Movie Review: Brick Mansions (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Its been quite some time since I’ve watched “Banlieue 13″ (or “B13″), but I remember enjoying it quite a bit. The story was pretty ludicrous, but what sold the movie were some of the most breathtaking stunts and action sequences I had seen on screen. “Brick Mansions,” which is also one of Paul Walker’s final movies, follows the original film’s story almost beat by beat, meaning that it’s still as preposterous as ever, but the film shines whenever David Belle pulls some incredible stunt that will make your jaw drop. The movie knows what it’s best at and doesn’t pretend otherwise, which makes this a tolerable and sometimes exhilarating ride, even though it’s overflowing with flaws. Plus, the chemistry between Walker and Belle certainly works, and it’s upsetting to know that we won’t get to see the pair work together again in the future.
The story is set in a dystopian Detroit, where a large chunk of the city has been cut off by a massive containment wall. The abandoned section of Detroit, aka Brick Mansions, still houses the city’s poorest and most in need, but they now have no access to education, health care, or security. As a result, Brick Mansions has become an even bigger haven for drug lords and criminals. Lino (David Belle) is one of the only people in Brick Mansions who tries to make a difference, and finds himself in big trouble after stealing a large amount of drugs from drug kingpin Tremaine (RZA). His fortune is about to change when undercover cop Damien Collier (Paul Walker) is sent into Brick Mansions to stop Tremaine. When their paths cross, an unlikely partnership is formed, forcing our two heroes to save Brick Mansions, and the entire city of Detroit.
If you’ve see the original, then you pretty much know exactly how things will turn out. There are some subtle changes to the plot, but it’s largely the same at its core. There are really only two reasons to sit through “Brick Mansions”; David Belle’s awesome parkour stunts, which can be breathtaking, as well as Belle’s and Walker’s great onscreen chemistry. Walker delivers a great performance, and actually comes off as the film’s most competent and reliable actor. It makes his loss all the more heartbreaking, and makes you wonder where his career could have gone from here. For North America audiences who don’t know much about parkour, David Belle should prove to be a revelation.
The film certainly has its faults, and they’re generally related to the script and some pretty bad acting. Walker and Belle carry the film, but RZA is absolutely awful as Tremaine. That guy should seriously stop getting acting gigs. The rest of the cast is also quite terrible, and I can guarantee that you haven’t heard of most of them before. Credit goes out to director Camille Delamarre for keeping things moving at a really fast pace and focusing on insane action rather than trying to convince us that what’s happening is logical. Anytime two characters aren’t jumping around or beating someone up, you’ll be cringing at the terrible dialogue. As soon as they shut up and go back to parkour, it’s all gravy. There’s some very obvious allusions to income inequality, but the film doesn’t get bogged down by politics.
The Verdict:
If you’re a massive Paul Walker, David Belle, or “B13″ fan, then “Brick Mansions” could certainly be worth a trip to the theater. If, on the other hand, you’re not all that into parkour or old-school action movies, then I’d say “Brick Mansions” is a solid rental. Either way, this is a movie with zero delusions of grandeur, and when it works, it really works.
Numerical Score: 6.5/10
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