BROTHERS
Starring: Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, and Brendan Fraser
Director: Max Barbakow
ADRIANO
After the excellent Palm Springs, I was excited to see director Max Barbakow's latest film, Brothers (the fact that it stars my childhood hero Brendan Fraser also didn't hurt). However, it saddens me to say that this is mostly a wash. It's not horrible, I suppose, as the cast is all very committed, especially the delightfully unhinged performances from Fraser and Marisa Tomei, but for a film so reliant on absurdism, the film's story is wildly familiar, mixed with a lack of jokes that land and a weak familial dynamic. There is talent on display here, but it's mostly an inoffensive waste.
QUENTIN
At this point, if you see an all-star cast in a straight-to-streaming comedy, you just know there is a reason it didn’t hit theaters. Brothers is no different. An uninspired and lazy mix of Twins, Blue Streak, and Dumb and Dumber To (even Brendan Fraser’s fat cop, Farful, is reminiscent of Super Troopers’ Farva (Kevin Heffernan)), there isn’t much to recommend here outside of hearing a wacky Marisa Tomei telling Fraser to “suck my balls.” This movie is like the worst of the Farrelly Brothers’ comedies, and an embarrassment for four former Oscar nominees (Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Fraser, Tomei), two of which are Oscar winners.
PRESTON
If you are thinking Brothers will be anything like the quality of Step Brothers, look no further. Unfortunately, an all-star cast is not enough to pull this ridiculous “comedy” into the realm of the alliterative, campy comedy classics. Not that there isn’t any hope for some - if you loved White Chicks or any comedy where Rob Schneider is the lead, then this shallow and crude comedy might get the mindless, belly laughs going. It isn’t exactly unwatchable, but it’s close, and it damn sure ain’t great. You get to see Marisa Tomei, though…
AMARÚ
Brothers has a real My Name is Earl vibe, but it isn’t intelligent enough to be that funny, nor serious enough to have likable characters. It’s a real shame, too, because there are times, especially towards its way-too-late-but-endearing ending, that Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage’s dynamic finds some magic. They naturally fit as bickering siblings, but the writing never finds the tone to make this more than just a paycheck. Brendan Fraser was the only one who knew what movie he was supposed to be in, but the rest of the film didn’t get the memo that you can do silly, smart, and sweet simultaneously.