Brothers: A Hilariously Weird Movie That Doesn't Quite Know What It Is!
Brothers: A Review – When Big Names Can't Save a Dull Plot
Brothers (2024), starring Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, initially seems like it's going to be something really interesting. It brings together an incredible cast, promising a darkly comedic caper movie with those family secrets. Yet it falls frustratingly flat. The initial impression, using those famous actors as that lead; with several famous and beloved character actors adds to that general expectation; those expectations are immediately challenged when the actual experience becomes far more simplistic than anticipated; especially compared to several other, similar films, it truly lacks in various unexpected places.
It's hard not to compare this to Ivan Reitman's Twins (1988)! The same elements are here: crime, a chase after debt; plenty of surprising and graphic moments of violence, (this actually earned it an R-rating!) plus this road trip. Both also delve into that core relationship – the contrasting differences between the brothers themselves and also exploring these kinds of relationships; these differences themselves help elevate the narrative which is usually explored more intensely with a much more developed backstory and this exact element really made those characters in Twins, quite memorable.
An Identity Crisis on Wheels: Where the Movie Goes Wrong
Brothers’ biggest issue: it has no clear identity. The director's Max Barbakow has gentler instincts that completely clash with the plot’s more violent and chaotic elements. And it’s truly frustrating! Many aspects should work; it sounds promising but ultimately misses the mark; resulting in several points falling utterly flat and underwhelming, resulting in numerous questionable decisions.
The story—written by Etan Cohen (known for Men in Black 3) and Macon Blair (worked with Dinklage on The Toxic Avenger)— is brilliant at points, that same amazing storytelling sense that created compelling character designs. But it falters because of some poorly chosen plot directions. Cohen's heartfelt moments conflict with that unnecessary slapstick. And Blair's contribution unfortunately resembles his mediocre Small Crimes, not those better parts from his work in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore! That dull, disappointing style entirely dominates.
A Waste of Talent: The Cast Deserved Better
This is actually criminal. That amazing cast—Dinklage, Brolin, and Glenn Close— deserved better. Dinklage is wonderful (and surprisingly fun!) as a clever, tricky rogue. But Close is unfortunately underutilized. Her character lacks motivation. This makes her feel like a random addition, not entirely related to her prior work in movies; and what looks to have been an attempt to use that actress for some added star power doesn't help either. This character could have been so much more. And Brolin's portrayal feels bizarre, a jarring imitation of John Cena's laid-back, fun persona! The three don't connect and instead, the different acting styles greatly highlight those inconsistent points.
Another issue: little attempt to make the Brothers believable, and barely any connection between them existing as actual twins, or how those similarities or contrasts play out for either in that shared backstory and shared identity. This is truly odd.
That villain, played by Brendan Fraser as Farful, felt bizarre too. A super cheesy Looney Tunes style, utterly out of sync with everything else. This completely adds to this film's inherent inconsistency; even his great and award-winning performance suffers due to those inconsistent choices in directing.
So, Is Brothers Funny? The Verdict…
There's occasional slapstick; those few small moments provide a small chuckle; however the humor feels completely forced, almost entirely coming from those few scenes that truly involve those contrasts between those characters' opposing personality traits. The central idea around those brothers, a road trip with an outrageous criminal mother, should work and easily generates plenty of humorous ideas! Unfortunately; and bizarrely – this very specific, interesting angle fails completely and gets overlooked. Those comedy moments lack depth and organic expression, existing as this entirely shallow and weak effort, making every other comedic detail completely unsuccessful.
It tries hard; like the Farrelly Brothers attempting a Coen Brothers movie, generating that interesting twist; charismatic criminals; an unconventional setting with famous actors playing in a darkly comedic setting; coupled with slapstick that unfortunately dominated and overpowers every other attempt; leaving behind all those better aspects in favor of an ultimately lesser approach; the movie doesn't work due to its inconsistency. Those attempts to overcome issues; this odd over-reliance on silly, unrelated physical comedy ultimately undermines whatever might've otherwise been achieved with those much better initial ingredients.
Conclusion: A Disappointing Waste of Potential
Brothers is more of an indie drama disguised as a comedy! Those distracting choices completely undo those good ideas which makes those other, lesser plot directions overshadow it, making it completely forgettable except for how exceptionally talented its cast actually is, all ultimately wasted, squandered because the director fails to capture those essential aspects necessary to fully realize what those talents could achieve, all presented entirely inefficiently; creating an ultimately unimpressive movie that doesn't deserve to be remembered beyond the talents wasted.
