MR. BROOKS has many things going for it, but it suffers from too many
things happening. It is like MR. BROOKS was better suited for a television series with all the differesnt story elements
thrown at the viewer. I know the writers intend this as the first of a trilogy, but the material within this one
film is enough for a full season of a TV series.
Kevin Costner plays against type and is Mr. Brooks, a businessman who
fights against the addiction of murder. He doesn't wnat to continue killing as the infamous serial killer known as the
Thumbprint Killer. His latest killing after two years of silence comes too close to come as Mr. Smith (Dane Cook) photogarphs
teh latest killing and blackmails Mr. Brooks into killing someone else.
Meanwhile, a rich police detective, Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), is on
the trail of Mr. Brooks while going through a nasty divorce and seeking dady's approval and on the trail of the escaped Hangman
killer (who along with his girlfriend want to kill Atwood). Then you have Jane (Danielle Panabaker), the duaghter of
Mr. Brooks, suddenly home from college. She is pregnant witha baby she might not keep and just killed a guy. It
provides another moral crisis for Mr. Brooks. Should he help cover it up knowing she might kill him someday or let her
go to jail? Mr. Brooks would love to spare telling his wife (Marg Helgenberger from CSI and SPECIES) that he is a serial
killer and just eb a normal guy. So you have a reluctant serial killer who enjoys the act of killing and has an imaginary
id named Marshall (William Hurt) that wants Mr. Brooks to go on killing.
MR. BROOKS could have been so much better if writer-director Evans
and co-writer Gideon have just learned to focus on a couple of plotlines inside of trying to cram so much into one film.
The perfomances from most of the actors are great while Moore and Helgenberger are just phoning in their performances.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Evans and Gideon do an audio commentary
fgor the film (which I didn't have time to listen to). The deleted scenes feature some intersting material like one
scne that would have made a scene late in the film feel more grounded instead of coming out of nowhere while two scenes between
Atwood and a male gigolo are just wasted space. The original theatrical trailer is also included in addition to previews
for DAY WATCH and a couple of others
The featurettes briefly touch on the film while mostly providing prmotional
fluff:
THE BIRTH OF A SERIAL KILLER: THE WRITING OF MR. BROOKS is about how
Evans and Gideon wnat to write a moral story about a serial killer and get away from kiddie/family fare.
ON THE SET OF MR. BROOKS- promo fluff piece looking at the making of
the film.
MURDER ON THEIR MINDS: MR. BROOKS, MARSHALL, AND MR. SMITH- The
actors talk about what make their respective characters tick.
FINAL ANALYSIS: MR. BROOKS is an average serial killer flick
suffering from too much plot and not enough focus. If they do a sequel, they need to focus on what needs to be done
to make a great film and not just a Cliff Notes version of a TV series. Just rent the DVD.
