Dir. Bruce A. Evans
Writ. Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Act. Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, William Hurt

I enjoyed "Mr. Brooks" for the most part, but I have problems saying it's a must see.

Mr. Earl Brooks, played by Kevin Costner (Rumor Has It…), is a man with a murderous alter ego whom he calls Marshall, played by William Hurt (A History of Violence). After a two year hiatus from the thrill of killing, Brooks returns to the shadows and is chased by detective Tracy Atwood, played by Demi Moore (Bobby).

Meanwhile, an amateur photographer, played by Dane Cook (Employee of the Month), backmails Brooks into including him on his next kill. Brooks soon divises a plan to help and hurt those respectively deserving it, and he discovers his own daughter may be stricken with his ailment as well.

The movie's greatest strength is its originality. It has a very different way of looking/depicting a serial killer. I may go so far as to say there hasn't been a serial killer movie with a killer character this unique since "Silence of the Lambs."

I'm not trying to compare Lector or Ted Levine in 'Lambs' with Mr. Brooks, just the originality at a time in cinema when there is none.

Despite good development of its title character, the movie is far from perfect. The ending is ambiguous. We are shocked in the movie's second to last scene, and left with unanswered questions in its final scene. To be honest, the ending feels like the product of one of Hollywood's beloved test audiences. They didn't like the ending, so they added the final scene to smooth things over…but now it's boring. Boring and safe. Yea!

Performance-wise, everyone did fine. Costner's character had some stuff going on regarding his daughter, from which the 'JFK' star made a few solid choices. Cook also did well in a new genre for him; however, I don't think he made the part special. I think several young actors could have played that role as well as he did.

Demi Moore on the other hand appears to be done with film. With her lacking performance in 'Brooks' and 2006's "Bobby," it is becoming obvious she does not care about the art of acting any more. She only cashes the check. Demi Moore is no more.

Overall, I think "Mr. Brooks" would make a decent night at home with it rented on DVD…if you're in the mood for a thriller. Even if you don't like Costner, this isn't too bad.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?