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"MR. BROOKS" (2007) (Kevin Costner, Demi Moore) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Extreme Extreme *Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Mild Heavy None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Minor Heavy Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: A serial killer threatens to be exposed when a voyeur catches him in the act, all as a troubled cop tries to figure out who he is. PLOT: Earl Brooks (KEVIN COSTNER) is the Portland businessman and philanthropist of the year, an award he shares with his wife Emma (MARG HELGENBERGER), while wishing their college freshman daughter Jane (DANIELLE PANABAKER) could have been there to share in the joyous moment. Yet, Earl has a secret. A self-proclaimed addict, he isn't hooked on booze or drugs, but rather killing. Known in professional circles only as "the fingerprint killer," he's kept his double-life secret thanks to meticulous planning of his homicides, as well as the help of Marshall (WILLIAM HURT), a personification of his own id that only he can speak to or see. Hoping to catch him are detectives Tracy Atwood (DEMI MOORE) and Hawkins (RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON), but she's constantly distracted by her soon-to-be ex-husband constantly raising his divorce demands. Unlike them, a man who identifies himself only as Mr. Smith (DANE COOK) has accidentally photographed Mr. Brooks in the act. His intent is to blackmail the businessman, but not for money. Instead, he wants to go along for the voyeuristic thrill of witnessing the next kill. Concerned that Jane might be a chip off the block when she unexpectedly drops out of school, and egged on by Marshall to continue his killing spree, Mr. Brooks finds himself torn about what to do, all as Det. Atwood closes in on her man. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, only older teens might be interested in this one. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Considering what occurs in the film (murder, strong profanity, teen pregnancy, etc.), it's doubtful many parents would consider any of the characters in the film as good role models for kids. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated suspense/thriller. Profanity consists of at least 29 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. Sexually related dialogue (some of it explicit) is present, as is a sexual encounter with movement, nudity, and related sounds, while another couple is briefly seen fooling around, and a teen states she's pregnant by a married man. Violence includes various murders by various means, all with bloody results. Off-screen murders also take place, as does some non-lethal fighting. Those scenes and moments of potential peril might be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers, while the perpetrators and others have bad attitudes. The latter includes a couple going through a bitter divorce, while other tense family material is also present. Some behavior may be enticing for some kids to imitate, while a man wets his pants, and some drinking and smoking occur. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, when some hallway lights are shot out late in the film, there's a resultant strobe effect. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some sweeping camera movement in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE People have champagne at a reception. We see Earl at an AA meeting, and he states he's an addict, but doesn't say of what (which is killing). Earl has a drink on a plane. Tracy's soon to be ex-husband has champagne with his lawyer/lover. BLOOD/GORE Earl shoots a couple dead, with shots to the head (we see holes there, and some blood on the wall behind them). These shots are then repeatedly seen in quick succession. We see photos of dead bodies, some of which are somewhat bloody. After being injured, we see a blood-soaked bandage on Tracy's head, as well as a brief close-up of her open head wound being stitched up. From the excitement of going on a kill with Earl, Mr. Smith suddenly announces that he has to "take a crap so bad." Moments later, we see urine pooling by his shoe on the floor. An escaped killer spots Tracy near his place, and thus opens fire on her with his handgun, as does his girlfriend. Tracy fires back, hitting him in the shoulder (with some bloody results). The gun battle then continues, with the bad couple trying to escape, and Tracy shoots the man in the leg, causing him to fall down part of a stairwell (while the girlfriend has a bloody lip). When Tracy approaches with her gun drawn, that man first shoots his girlfriend in the head, and then commits suicide the same way (all with bloody results). Earl hits a man in the gut, on the head and then across the neck with a shovel. That last act has very bloody results, and Earl then rolls the body into an open grave. A man goes to kiss a young woman on the cheek, but she suddenly stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. We see a lot of blood on his neck, as well as on the wall behind him, her bed, and on her arm (but all of this turns out to be a nightmare on his part). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Earl is a serial killer - egged on by Marshall (inside his head) - who kills various people. An escaped criminal wants to kill Tracy for her earlier catching and putting him away in prison. Mr. Smith arrives at Earl's office, proving that he has photos of him at the murder scene. However, he's not looking for money, but instead wants to go along on the next kill. We see Tracy at her and her soon to be ex-husband's divorce proceedings where matters are tense and she eventually states she wouldn't mind if he ended up dead. Such bad blood continues through the film, including him raising his payout price for a divorce. About her husband's philandering ways, Tracy says he went out "f*cking every woman he could get his hands on," adding that he "f*cked" her friend as well as her cousin. Jane states that she's pregnant by a married man and will have an abortion, with Earl saying she won't. Earl hacks into the police department's computer. It's implied that Jane killed someone at her college, and Earl then commits another murder to allay police suspicion toward her. Tracy enters a place without a search warrant. Earl steals a phone so that he can anonymously call Tracy. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful, or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Earl shoots a couple dead, with shots to the head (we see holes there, and some blood on the wall behind them). These shots are then repeatedly seen in quick succession. Mr. Smith is nearly hit by a vehicle as he crosses the road. A driver cuts off Earl's car, thus making us think the latter will kill the former, and there is a brief stakeout in regards to that, but the attempt is never made. Tracy hears and then sees a hooded figure running toward her at night on the street. She draws her gun and ducks into a store doorway, prepared to shoot, but the jogger simply passes by. An escaped killer suddenly tackles Tracy into the open side of a van that then speeds away. The man gains control of Tracy, grabs and aims her gun at her (with her saying, "Shoot me, m*therf*cker!"). He cuffs her, but she manages to hit and kick him away, followed by more struggling when her gun goes off. She grabs the female driver's hair and yanks her head back, causing the van to strike another vehicle. Tracy and the killer struggle more, with the van then crashing and Tracy is thrown out the open side, landing hard on another car's windshield (we later see her getting her head stitched up). Tracy and Hawkins enter a place with their guns drawn, slowly making their way from room to room. Just then, a body suddenly swings down from the ceiling in a chair, with many syringes stuck in the body. Mr. Smith holds a gun on Earl who knew that was coming. Earl, who's driving, then speeds up, all while telling Mr. Smith he wants Mr. Smith to kill him. An escaped killer spots Tracy near his place, and thus opens fire on her with his handgun, as does his girlfriend. Tracy fires back, hitting him in the shoulder (with some bloody results). The gun battle then continues, with the bad couple trying to escape, and Tracy shoots the man in the leg, causing him to fall down part of a stairwell (while the girlfriend has a bloody lip). When Tracy approaches with her gun drawn, that man first shoots his girlfriend in the head, and then commits suicide the same way (all with bloody results). Earl goes to a cemetery with a man at night, wanting him to shoot him at the edge of an open grave. The man aims but initially can't get himself to shoot. When he eventually tries, nothing fires as Earl states he previously removed the firing pin. The man keeps trying to shoot the gun, with Earl then hitting the man in the gut, on the head and then across the neck with a shovel. That last act has very bloody results, and Earl then rolls the body into that open grave. A man goes to kiss a young woman on the cheek, but she suddenly stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. We see a lot of blood on his neck, as well as on the wall behind him, her bed, and on her arm (but all of this turns out to be a nightmare on his part). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Scissors: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, or kill others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You're the f*cking man of the year," "What the f*ck is this?" "Those f*cking people like to do it with the curtains open," "Don't f*cking do this," "You're a f*cking artist," "You f*cking asshole," "You're such a f*cking hypocrite," "Stop your f*cking whining," "F*ck it," "F*ck him," "F*ck you," "You're such a f*cking snob," "This is one f*cking dangerous human being," "Don't f*cking move," "Shoot me, m*therf*cker," "I have a f*cking hunch," "You're the f*cking man," "Get the f*ck out," "How do I f*cking do that?" "You piece of sh*t," "Scares the sh*t out of me," "Get your rocks off big time," "Get this ass out of here," "Scumbag," "This is too damn close," "He's an asshole," "An asshole's an asshole," "That makes me feel like I'm being jerked around," "Pissed," "That little freak could flip out," "You sound like a whiny-ass kid," "Steroid freak," "Burn your ass," "You're nuts," "Numb-nuts" and "You pissed yourself." It's possible the film could inspire some kids to try to pull off a "perfect" crime. A killer's girlfriend has a pierced lower lip. Mr. Smith gives "the finger" or another hand gesture to a person who's cut them off on the street. Earl hacks into the police department's computer. An escaped killer has tattoos. Earl steals a phone so that he can anonymously call Tracy. JUMP SCENES There's a sudden and loud flashback to a previous shooting. A body suddenly swings down from the ceiling in a chair, with many syringes stuck in the body. Tracy suddenly knocks on Mr. Smith's car window. A man goes to kiss a young woman on the cheek, but she suddenly stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 29 "f" words (1 used with "mother," 4 used sexually, as is the phrase "do it"), 4 "s" words, 8 asses (5 used with "hole"), 1 crap, 1 damn, 1 hell, 4 uses of "Oh God," 2 of "G-damn," and 1 use each of "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "Oh Lord" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY About a woman they just saw at a reception (who we didn't see), Emma tells Earl they could see her nipples through her dress. Emma, who shows a little cleavage, tells Earl to wake her when he returns from working on his pottery (possibly sexually related). Earl enters his next victims' home and we hear sexual sounds, prompting Marshall to say he wants to see what they're doing. We then see a couple having sex in their bedroom, on the edge of the bed, with the woman on top while the man is seated upright, and then lying down. We see her bare breasts, the side of her bare butt, and movement, while hearing more related sounds. Earl then makes his presence known, prompting the couple to stop and recoil back to a wall (we see her bare breasts again) where he shoots them dead. When Earl realizes the bedroom window was open, Marshall states, "These f*cking pigs like to do it with the curtains open." We later see still photos of the dead bodies arranged in various positions (breasts and butts are seen), and when Tracy arrives on the scene, we see that the bodies have been positioned so that it looks as if the woman is performing oral sex on the man (we see her bare butt). As Earl burns his murder clothes, we see him from behind, crotched down in the shadows. He's nude, but we can't see any detail then or when he stands, still in the shadows. After a successful double murder, Marshall tells Earl, "Now go upstairs and make love to your beautiful wife." Marshall tells Earl he really "got off" on the recent murder. Mr. Smith states he had been watching the couple (that Earl murdered) for months, adding that the sex photos he took were his visual aides for later, saying they're a "great way to get off." About her husband's philandering ways, Tracy says he went out "f*cking every woman he could get his hands on," adding that he "f*cked" her friend as well as her cousin. We see Mr. Smith shirtless in bed and then standing in just his boxers. Jane states that she's pregnant by a married man and will have an abortion, with Earl saying she won't. A neighbor talks of the murdered couple previously "doing it." We twice see Tracy swimming laps in a bikini (nothing explicit is seen). Tracy mentions the sex photos she knows Mr. Smith took of a couple, and wants to see them (for police investigative purposes). When Earl indicates he wants to die, Marshall says that would result in his death as well, adding, "I like to eat. I like f*cking, and I like killing." About Earl committing murder, Marshall says he (Earl) gets his "rocks off big time" from that. A neighbor talks of the murdered couple making love. Tracy's soon to be ex-husband opens his female lawyer/lover's blouse and kisses her there. We then see the top open as it exposes her in her bra. She then says they have to do this (have sex) quickly as she's meeting someone, with him telling her to ask that other woman to join them. He then kisses down her body as she lies back, but Earl and Mr. Smith then interrupt them. SMOKING A few miscellaneous characters smoke. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Tracy is upset when she's served divorced papers from her husband's attorney. Jane visits Earl at his office and announces that she's dropped out of school (he isn't happy about that). We see Tracy at her and her soon to be ex-husband's divorce proceedings where matters are tense and she eventually states she wouldn't mind if he ended up dead. About her husband's philandering ways, Tracy says he went out "f*cking every woman he could get his hands on," adding that he "f*cked" her friend as well as her cousin. Jane states that she's pregnant by a married man and will have an abortion, with Earl saying she won't. Tracy talks with a lawyer and refuses to ask for help from her own influential father. There's talk of a murder having occurred at Jane's college (via a hatchet), and both Marshall and Earl think she did it. That causes Earl to break down and cry over the situation. Hearing that her husband now wants more money from their divorce, Tracy purposefully breaks a framed photo he said he wanted. Tracy admits that her father was disappointed she was born a girl and she's tried to over-achieve because of that (when Earl asks her why she's a cop when she's ultra rich). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Serial killers, what motivates them, and whether such behavior is learned or can be inherited. Earl stating that killing can become very addictive and ruin one's life. Tracy's boss tells Tracy that her (Tracy's) biggest problem is that she doesn't know how to ask for help. Earl telling Mr. Smith he doesn't enjoy killing, and instead is addicted to it. Tracy admits that her father was disappointed she was born a girl and she's tried to over-achieve because of that (when Earl asks her why she's a cop when she's ultra rich). VIOLENCE Earl shoots a couple dead, with shots to the head (we see holes there, and some blood on the wall behind them). These shots are then repeatedly seen in quick succession. An escaped killer suddenly tackles Tracy into the open side of a van that then speeds away. The man gains control of Tracy, grabs and aims her gun at her (with her saying, "Shoot me, m*therf*cker!"). He cuffs her, but she manages to hit and kick him away, followed by more struggling when her gun goes off. She grabs the female driver's hair and yanks her head back, causing the van to strike another vehicle. Tracy and the killer struggle more, with the van then crashing and Tracy is thrown out the open side, landing hard on another car's windshield (we later see her getting her head stitched up). Hearing that her husband now wants more money from their divorce, Tracy purposefully breaks a framed photo he said he wanted. Mad at Earl for postponing their kill, Mr. Smith breaks off the rear view mirror in his own car. Tracy and Hawkins enter a place with their guns drawn, slowly making their way from room to room. Just then, a body suddenly swings down from the ceiling in a chair, with many syringes stuck in the body. Earl kills another couple off camera. When Hawkins says he has to take Tracy in for questioning about her husband's murder, she says she has a lead on the fingerprint killer, but Hawkins won't have anything to do with that. Accordingly, she hits and trips him, followed by holding a gun on him so that she can leave to pursue her lead. An escaped killer spots Tracy near his place, and thus opens fire on her with his handgun, as does his girlfriend. Tracy fires back, hitting him in the shoulder (with some bloody results). The gun battle then continues, with the bad couple trying to escape, and Tracy shoots the man in the leg, causing him to fall down part of a stairwell (while the girlfriend has a bloody lip). When Tracy approaches with her gun drawn, that man first shoots his girlfriend in the head, and then commits suicide the same way (all with bloody results). Earl goes to a cemetery with a man at night, wanting him to shoot him at the edge of an open grave. The man aims but initially can't get himself to shoot. When he eventually tries, nothing fires as Earl states he previously removed the firing pin. The man keeps trying to shoot the gun, with Earl then hitting the man in the gut, on the head and then across the neck with a shovel. That last act has very bloody results, and Earl then rolls the body into that open grave. Earl purposefully drops a phone from the top of a building, causing the phone to break upon impact with the street below. A man goes to kiss a young woman on the cheek, but she suddenly stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. We see a lot of blood on his neck, as well as on the wall behind him, her bed, and on her arm (but all of this turns out to be a nightmare on his part). Reviewed May 15, 2007 / Posted June 1, 2007

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