The Knightly News

Brick Mansion strolled to the top two in the box office the week it came out, but that bar dropped very quickly, and for a good reason too.  Brick Mansions focuses on a futuristic Detroit, Michigan that is so crime-ridden that the government is forced to barricade the city.

The film stars Paul Walker (Fast & Furious) who, as many know, passed away last November in a devastating car accident.  He plays the main role of Damian Collier, a cop who seeks revenge for his father’s death.  Sadly, other than the familiar face of Walker, the rest of the cast was mediocre and awkward with their poor attempts at acting.  The movie felt more like a soap opera at parts than a Hollywood production.

David Belle (The Family) plays Lino, a vigilante who fights against Tremaine Alexander (RZA), former member of the Wu-Tang Clan, the strongest drug lord in Brick Mansions.  Both Belle and RZA are huge disappointments.  Belle, the inventor of parkour (also known as free running), is literally put in the movie just to jump off buildings and partake in intense foot chases.  RZA tries to act like a mean and powerful drug lord, but his face makes him look soft on the inside.

From start to finish, the movie could not be taken seriously.  Every five minutes had to have an action scene or the plot couldn’t move forward; the scene outcomes were so predictable they seemed like a generic good cop, bad guy movie.

When there wasn’t horrible acting ruining the movie, there were indecisive scenes.  Director Camille Delamarre (Last Call) couldn’t make up her mind on which character to follow, or how the characters should come together, so at one point they were just forced into jail where they proceeded to fight and become best friends within a matter of minutes.

The background of the creation of this miniature Great Wall of Detroit is so ridiculous that even the directors seem confused on the laws of the isolated city.  The cops are corrupt and the state of Michigan seems like an eastern European country being invaded by Russia.

Brick Mansions is a farfetched movie idea that didn’t exactly pan out the way many expected, but if fans want to catch a glimpse at one of Paul Walker’s last appearances on screen, then it’s worth the watch.