Brick Mansions review (1 Viewer)

Just as Banlieue 13 marked the directorial debut of cinematographer Pierre Morel, editor-turned-director Camille Delamarre (who previously worked with Besson on Transporter 3, Taken 2 and Lockout) cuts his teeth on Brick Mansions, working from a screenplay by Besson himself. From bare-fisted brawls to bullet-riddled car chases, Delamarre churns out action sequences that are brisk and well-choreographed, hitting many of the same beats as the original. But Banlieue 13 still ranks as the superior film, thanks to its more inventive (and engaging) action set pieces and grittier tone. In contrast, pseudo-gritty is a more apropos description of Brick Mansions. It has all the right ingredients — gangs, guns and violence — but instead, Delamarre and Besson emphasize the more cartoonish aspects of the plot — which reach their zenith in a scene where a character all but sees cartoon birds encircling his head (though he does hear them), after being concussed with a brick.

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