Director: John Singleton
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sofia Vergara
Running Time: 109 minutes
Synopsis: In Detroit, well-loved Evelyn Mercer is killed during a violent convenience story robbery. Her four adopted sons Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), Angel (Tyrese Gibson), Jerry (Andre Benjamin), and Jack (Garrett Hedlund), all of them rescued by Evelyn from foster homes, convene to grieve. The brothers soon spot inconsistencies in the official police narrative about Evelyn's killing. Their probing uncovers evidence of police and political corruption and involvement by gang boss Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
What Works Well: This is a rough-and-tumble story of brotherhood, director John Singleton looking for the ties that bind misfit siblings shaped by Detroit's tough streets. Bobby (audacious and two-fisted), Angel (more cerebral), Jerry (business-oriented), and Jack (withdrawn and most traumatized but likely the smartest) are a lively set, and together they unleash unconstrained mayhem, as much on each other as on their enemies. A strong cast is augmented by Sofia Vergara as Angel's girlfriend (and imagine the toughness required to co-exist with his brothers), Terrence Howard as police detective Green, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the cold-blooded villain.
What Does Not Work As Well: The tone and balance are never quite right. Banter, hijinks, and voluminous shouting threaten to overwhelm the convoluted plot and routinely over-the-top action scenes. The final double-headed showdown is both logically muddled and lackluster in execution.
Key Quote:
Green (to Bobby): You keep knocking on the devil's door long enough and sooner or later someone's gonna answer you.
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