Starring: Paul Walker, David Belle and RZA
Directed By: Camille Delamarre
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 91 minutes
Relativity Media
Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Has Hollywood reached that point where they see Luc Besson’s name and automatically write the check? He has 24 screenwriting credits over the past decade and off the top of my head I can’t come up with one good movie he has penned. His latest is “Brick Mansions”, a remake of “District 13”, which he also wrote. From what I’ve read, he didn’t change much with the story. He’s either getting lazy or he knows studio executives will automatically respond with, “Shut up and take my money.”
“Brick Mansions” has a fairly promising premise. We’re dropped into a crime-ridden, dystopian Detroit in 2018 (not too far off or inaccurate). In this not so bleak future, the powers to be have built a tall thick wall around the problem spot of the city, known as the Brick Mansions. A ruthless drug kingpin, Tremaine (RZA), controls the area under his iron fist, even though he’s only seen cooking and making aimless threats. He has two problem spots in his territory. One is an undercover cop, Damien (Walker), who fights the scum of the street that he incorrectly blames for his father’s death. The other is Lino (Belle), a scrappy fighter who fights for the common good because…who cares because the script certainly doesn’t.
One can surmise that is going to be a rough and tough action movie and while that is true to a certain extent, the fights never evolve beyond mildly amusing. You’ll begin to realize that each battle is actually just one chase after another with Lino pulling off his best Jackie Chan escape moves and Damien following suit. I have to give credit to Belle, who appears to do most of his own stunts besides the insane story high jumps and landings that would shatter anyone’s fibula and tibula. “Brick Mansions” can never quite agree on whether or not it wants to be an insane silly romp through the urban jungle or a serious crime movie and instead settles on cheap action gimmicks and choppy storytelling.
When it does try to be serious, you realize there was never an adequate set-up provided to propel the characters forward or enough sound reasoning to suggest that risking life and limb is worth chasing down these common street thugs. RZA is the weakest choice for acting I’ve seen this year. His emotional range is that of an enraged adolescent, constantly thrashing about while blaming other people and never realizing the consequences of his actions. Halfway through the movie RZA randomly picks up a Jamaican accent which he has a hard time verbally articulating if the script calls for him to speak above a whisper. The most frustrating aspect, without giving away the ending, is that Tremaine never meets a suitable punishment, but is instead revered in the most ludicrous way.
“Brick Mansions” is a technically sound movie. The choreographed escapes and fights (when there is one) are solid and the scenery of our future ghetto is more entertaining than the characters inhabiting it. “Brick Mansions” will be a box office draw because it is Paul Walker’s final role after he tragically died. In one aspect, “Brick Mansion” sadly symbolizes what his career was, one forgettable movie after another, but his on-screen time does remind the audience that he had the potential to do so much better.
