Brick Mansions

Plot

In 2018, a crime-ridden Detroit neighborhood called Brick Mansions is walled off with a 40-foot barrier after law enforcement becomes overwhelmed. Ex-convict Lino Duppre steals and destroys heroin belonging to drug kingpin Tremaine Alexander. Tremaine captures Lino's girlfriend Lola, but Lino frees her and they turn Tremaine over to police. The corrupt police chief releases Tremaine and arrests Lino instead.

City officials learn Tremaine has a nuclear explosive and missile aimed at downtown Detroit. They escape a police van and confront Tremaine. Damien discovers the missile was meant to be launched into Brick Mansions to clear it for development, and that the mayor orchestrated the plan. Damien also learns his father was killed by fellow officers.

Damien, Lino, and Tremaine record the mayor's confession. The mayor is arrested, Brick Mansions is reintegrated, and Tremaine runs for mayor on a platform of equality and freedom.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Brick Mansions holds a 25% approval rating from 95 reviews, with an average score of 4.43/10. The critics' consensus calls it a pointless remake of the more entertaining District B13. Metacritic gives a weighted average of 40 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews.

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave a B+ grade. Jennifer Rodman described it as a watered-down American version and a huge disappointment. Andrew Pulver of The Guardian noted the film skimps on parkour, the main draw of District 13.

Justin Chang of Variety found it propulsively entertaining but criticized the aggressive editing that obscures stuntwork. Mick Lasalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the film starts silly and ends laughable and ridiculous. A. O. Scott of the New York Times called it brawny, dumb, and preposterous, yet enjoyably crazy in a cartoonish way.

Did You Know?

• Principal photography began on April 30, 2013, in Montreal.
• The film was released by EuropaCorp and distributed by Relativity Media.