RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Four Brothers
Four Brothers

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Four Brothers (2005)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
52 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer #1
    >
    Four Brothers Trailer
    >
    Exclusive Clip: "My Real Brothers"
    >
    Exclusive Clip: "Out The Window"
    >
  • Exclusive Clip With Video Commentary
    >
    Exclusive Clip "They Set Mom Up"
    >
1 - 4 of 6

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Four Brothers

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
121 - 137 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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

Clumsy, dumb, offensive drama.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
08/11/05
Phoebe Flowers
Phoebe Flowers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's a finely tuned Motor City engine.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
08/11/05
Scott Foundas
Scott Foundas
L.A. Weekly

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

this is one family reunion you don’t want to miss.

Full Review Source: Gazette (MD) | comment Comment
08/11/05
Jeffrey Lyles
Jeffrey Lyles
Gazette (MD)

The film’s final act is a huge letdown...

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
08/10/05
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

Singleton must be reclassified from sellout to filmmaker who's capable of selling out.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
08/10/05
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Unable to inspire, it's equally incapable of offending.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
08/10/05
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

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

When Singleton kicks out the jams during the hard-core rough stuff ... helmer delivers the goods with edgy kinetic flair.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
08/10/05
Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As an absurd riff on baadasssss gangsta movies, Four Brothers has an undeniable visceral kick.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
08/10/05
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gritty but totally unfocused: it could have been great, it if weren't straddling four genres.

Full Review Source: EDGE Boston | comment Comment
08/10/05
David Foucher
David Foucher
EDGE Boston

Fails to develop the kind of noble bond between adoptive siblings that would reach some degree of inspiration. A nice way to meld the ethnicities isn't enough.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment 1 Comment
08/10/05
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Why is Four Brothers so cheesy? Why does it look like junk? Why are the lines so oafish, the scenes so sloppily pasted together, and the characters so false?

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
08/10/05
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

An unusual and uneven mix of genres that is both intriguing and rewarding.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
08/09/05
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

Endearingly crummy. When it works, the movie has the loose, slightly screwy vibe of an early-'80s exploitation picture (something from Cannon Pictures, perhaps.)

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
08/09/05
Sean Burns
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

Due to clumsy helming, the combo of gritty urban drama and emotional family saga is strained, and the transitions from violent sequences to siblings bonding acts are jarring

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
08/07/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
 
 
121 - 137 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
all

Latest News for Four Brothers

March 22, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Six New Films Try to Shoot Down Spartans From #1 Spot
A half-dozen new soldiers enter the marketplace this weekend trying to topple the kingdom of "300" which has reigned supreme at the box office for the past two weeks. More...

August 24, 2006: Box Office Preview: Invincible Aims for First Place Finish
Another wave of new releases hits the multiplexes across North America this weekend in hopes of capturing the final dollars of the summer movie season. More...

August 24, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Invincible," "Worms" Score; "Idlewild," "Beerfest" Mixed
This week at the movies, we've got four underdog stories. An average Joe tries to play pro football ("Invincible," starring Mark Wahlberg), the new kid in school tries... More...

August 17, 2006: Box Office Preview: "Snakes" Prepares For Takeoff
This weekend Samuel L. Jackson looks to seize control of the muthaf*ckin' box office with his new muthaf*ckin' film "Snakes on a Plane" which invades theaters on a... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
21
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
162
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
78
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
53
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
49
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
43
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
39
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
35
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
26
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Four Brothers at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Four Brothers at IGN
  • Four Brothers at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.