Brick Mansions 2014

Wesley Morris, Grantland: This is ultimately a movie about class warfare and social oppression that isn't remotely science-fictional. It's real, and as dumb as this remake is, it sends you home thinking. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Dystopia's supposed to be worse than what's in the papers, fellas. Try to keep up. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: Delamarre knows his way around an action scene and keeps the proceedings moving briskly enough, even if the picture clocks in at about 10 minutes longer than its taut, 81-minute predecessor. Read more

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, AV Club: A silly pile-up of exaggerated action cliches-and much of the time, it's pretty fun. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: A bad movie, basically an aerobics class in search of an action-thriller plot ... Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: There's not enough of Belle's artistry here, given that part of the remake mandate presumably was to deliver something even bigger and better. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: Director Camille Delamarre does a sloppy job of piecing everything together, and nobody on screen seems invested in what is going on. The feeling from the audience is mutual. Read more

Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: You know those ridiculous action movies where a bad guy with, say, four large guns gets beaten up by a quick-witted good guy with absolutely zero guns? They've got nothing on Brick Mansions. Read more

Bernard Besserglik, Hollywood Reporter: There's vaulting and flipping galore as well as the customary ration of fistfights, shoot-outs, car chases and general mayhem that should satisfy hardcore action fans. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: The action sequences of "Mansions" are edited within an inch of their lives, adding more incoherence than thrills. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: High on stuntwork and low on logic ... Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: See it for Belle. See it for the parkour. And for the wonderfully magical spectacle of a man, flying. Read more

Linda Holmes, NPR: It is a hoot to watch, even if, to be honest, there's little reason for it to exist. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: The film is put together too choppily to appreciate the bounce-off-walls athleticism of parkour. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Mr. Delamarre is not an action virtuoso, but his visual style, heavily indebted to the Grand Theft Auto video games, is appropriately rough and kinetic. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: Wait, haven't we seen this before? Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: A D-grade action flick with nothing to recommend it beyond a cacophony of mind-numbingly generic action sequences ... Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: The action may be serious, but "Brick Mansions" doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a ridiculous movie that has the decency to acknowledge that it's ridiculous. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Things start off silly and end up laughable and ridiculous. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Brick Mansions is a non-starter: It chokes on its deja vu, the hyperactive Mixmaster editing is exhausting and the characters' banter is so leaden it might violate federal emission standards. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Director Camille Delamarre (Taken 2) relies heavily on camera trickery, speeding up and slowing down as needed to highlight jumps and stunts but in between the action scenes, tedium takes over. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: Follows the bog-standard formula perfected by Besson: combining functional storylining with competent action highlights and an occasional air of whimsy. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: It's fun to see Walker do a double take at a perilous move of Belle's and then find a less risky alternative. The pair seem like they're having a good time in this buddy action movie. It seems a fitting curtain call for a likable actor gone too soon. Read more

Jessica Herndon, Associated Press: "Brick Mansions" packs gunfights, car chases, acrobatic stunts and humor into one stylized package. Read more

Chris Klimek, Village Voice: Almost no one in this film is allowed to play to their strengths. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: It should be wilder, funnier, nuttier. Read more