MR. BROOKS
(R)
MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
STARRING
Kevin Costner as EARL BROOKS
Demi Moore as DETECTIVE TRACY ATWOOD
Dane Cook as MR. SMITH
William Hurt as MARSHALL
Marg Helgenberger as EMMA BROOKS
Danielle Panabaker as JANE BROOKS
Directed by: Bruce A. Evans
Studio: MGM
BY KEVIN CARR
It’s not often that I change my tune much from seeing a film in the theaters versus seeing it on DVD. Occasionally, I’ll find a movie to be better on video. I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps it fits better in the less-hyped format. Maybe it just plays better on the small screen.
I haven’t totally changed my opinion of “Mr. Brooks” from seeing it in the theaters this summer. However, after revisiting the film on DVD, I have warmed up to it a little bit.
The film tells the story of a serial killer (Kevin Costner) who happens to be a well-respected member of the community. He is fighting his addiction, personified by William Hurt. However, after dipping back into his old bag of tricks, he faces new challenges in a wannabe protege (Dane Cook) and his own daughter who is being investigated for murder herself.
What originally bothered me about “Mr. Brooks” was that I had seen much of the elements before… well, that and Kevin Costner’s acting. On DVD, I found Costner’s acting tolerable, and even Dane Cook came across better. Maybe that’s because he played such a pathetic loser, and that’s refreshing to see instead of shoehorning him into some romantic comedy.
Still, Demi Moore’s storyline as the cop chasing Mr. Brooks on his chain of killings really could have been left behind for the main plot. Overall, though, the movie turns out to be better on DVD than in the theaters. I imagine part of this is because it’s not in such strong competition with the summer blockbusters.
The DVD comes with a nice assortment of special features. There’s a feature commentary, as well as deleted scenes. But the more interesting elements include behind-the-scenes documentaries which, while somewhat self-congratulatory, give a keen insight into the themes and characters.