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Movies / On DVD / Four Brothers
Four Brothers

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Four Brothers (2005)

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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.

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

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

[See More Credits]

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    Four Brothers Trailer
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    Exclusive Clip: "My Real Brothers"
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    Exclusive Clip: "Out The Window"
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    Exclusive Clip "They Set Mom Up"
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Reviews for Four Brothers

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment 2 Comments
01/07/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Mostly enjoyable thriller with strong performances and a couple of terrific action sequences, though it loses a star for its nose-dive into bad movie territory towards the end.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/01/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Swiftly dissolves into a litany of brutally sadistic acts knotted together by a feeble whodunnit plot.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
09/18/05
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Singleton seems to struggle to keep it under control, finally giving up in the end and letting a dopey Hollywood finale overrun the film.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/20/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
09/30/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

As a vivid, bloody piece of escapist gimmickry, it works.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
08/12/05
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

a balls-out revenge tale

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/11/05
Annette Cardwell
Annette Cardwell
Filmcritic.com

A dynamic blast of disorderly entertainment.

Full Review Source: Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) | comment Comment
08/13/05
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

Making sense isn't a top priority for Four Brothers.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
08/12/05
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

Singleton, who has never managed to make a movie that didn’t fall completely apart, does Brothers a great favor by sticking so close to the lunacy.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
08/11/05
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
FilmJerk.com

Four Brothers is one crazy movie. Crazy good at times, crazy bad at times, crazy wild all the time.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
08/12/05
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

Easily the best 1975 B-movie made in 2005, Four Brothers is a raucously entertaining vigilante film.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
08/12/05
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

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.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
08/11/05
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Singleton's style over substance approach is the right way to tell Four Brothers' vengeful story

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
08/16/05
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
Washington Times

"Good to see Singleton returning to his roots. Wahlberg and co-stars Tyrese Gibson and Andre Benjamin give good performances".

Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment Comment
09/30/05
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

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.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/10/05
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

There’s nothing terribly deep here, but we get caught up in the relationships among the brothers, and their intense loyalty to each other and the memory of their mother.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
08/12/05
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

...a welcome throwback to the sort of over-the-top actioners that were prevalent twenty years ago.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
07/10/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

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.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
08/11/05
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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