Four Brothers is one of the best films to come out of 2005. It looks at revenge, bonding of brothers, corruption, gangs and so much more. The violent scenes in this are not overdone; they are all essential to the story and the development of the characters for the viewer. Even the Mercer House ... Read review
Bound by love for their slain adoptive mother, the brothers inFour Brothersform a unique ... more
quartet that gives John Singleton's film a razor's edge of redemption. It's a thin edge, to be sure, because while Singleton's urban Western pays homage to the Bla...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Bound by love for their slain adoptive mother, the brothers inFour Brothersform a unique ... more
quartet that gives John Singleton's film a razor's edge of redemption. It's a thin edge, to be sure, because while Singleton's urban Western pays homage to the Bla...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
After their adoptive mother is murdered during a grocery store holdup, the Mercer brothers ... more
- hotheaded Bobby (Mark Wahlberg). ladies' man Angel (Tyrese Gibson), family man and businessman Jeremiah (Andrenjamin), and hard rocking Jack (Garrett Hedlund) ...
Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund co-star in this gripping ... more
tale of brotherly love, betrayal, and revenge from acclaimed filmmaker John Singleton. After their adoptive mother is gunned down during a grocery store holdup, the estranged brothers reunite to seek revenge and take matters into their own hands. Defying police orders, the four begin turning their old Detroit neighborhood upside down searching for the mastermind behind the brutal killing. Along the way, they discover they are bound by ties thicker than blood in this emotionally powerful, action-packed drama.
Action & Adventure - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Melissa George, Ron Rifkin, Jennifer Garner, Ricky Gervais, Quentin Tarantino
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: John Singleton - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring:Paul Walker, Eva Mendes, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser, Ludacris, James Remar, Devon Aoki
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Advantages: Excellent shoot out scene Disadvantages: /
Four Brothers is one of the best films to come out of 2005. It looks at revenge, bonding of brothers, corruption, gangs and so much more. The violent scenes in this are not overdone; they are all essential to the story and the development of the characters for the viewer. Even the Mercer House Shootout (more later) is done in a way that every single shot fired is fired for a reason and not just to put another gun shot in the movie.
... ...was shot, and there are four men, Bobby, Jack, Jeremiah & Angel who meet up around the house after the funeral. It turns out they are Evelyn’s adopted sons. The Mercer Brothers! They have not seen each other for a while but their brothership (even though two are white and two are black) is so strong that it does not take any time at all for them to slip into old family ways of teasing each other like brothers do and they decide to have a family dinner ... more
Four Brothers is one of the best films to come out of 2005. It looks at revenge, bonding of brothers, corruption, gangs and so much more. The violent scenes in this are not overdone; they are all essential to the story and the development of the characters for the viewer. Even the Mercer House Shootout (more later) is done in a way that every single shot fired is fired for a reason and not just to put another gun shot in the movie.
THE STORY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The film starts with an elderly woman in a corner shop telling a young boy off for shop lifting a candy bar. She is trying to educate him to stop thieving and build a better life for himself. You can tell she cares about the kids of the community straight away. As she moves to the back of the shop two gun men burst into the shop. Their faces are hidden behind balaclavas and they immediately shoot the shopkeeper. The lady tries to hide but lets out a small noise when they shoot and they find her at the back of the shop and shoot her twice. But who have they killed?
The next scene shows the funeral and wake of Evelyn Mercer, the lady who was shot, and there are four men, Bobby, Jack, Jeremiah & Angel who meet up around the house after the funeral. It turns out they are Evelyn’s adopted sons. The Mercer Brothers! They have not seen each other for a while but their brothership (even though two are white and two are black) is so strong that it does not take any time at all for them to slip into old family ways of teasing each other like brothers do and they decide to have a family dinner for Thanksgiving in honour of their mum. She appears to each one, in their mind, saying something she always would have, like take you elbows off the table and so on. A very thoughtful moment in the film where the boys reflect on how much they loved her.
None of the boys are afraid to ask questions about their mum’s death, and before you know it they have started an investigation for themselves, outside of the police authority. Bobby takes charge of the brother’s investigation as he, along with Angel are hard nuts who are not afraid to go into any situation and do what needs to be done in order to get answers. Jack tags along all the time but as the youngest he is not allowed to have a gun or go in anywhere first. The older ones protect him without babying him too much and he is happy with this. Jerry is another matter and from the start you see him as a responsible family man, (he has a wife and two daughters) who does not want to be involved in any violence and would rather let the police do their job to find the killers.
Bobby, Angel, Jack & Jerry (to a degree) carry on investigating their mum’s death, leaving a trail of destruction and death along the way. Finding out how Victor Sweet, the local chief hoodlum, is involved. How Jerry is mixed up in this whole thing and how police corruption is blocking their way.
All this leads to the shootout at the Mercer house, which is one of the best shoot out scenes I have seen for a long time. There are fatalities on both sides and even more reason for The Mercer Brothers to seek revenge on Victor Sweet.
How do they get what they want? Was Victor behind it all? Who else was involved? Which police are bent? Is Jerry really trying to go behind his brothers? How does it all end?
These are questions you will have answered when you watch the film, because when you’ve read this review I bet you have to get the film.
THE CAST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARK WAHLBERG ~~~ BOBBY MERCER
Mark Wahlberg as Bobby is definitely the leader of the brothers here. He kind of exudes a wisdom and experience laden life from the moment he arrives on the screen. You can tell he wants to look after the family he has left and avenge his mothers killing. It’s one of the first things he talks about with his brothers. I think he is meant to be the eldest of them and therefore feels he has big brother duties to them, especially Jack. Mark does a brilliant job in this role. He’s not your classic good-looking movie star but there is something in his performance that does draw you to him. He plays Bobby superbly, right down to the looks on his face when he learns new information. He is a gutsy, determined character played exceptionally well by Wahlberg.
TYRESE GIBSON ~~~ ANGEL MERCER
Another great performance here. Tyrese plays Angel Mercer, the other “in your face” brother, not afraid to jump in the middle of anything. Tyrese impressed me in films such as “Flight of the Phoenix” and “2 Fast 2 Furious” and this film is no exception to his excellent character portrayal. Angel is a big strong man who backs Bobby up when there is trouble to see to. He’s not afraid of confrontation and will get revenge for his mum’s death without exception. There is interaction between Angel and his girlfriend, Sofi, which shows the softer, more loving side of him really well.
ANDRE BENJAMIN ~~~ JEREMIAH MERCER
You get the opinion that Jerry (Jeremiah) is the 2nd youngest brother. It definitely goes Bobby, Angel then Jerry & Jack last in the pecking order though. Andre Benjamin plays this role perfectly with all the things he has to incorporate into the character. He wants to revenge his mum’s death but has to be responsible for his family. He wants to uncover the truth behind what happened but needs to keep certain things secret! An interesting and compelling character really well played and for a seemingly still fairly young, novice actor I was really impressed.
GARRETT HEDLUND ~~~ JACK MERCER
Garret Hedlund is Jack Mercer, the baby of the Mercer Brothers clan. He is a wannabe rock star and has a band but they are struggling to break through. He is very naïve and innocent in his character and when his big brothers start getting violent he is shocked and doesn’t quite know how to take it. He wants to be like them but is scared too. Born only in 1984, Garrett has not built up a massive catalogue of films yet but was in Troy in 2004 and after this film he will definitely have offers through his door. OTHER CAST MEMBERS
Fionnula Flanagan Evelyn Mercer
Chiwetel Ejiofor Victor Sweet
Terrence Howard Lt Green Josh Charles Det Fowler
DVD EXTRAS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are lots of extras on this DVD, some good and interesting and some in my opinion a bit boring but I will leave you to make your own minds up on their usefulness.
**The Look of Four Brothers**
The director, John Singleton and Peter Menzies the cinematographer, talk along with the actors playing the four brothers about how they decided on how to show the scenes in the films. John Singleton wanted to use music a little less than normal and liked the idea of wide informative shots. He says a lot of the shots show all four brothers in it at once. This way your eye can go to the person you want to see rather than being forced to watch one person in particular.
**Crafting Four Brothers**
Paul Lovett & David Elliot the screenwriters talk about their love of Spaghetti Westerns and how they and John Singleton wanted to make this like an Urban Western. They talk about how they built up the characters and what each one brings to the film.
**Behind the Brotherhood**
John Singleton talks with the producer, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura about the bonding of the brothers. How they became so incredibly close even though they were adopted and are of different races, there is no segregation and they are brothers without the need for blood ties.
**Mercer House Shootout**
The director talks again about this specific action scene. He explains how he wanted it to be combustible yet real. No frills just pure action, which was happening on screen but right in your face. It goes on to show you how the scene was set up and the wire shots etc that were planted under the snow to help everything go with a bang.
**Deleted Scenes**
These included: Corner Store Hold-up The Brothers Eulogy Bobby Teases Jack After the Hockey Game Arriving at Jeremiah’s Revenge is a full time job. Lt Green questions Councilman Douglas Det Fowler warns Angel Cops arrest Angel
This film was only 104 minutes long so I think they could have comfortably included some of these deleted scenes in the film.
**Theatrical Trailer**
This is obviously the trailer for the film, and it’s the one I saw that made me want to get it in the first place. Good trailer – gets you interested.
OTHER STUFF
The DVD has a running time of 104 minutes which is a good length for a film although if it had been longer and included some of the deleted scenes I would have been happy too.
It is certificate 15.
You can buy it for £12.99 new from Amazon but we rented it for £3.75 from choices video.
Advantages: Good quality cast and action seens Disadvantages: It trys too hard to achieve certain things but it doesn't do it
...for what they have done? Four brothers is a revenge movie where four men who were raised by the same woman discover that she has been murdered. This is something that raises an issue to many people and the question "What would you do?"
This powerful movie boasts a strong cast with Mark Wahlberg putting in a great performance as Bobby Mercer, the older Brother. Mixed with tough and witty exterior, he has the best line in the whole film which you ... ...is the youngest of the four brothers and wants to be a rock star. You can sense that he is very naïve as well as innocent and when his brothers start to become violent he is scared but wants to join in with them.
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The Film
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This film brings four men who are not blood related but are bonded by the love and loyalty they feel for their adoptive ...
stevie_ooo_arrr 10.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers (DVD)
Advantages: Some good stunt sequences Disadvantages: Terrible acting, writing and direction
When their adoptive mother is killed in cold blood during a liquor store robbery, the multi-racial Mercer brothers set out on the cold streets of Detroit for revenge. Soon they discover their mother's murder was no mistake - but what could she possibly have done to make someone want to kill her?
There was a time when John Singleton was the hottest young director on the block; Oscar nominated for his debut production at the age of just twenty-three. ... ...of the experience of young black men and the pressures inherent in their lives in the tough South Central district of LA. However, it seems to have been downhill all the way ever since, plagiarising himself in films like "Higher Learning" and "Poetic Justice" and finally tossing away any remaining credibility with the dire cars and Z-list stars vehicle "2 Fast 2 Furious". Sadly "Four Brothers is symptomatic of his continuing decline, glorifying violence ...
afy9mab 08.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers (DVD)
Advantages: A movie that is worthy to see. Disadvantages: Just don't create big illusions about it...
...The drama progresses around four adopted brothers that reunite at their mother’s funeral, executed during a pretence armed robbery. The unusualness of being physically different, two of them are white and the other two are black, is one of the elements more explored in the movie.
Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flannagan) is portrayed as a caring woman, a social assistant that during her 30 year career only came across four lost causes, four delinquents ... ...them, so she did it herself, and raised them like brothers. Of course, they don’t become exemplar adults otherwise the movie wouldn’t be very funny…
Bobby “Michigan Mauler” Mercer (Mark Wahlberg) is the oldest and the “craziest” of the family. Just released from jail, he arrives to Detroit with thirst of revenge and drags his three brothers to a sphere of violence; Angel Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) is a former marine and a playboy, always trying to impress ...
octavio.teixeira 22.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers (DVD)
Advantages: Well acted as a group, great action scenes Disadvantages: Not much depth
...the basics well, and its four main actors work very well together.
The film is about four brothers who reunite to mourn the death of their adoptive mother in Detroit. She was gunned down in a convenience store robbery, and they want to exact their revenge by helping the police find out who killed her. However, as the police seem to be getting nowhere, they try their own way of getting results and finding the killer. They aren't orthodox, and most ... ...are well chosen for the four brothers, with Mark Wahlberg, Andre Benjamin, Tyrese Gibson and Garret Hedlund very convincing as four men who have grown up together. Very much led by Wahlberg's Danny, the four Mercer brothers take us along a simple yet effective plot involving local gangs and corruption, as we edge closer to the truth. The acting from the supporting cast is also solid, with Terrence Howard and Chiwetel Eijofor standing out above the ...
pmcds 20.05.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers (DVD)
Advantages: Good action film Disadvantages: Some weak plot areas
...not about the DVD.
Four Brothers is an excellent gritty film that I watched on Film 4 a couple of nights ago, it has a strong cast and a pretty good story line that focuses on family relationships and the quest for revenge. The four brothers in the title are all adopted and are bought back together to the city of Detroit one winters day for the funeral of their foster mother who provided them with a loving home and precious childhood memories in ... ...and the interaction between the four brothers is really convincing. Sofia Vergara plays the slightly crazy girlfriend of one of the brothers and her purpose is a bit confusing at times but then I guess her partially dressed prescence appeals to the male viewers.
The film does have its lighter moments and there is some nice banter between the main characters and the film is well scripted, it does get a little over complicated at times and it si strange ...
fuzzybear967 11.12.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers (DVD)
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Advantages: An easy, enjoyable to watch film with plenty of humour Disadvantages: none for me
From the director that brought us '2 Fast 2 Furious', 'Shaft' and 'Boyz n the hood', FourBrothers is the story of fourbrothers (unsurprisingly) out to avenge their mother's death. Released in 2005 this film promises action, revenge and surprisingly plenty of humour.
*** My Opinion On ***
Here you will find my opinion on everything from the way the movie was filmed to how action packed it was and the enjoyability of the film compared to John Singleton's previous works. Hopefully this will give you the best idea of what the film was like!
1) The Story
I thought the story was quite good in this, a little simple maybe but still a good story all the same. It has the hard man image with the brothers all out to get revenge on their mother's killer but then there is the quick witted humour that makes this film enjoyable to watch ...
AimeeLouise18 30.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers DVD
Advantages: Good Story line and good acting Disadvantages: None
This DVD is a story of four adopted brothers and how they avenge their mothers Death.
The film Stars
Mark Wahlberg as Bobby Mercer
Tyrese Gibson as Angel Mercer
André Benjamin as Jeremiah Mercer
Garrett Hedlund as Jack Mercer
Brought up as one family by Evelyn Mercer the FourBrothers, Bobby, Angel, Jeremiah and Jack reunite at the funeral of their
adoptive mother who was murdered during a grocery store hold-up, and decide take the matter of her death into their own hands.
As they track down the killer, they quickly realize that their old ways of doing business have new consequences.
They discover that their mother's death was not a random event.
They discover a link between Business man Benjamin and their mothers killers.
The storyline is not too complex but there are enough twists and turns in the plot to ...
Advantages: Gripping and great entertainment Disadvantages: If you were picky you could pull holes in the plot
When their adopted mother is murdered in a grocery store robbery, four estranged brothers return to the rough Detroit neighbourhood to bury their beloved mother, but also to seek vengeance for her death. Turning the neighbourhood upside down in search of the killers, they soon discover things are not all they seem.
The other day I watched an old John Wayne western called "The Sons of Katie Elder" which sees 4 brothers' return to their homestead to bury their mother and seek revenge for a handful of wrong doings. It was thoroughly enjoyable, but the whole time I had a nagging feeling that I recognized the storyline from a much more recent movie and then it hit me. John Singleton's "FourBrothers" pretty much uses an identical plot line but in a more contemporary situation and does a brilliant job of making a film which could easily ...
christianfilmcritic 01.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Four Brothers (DVD)
Commentary By Director John Singleton, The Look Of Four Brothers, Crafting Four Brothers, Behind The Brotherhood, Mercer House Shootout, Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English German Turkish
Professional reviews
Review
Solidly entertaining... BROTHERS works only on a larger-than-life level. But on that level, the zest is back. (USA Today, )
DVD Description
When their beloved foster mother is killed in a holdup, four tough brothers reunite in their old Detroit neighbourhood 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 and roller of the clan. And Outkast's Andre 3000, Benjamin, 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 centre of violent urban masculinity (BABY BOY, BOYZ N THE HOOD) to create a cooked-to-perfection gangster 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 neighbourhood 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.
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