Directed By: Camille Delamarre Starring: Paul Walker, David Belle, and RZA
RoboCop seems to be having a bit of a second life this year. There was the remake earlier this year with Joel Kinnaman, Michael Keaton, Gary Oldman, and Samuel L. Jackson. Now, the whole concept of Delta City, a revitalized utopia built on the ashes of the urban, underprivileged portion of the community, is being brought back to life. It's called Brick Mansions this time around. With the late Paul Walker giving one of his final mediocre performances, you'd think I'd be a little sentimental during the film. Instead, I'm revolted by the tasteless lack of originality on full display here.
Brick Mansions was once a luxurious part of Detroit. Dilapidated and crime-ridden, today it houses many underprivileged citizens living in squalor. In fact, it's so run down that the city has built a wall to contain the individuals living in Brick Mansions and keep them from interacting with the rest of the city. With this having been a sore spot for the city for quite some time now, the mayor has a plan to revitalize Brick Mansions and take care of the folks inside the containment wall.
Elsewhere, a Brick Mansions resident named Lino Dupree (David Belle) is being hounded by drug lord Tremaine Alexander (RZA) for stealing 20 kilos of his product. Though he escapes Tremaine's grasp, his ex-girlfriend Lola (Catalina Denis) is not so lucky. Meanwhile, Tremaine has somehow gotten his hands on a powerful explosive that's got the police and city officials worried for the safety of Brick Mansions, especially given the fact that Tremaine accidentally triggered the device. With this in mind, they intend to send Detroit PD officer Damian Collier into Brick Mansions to recover and deactivate the device. Given that Tremaine killed his father, Damian has no problem whatsoever going into Brick Mansions to take the kingpin down. The only thing Damian does not sign up for is the partner they've assigned him, Lino.
Brick Mansions is all stunts and cheap one-liners. There's no substance to the film at all. There's no real story. Director Camille Delamarre has really concocted a hodgepodge movie that erratically jumps from one theme to the next without offering any semblance of coherence. We get drugs, crime, corruption, girlfriend issues, and daddy issues wrapped in one ugly bow. Moreover, Brick Mansions is a bland, uninspired film that's a cross between RoboCop and The Raid: Redemption.
The acting is abysmal. In one of his final performances, Paul Walker plays the same old boring character we've seen him portray a million times before. I know you shouldn't say anything about the dead if it isn't good, but I've got nothing good to say about Walker's performance here. The same can be said for RZA who throws out cheap one liners to harken back to a bygone era. Do "Cash rules everything around me" and "Ride or die" sound familiar? Lastly, we have David Belle, who is only good for some high-flying stunts. All in all, that's not saying much for our stars.
Brick Mansions is a total waste of your time. Some jaeger bombs are definitely needed for this one. This terrible movie gets a wasted rating. Fast & Furious 7 better be good because this would be a horrendous final note for Paul Walker otherwise.
