FOUR BROTHERS

IN ERROL FLYNN'S CLASSIC MOVIE, THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, HIS CHARACTER IS GENERAL GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER. CUSTER IS ASKED ABOUT HIS STRATEGY IN PLANNING A BATTLE.
THE REPLY IS -- I RIDE TO THE SOUND OF THE GUNS.

FOUR ROUGH AND UNMANAGEABLE KIDS, FROM THE STREET OF DETROIT ARE ADOPTED BY A SOCIAL WORKER WHO COULD NOT PLACE THEM IN HOMES, SINCE THEY WERE SO HARDCORE. THESE FOUR BECOME BROTHERS DESPITE THEIR LACK OF COMMON BIOLOGICAL GENES. HER LOVE FORGES THEM INTO A FAMILY UNIT.
WHEN THIS WONDERFUL WOMAN IS KILLED IN A STORE ROBBERY, THE NOW GROWN BROTHERS FIND THEIR WAY BACK HOME AND SEEK JUSTICE FOR THOSE WHO MADE THE GRIEVOUS ERROR OF KILLING THE FAMILY MATRIARCH.

THEIR PLAN IS TO RIDE TO THE SOUND OF THE GUNS.

THEY ARE DIRECT IN THEIR ACTIONS - THEY ARE FEARLESS WHEN CHALLENGED.

THIS IS A FINE ACTION PICTURE BECAUSE, IT IS SINGLE-MINDED, IT IS THEIR DEDICATED, NOBLE, SELFLESS, PEDAL TO THE METAL CRUSADE TO PUNISH THOSE WHO DESERVE PUNISHMENT, THAT FUELS THIS FILM.
CARS ARE WRECKED, BODIES ARE LEFT ON THE STREETS - NO NOTICE IS TAKEN - THAT WOULD SLOW DOWN THE STORY.
THE PURITY OF THE STORY IS THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE FILM -- IT IS NOT CONCERNED WITH PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE SUPERBOWL IN 2006 - OR IF BOBBY AND WHITNEY ARE HAVING LUNCH AT THE PLAZA HOTEL ---THE BOYZ ARE RIDING TO THE SOUND OF THE GUNS AND THAT IS HOW THEY WILL FIND AND PUNISH THE GUILTY.
MARK WAHLBERG AND TERRENCE HOWARD ARE, OF COURSE, EXCEPTIONAL IN THEIR ROLES - THESE ARE TWO OF THE BEST OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF SUPERSTARS - THEIR CHARACTERS CAN'T BE IGNORED OR DISMISSED IN ANY FILM WITH THEM IN THE CAST. JOHN SINGLETON IS REALLY ON TOP OF HIS GAME - AS A PRODUCER OF HUSTLE AND FLOW AND AS DIRECTOR OF FOUR BROTHERS.

SINGLETON AND THE WRITER DESERVE A LOT OF CREDIT FOR HOW THE TOPIC OF CHILD ABUSE IS HANDLED BY THE BROTHERS -- ONE WAS MOLESTED BACK IN THE DAY AND TWO OF THE OTHER THREE, ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO WORK THAT INTO THE CONVERSATION -- BUT THEIR WISECRACKS ARE MEANT TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THIS ABUSE WAS NOT SOME DIRTY LITTLE SECRET THAT MUST REMAIN UNSPOKEN - THEY DEFUSE HIS PAIN, BY RECOGNIZING IT AND JOKING ABOUT IT AND INSURING HIM WITH THEIR BRAVADO, THAT HE IS SAFE --->>>
THE RULE / CODE WITH MEN, IS, IF YOU ARE NOT LIKED, YOU ARE NOT MENTIONED -- THEY MENTION JACK AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY ---- THIS IS THE TYPE OF UNDERSTATED EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT THAT MR. & MRS. SMITH COULD NOT ACHIEVE BETWEEN PITT AND JOLIE, DESPITE HAVING ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES OF GRAND PRODUCTION VALUES.

THE FROZEN RIVER / LAKE SCENE WAS A BRILLIANT USE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WOMEN, BUT ON BEHALF OF 3 BILLION MEN ---- MEN WILL LOVE THIS FILM, BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT MEN BEING MEN - WHICH MEANS, ACTING LIKE LITTLE BOYZ AT TIMES.