Released: June 1st, 2007
Runtime: 2 hr. 00 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Swedish Fish
Starring: Kevin Costner, Dane Cook, Demi Moore & William Hurt
Director: Bruce A. Evans
Rating: Worth a Rental – 
Synopsis: The story of a family man and pillar of the community who is actually quite a flawed individual, as he is a sadistic killer. He wants to quit but just can’t. Detective that has her own problems is trying to figure out who is committing these murders. After being seen by a voyeur that then wants to know what it is like to do what he does. An extremely dangerous game plays out.
Review: Mr. Brooks is a psychological thriller that promises a twist you won’t see coming and in the end left me feeling unsatisfied and wondering which of the many twists was supposed to be the big one. I think the big twist is that they made me think that there might actually be one and then there wasn’t.
There are four types of thrillers: 1. Halfway through you know what the twist is going to be. 2. Right before the twist happens you know what is about to happen. 3. The twist happens and you’re like, yah, I can see that. 4. What the…? Holy…! Unbelievable, I can’t believe they got me.
Many a film promises to be a category 4, but ends up a category 3 or lower. Unfortunately, way too many languish in category 1. Mr. Brooks is one that wants to be a 4, but, alas, is not. Maybe, if you added up the number of twists attempted, you might reach four. Or, better yet, if you added up the actors on screen that were portraying some aspect of a serial killer or one in the making, you could end up at four. But, if you are looking for that WTF? moment, it doesn’t ever come.
On the good side of things is the acting. Mr. Brooks stars Kevin Costner (The Guardian, Bull Durham) as a serial killer, one with an alter ego seen only by him played by William Hurt (The Good Shepherd, A History of Violence). The scenes of banter between them keep you interested, as their performances are quite good. Costner is actually really good as the reluctant but addicted killer. Also, in the good performance department, as a serial killer wannabe, is Dane Cook (Employee of the Month). He plays a good psycho. Wait; is there such a thing? Anyway, much of the acting is very good in the film. The acting is not the problem.
What is? Well, the directing and editing. There were quite a few choices made in putting this film together that leave you wondering, what were they thinking? The one moment in the movie that might make you jump, is a cheap one. Anybody can put together a quiet scene and then out of nowhere blast the sound briefly. That is cheap, indeed, especially when you are promised more in the way of chills and thrills than that.
Another scene that doesn’t work is a shootout in cramped quarters. Not because no one can’t hit anybody, but because all of a sudden it is shot like you are in some 1960s drug induced haze. It was like it was part of another movie, not this one.
When the credits do finally roll, the feeling that the movie should have ended about five minutes ago comes over you. The final scenes seem tacked on for the express purpose of attempting to fulfill the promise that it has yet to deliver. Ultimately, you should wait for the rental. I wish I had.
Have you seen it? What did you think about Mr. Brooks?
