of gun battles and intense action, but this movie surprised me with its witty moments instead. There weren't much wham-bang action, but the one which stood out was the ambush on the Mercer house, and the car chase sequence along frozen streets. The script was mildly intelligent with its weaving of the brothers' dalliances with the hoodlums, contract killers, government officers, and with crooked cops, bringing them all together for an interesting finale.

The last Mark Wahlberg movie I saw was The Italian Job remake, and here, Wahlberg reigns as he personifies the cocky hotheaded Bobby Mercer. Andre Benjamin seemed somewhat muted too, after his recent screen stint as a flamboyant and trigger-happy gangster in Be Cool. Perhaps it is his role as the family man which adds that extra dimension and difference between him and the rest of the brothers - he can't be as carefree or act with total disregard as he has people who depend on him.

This film also makes no apologies in adding that bit of realism to its dialogue, with street language and cursing aplenty, with plenty of stereotypical characters.

But all in all, it's an enjoyable flick, as we observe in silent glee, the four brothers exacting revenge with R&B music humming along in the background.

Like revenge flicks?

[forhall · 8/10 · 13 August 2005]

I've always loved revenge movies, and this one fits the bill because it has four brothers trying to find out the truth of their mother's murder. The four brothers are all superb in their roles, as adopted brothers from foster care that went their separate ways, who come home to find out who killed their mother and why. The 8 minute AOL trailer on the movies sold me. Also superb is Terrence Howard as a Detroit cop who doesn't trust his own who is desperately trying to find out what happened himself. The plot is well executed through twists and turns. Mark Wahlberg just gets better and better. He was great in "Three Kings," and he is better here.

FOUR BROTHERS Returns to the 'Hood

[seaview1 · 6/10 · 12 August 2005]

Boyz n the Hood was a landmark film in its realistic depiction of gang violence and its effect on families in urban America. Its novice director, John Singleton, has languished in relative obscurity since then and revisits a similar turf with his revenge drama, Four Brothers. While it reconfirms Singleton's talents, it is an imperfect action drama that leans too heavily on its mean spirited revenge theme.

A middle aged woman, Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan), is known for taking wayward boys off the streets and finding them foster homes. Yet, over time, only four boys could not be placed, and she adopted them herself. Years later, when a liquor store robbery goes awry, Evelyn is murdered. This reunites the four brothers who are now grown (Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund). What seems to be a simple crime gone wrong is only the beginning of a tale of conspiracy and betrayal. With police detectives (Terrence Howard and Josh Charles) seemingly a step behind the clues, the brothers decide to find the answers and punish all those involved even if it leads to corrupt officials, crooked cops, or the top crime boss in town. This causes violent confrontations and retribution until the brothers must attempt a daring plan to avenge their family and bring the murderers to their form of justice.

As portrayed by Singleton, this is a tough, violent neighborhood, a sort of distant cousin to the one in Boyz n the Hood. There are some similarities with New Jack City with its family of gangsters and a ruthless leader. The film does contain well directed scenes. The pool hall scene between Howard and Charles is quite good and the dialogue makes this a mini-gem. At times Singleton knows enough to reel back his characters from a pure revenge tale to one of family and connection. There is a good early scene during Thanksgiving at the dinner table where each brother looks upon the memory and visage of his deceased mother in an empty chair and remembers the lessons she instilled in them. It is a clever moment and speaks volumes on what she meant to each son. Perhaps a bit more of this would have balanced the film and kept it from turning into the overwhelmingly vengeful tale it ultimately becomes.

The film feels tough and gritty, and its characters are real people with real conflicts and emotions. The relationship of these brothers forms the backbone of the film no matter what they endure. They stick up for each other and watch each other's back. These brothers in arms love each other and fight amongst themselves. We anguish when they suffer and cheer when they triumph. There are humorous moments sprinkled throughout the film and some funny lines spoken at the expense of each character.

The story, written by David Elliot and Paul Lovett, works on a couple of levels. On one level, it is a detective story with twists and turns and some surprises. There are some clues and red herrings along the way, and you don't quite know the whole story until the end. On another level it functions as a kind of urban western with its revenge tale. In fact the film is essentially structured similarly to fraternal, revenge westerns as The Sons of Katie Elder and Gunfight at the OK Corral. It's also about the love given by a selfless mother who gave comfort and hope to four wayward rejects when no one wanted them.

The ending is a little like an urban Mission Impossible with its elaborate ruse. Some of it is implausible but on the whole the sequence works marginally. We don't know much about Jeremiah Mercer's family which would have added to our attachment to his character.

Mark Wahlberg is an imposing figure who will stop at nothing to find his mother's killer.

In fact all four leads are quite strong and well cast. Terrence Howard (who has starred in a number of strong films this year and is a star on the rise for sure) has an effective role as a good cop although his character leaves too early as the conspiracy widens. Fionnula Flanagan is seen too briefly and should have been used more which would have grounded the film morally.

The soundtrack is a good mixture of oldies and serves as the pulse of the kinetic action scenes in the Motown setting. Technical credits for what is essentially a low budget film are solid especially in the cinematography and film editing.

It is entirely possible to be shell shocked by the hard hitting nature of this violent melodrama by film's end. It's certainly a crowd pleaser and almost manipulative in the way it generates deep feelings. The film succeeds in terms of sheer energy and force. It's a little rough around the edges but still a welcome return to Singleton's roots. While Four Brothers proves that his previous abilities were no fluke, he has yet to exceed let alone match the promise of his first film.

Four Brothers = EXCELLENT

[rockprincess173 · 9/10 · 13 August 2005]

OK, I'm a girl who normally loves "chick flicks" and comedies, so when I had nothing to do this evening and decided to go see a movie with my parents, (I thought they were seeing "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo"...but alas I was incorrect.) and discovered we were going to see "Four Brothers", I was a little upset. I'm normally not one for movies that are seemingly all about people getting revenge and lots of killing and fighting. I dunno..I'm not one for the action/drama type...unless it's a horror movie, and then I'm definitely there. Anyways, I was genuinely surprised at how good this movie ended up being. Each of the four brothers gave an amazing performance. Andre Benjamin showed that he's not only a talented singer, but a talented actor as well.

The movie was much better than I had expected. I laughed, and I (almost) cried. It went through a range of so many different emotions and events in the lives of the four troubled men, all adopted when they were children by one amazing woman who became their world. I don't really know what else to say without spoiling the movie, so I'm going to just leave you with all of what I've said, and the fact that I would most definitely recommend this movie to anyone and everyone.

The Mercer Family

[dk777 · 7/10 · 22 April 2022]

A fun movie in the style of old revenge movies.

Four adopted brothers are looking for their mother's killer. The film is certainly entertaining and does not take itself too seriously, but tries to entertain the viewer.

The characters, and especially the brothers, are fun and interesting. The film is essentially a crime story, with a lot of humor and a bit of violence.

The cast portrayed the fun characters well, making the film even more fun. The direction is good, as is the soundtrack, which blended well into the film. The characters of the brothers are interesting and fun precisely because they are as different as the actors who play them. The villains are hilarious, and the actors played them great.

The soundtrack greatly contributes to the atmosphere of the film. The most important thing is that the film is fun and easy to watch. Definitely a movie that can be watched multiple times. One of those films that tries to entertain the viewer and succeeds at it.

A fun mix of crime, drama and action.

unbelievably bad

[ravinder-chutti · 2 February 2007]

what a total load of rubbish. it was like watching a car crash you know its bad but you can't help but watch. I mean the script is so poor the actors tried but with one arm tied behind your back what can a man do. How many people can you kill before the police get even slightly interested. The bad guy he was so contrived why didn't he just walk around with a placard saying I'm a bad person. The shoot up scene at the end was incredibly bad, for what seemed like half the film guns were being fired at the house, people getting killed and at the end of it all with a body count like it was in Iraq. The cops finally turned up it was put down to self defense ha ha

Better than expected...

[cat_ranchero · 7/10 · 31 March 2013]

The plot is very slow after the initial murder of Evelyn Mercer and this may have put many off. It does, however pick up towards the middle third and by the end it has reached full throttle. The gritty realism of the story is enhanced by the winter scenes on the streets of Detroit. I can't say I was overly enthused by the choice of music throughout, but then it's not really my scene man. The performances were all excellent with Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson taking most of the spotlight, but I thought nobody put a foot wrong throughout. Over all a gritty realistic and sometimes brutal revenge thriller. Maybe a little too slow for some in the beginning but the pace does pick up (I promise).

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.2/10

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

Nice

[ytoshiya · 7/10 · 2 April 2020]

When their foster mother who grew up four brothers was murdered in a store robbery, they investigated the murder and looked for the killers, but not all is what it seems.

Violet and Gritty

[Floated2 · 6/10 · 23 June 2017]

Four Brothers tells the story of four adopted sons of a murdered woman when return home to Detroit to bury. Their mother was the saint of the community, finding homes for abandoned and unwanted children. These four men were the only lost souls that no one wanted, so she took them in. They grew up to be criminals, but they ended up much better off than they ever would if she hadn't helped them. The film settles in once after comparing notes at the funeral, the brothers decide to look deeper into their mother's death. Without worries about the law and consequences, these four brothers make it their mission to bring justice to their town. This film is quite a rough and tough violet revenge film. At some parts does it dwindle but overall its a solid action thriller.