Four Brothers is an action-drama specifically targeted to guys; four brothers seeking vengeance for the murder of their mother.. who among us didn't just give a mental "ooh-rah!" just thinking about it. It aims for the heart, but not in a sappy "let's cry for momma" kind of way, this movie aims with guns, and hits the mark.
Four BrothersFionnula Flanagan plays Evelyn Mercer, the Mom with a heart of gold and a knack for putting kids on the right path. The movie starts off with Evelyn teaching a lesson to a young shoplifter in a corner store, a store that's about to be robbed. During the course of the robbery the attendant is killed, Evelyn squeaks, and is also killed.
Evelyn was a foster mother who helped place over 100 kids into permanent homes, but there were four kids who were so "damaged" that she couldn't find them homes, so she adopted them herself. Her four adopted sons come home for her funeral and decide to investigate her murder. The police say it was random, but evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Why? Who would want to kill their sweet old mum?
Remember that these kids were bad and she didn't work out all of their tendencies, so when they start knocking on doors to see what information they can turn up they aren't very subtle about it. Bobby (Mark Wahlberg) was kicked off a hockey team for being too violent, and enjoys using gasoline to assist in his interrogations. Angel (Tyrese Gibson) isn't a nice guy either and throws a wicked punch, while Jack (Garrett Hedlund) is a third rate gay rock star... and fights like it. Only Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin) has really cleaned up his act and sits out for most of the fight scenes.
As the brothers go around knocking guys around they turn up some interesting facts, which begins to show that murder wasn't a random killing and that those responsible may not be strangers after all. That's it, can't talk about the plot any more or I might ruin something. You can count on some obvious plot twists and some just as obvious false dodges, but you really won't mind.
Performance wise this movie is top notch, with only a scene at the beginning where Bobby cries about his mothers death coming off as too forced. There's a great chemistry between the brothers, and they rib each other as only brothers can. Imagine 2 white brothers, one of which is gay, and two black brothers throwing verbal jabs at each other. They get away with dialogue that only a brother could, and the audience eats it up.
The fights are spectacular, both fist fights and gun fights. The Mercer brothers don't take crap from anybody, and they don't kid around when they get pissed. This was their MOTHER, and a flesh wound just wouldn't do justice. This movie WILL have you cheering when certain events happen along with everyone else in the audience.
Four Brothers almost gets 5 stars but doesn't quite have that little something "extra" that warrants it. Like Hustle & Flow (produced by Singleton, who directed this one) this one will get mentioned when it comes to awards, and it deserves the mention. Go see this one in the theaters soon as you'll want the crowd involved for the complete experience. It's date safe as well, so grab a honey and hit the theaters.