In yet another movie featuring Paul Walker shown after his death, Brick Mansions is a remake of the French action film District 13 (Banlieue 13 or B13) released in 2004 starring actor/stunt choreographer/founder of Parkour David Belle. The film, written and produced by Luc Besson enjoyed great success in Europe so it was natural for Hollywood to want a piece of the action.

The year is 2018 and Detroit has become the most crime-ridden city in the world. With violence running rampant, the mayor has ordered the erection of a wall that will serve as a divide for the city’s slum area (Brick Mansions) and business district. After years of leaving the residents of Brick Mansions to oppression, poverty and a general lack of social services, the mayor asks for support from the city’s elite to build a high end commercial district in place of the slums, with the promise that he will take care of all the members of his constituents. Meanwhile, he and his men send out undercover cop Damian Collier (Walker) beyond the wall to disarm a bomb hijacked by crime lord Tremaine Alexander (RZA) which threatens to wipe out the slums. Belle reprises his role in the original movie as Lino (he was Leito in the French version), the vigilante who helps Damian get to Tremaine and find justice for  his father, who he believes was killed by Alexander.

I must say that Brick Mansions was a film that had a lot of energy. A lot of running, a lot of action, a lot of cool stunts, a lot of great cars and a lot of explosions. Its the type of movie that does not allow audiences to blink during an action sequence because the choreography is so interesting and so tight that one must really give credit to the stunt choreographers who worked on the innovative moves. David Belle had no problem executing his stunts and the guy is such a joy to watch because from the first glance, audiences know that he’s the real thing. Paul Walker’s scenes were also good but audiences could tell that he’s not as learned in the execution as Belle was. Because there was such fluidity and speed in Belle’s movements, the very slight delays in Paul’s punches seem more pronounced in comparison. But still, credit to Paul (or his stunt double) for the well executed synchronized moves which were great to see.

While the action was great, the same thing could not be said with the rest of the movie. RZA, though oozing with coolness outside of this movie (he’s the frickin founder of the Wu Tang Clan for Pete’s sake!), seemed unable to strike the perfect balance between menacing villain and consciencious do-gooder. As a result, no matter which team he played for, he was not a great presence because there was no conviction in his portrayal. The rest of the goons seemed like cardboard cutouts of goons before them and it was just sad because the environment truly called for more brutal and graphic representation. Belle and Walker might have made a great team in terms of action but there was no real connection between the two stars, and no pivotal moment that would solidify their bromance. There was no rapport between the characters at all. And the mayor! If a person was going to be cast as a main villain in a movie, shouldn’t it follow that some effort would be required to pull off the role? Should’nt said villain be compelling enough to bring enemies together for a common cause? Sadly, Bruce Ramsay may not have gotten the memo because his chief of staff seemed more in tune with his dark side than the evil mayor.

The narrative was all over the place and seemed more concerned about  moving the action sequences along to give audiences the illusion that they are being entertained, no matter that there is no genuine substance behind the plot and no big set up for the final reveal. It was very predictable, as expected from the beginning. The ending was super cheesy (not the good kind) that it made me want to hide under the desk because of embarrassment for Paul Walker. If you give this film the time of day, you would understand what I’m getting at.

All in all, my main problem with the movie was its reliance on the stunts to sell the movie. For a supposed film that talks of oppression of people, it should have connected with audience at some point because evidently, the residents of Brick Mansions were the ultimate underdogs, shunned by the government that was supposed to protect them. Its frustrating because how can viewers sympathize with the characters when they themselves couldn’t care less about their plight? Nobody supported Lino’s lone crusade from the beginning and its hard to cheer for people who are that lazy to fight for what they deserve. Still, the characters are not entirely to blame. This lack of connection owes mainly to the film’s lack of heart, which is evident in the haphazard editing and cardboard characters. It was such a waste of talent. Good effort from David Belle though. At the end of the day, I’m glad that this is not Walker’s swan song. (Because no matter what movies claim, its gonna be the final Fast and Furious). He deserves to be remembered for more.