The film wastes the comedic potential of Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin

The following contains spoilers for brothersnow streaming on Prime Video.

Who would have thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito existed Gemini would get its spiritual successor in 2024? The stars of brothers are Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, who have had great success portraying complicated characters, be it Brolin as Llewelyn Moss No country for old men or Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in game of Thrones. Now, in their mid-50s, they get to play twin brothers to each other, and the world isn’t quite ready to deal with their chemistry.

Led by Palm Springs Filmmaker Max Barbakow based on a screenplay by Macon Blair (with story by Etan Cohen), brothers tells the story of career criminals Moke and Jady Munger. They are accomplices in the truest sense of the word, doing jobs for years until one night their luck runs out. Five years later, the seemingly simple reunion is full of pent-up emotions and old wounds. brothers is supposed to be a fun, light-hearted film about two siblings on a road trip, and given the characters’ work, it’s bound to involve a heist. But on a deeper level, it explores dysfunctional family dynamics marred by feelings of unrequited love and abandonment – or at least it tries to. Despite the actors’ best efforts, there’s quite a lot of wasted potential in this film.

“Brothers” is a bumpy journey on a bumpy road

This road trip film also wants to be a heist film

brothers progresses chronologically and follows the lives of Moke and Jady as narrated by the latter. Every time Skip gets one in media relations Opening that captures the mood of the characters like a snapshot. When the audience first sees the duo, they are young children watching their mother and boyfriend frantically drive off into the sunset as the police give chase. Next time they still do the same things she used to do. The film does not hide the fact that Moke has always found his family’s work shameful. When Jady is caught in the act, he goes straight ahead and starts a family of his own. All of this happens in just the first 10 minutes.

When Jady is released from prison, he doesn’t tell Moke the reason for his early parole. Officer Farful, played superbly by Brendan Fraser, is breathing down Jady’s neck like an angry bull. The plot is simple: Farful wants the emeralds that Jady’s mother stole years before. The dramatic irony is that the audience knows more than Moke, making it difficult to sympathize with someone as manipulative as Jady. Once “Brothers” turns into a road trip film, it becomes clear that all the lies and deceptions come to light. The twins constantly argue like an old married couple – and their constant dialogue almost brings the scenes to a standstill. Luckily the plot can still move forward because it’s not as exciting as it wants to be.

Like a road that branches off and then joins the highway again, brothers has some twists and turns along the way. Although the little detours seem designed for humor, they seem more forced than anything else. The story begins with a lot of energy – but after the duo’s mother, Cath Munger (played by Glenn Close), shows up, the film comes to a standstill. Although it is Jady who tells the story, the audience sees her return through Moke’s eyes. Just as he freezes in time after reuniting with his mother after decades, the film also freezes, and it takes some time for the story to dip into absurd humor again and get back on track.

For brothersit is the destination and not the journey that counts. The final act is more chaotic than the Munger family drama. The plot directs the characters’ every thought towards MacGuffin – and suddenly all hell breaks loose. The gems are the trigger that causes Cath to abandon her sons, Farful to become an angry monster, Jady to hope for great success, and Moke to want to hold on to his family a little tighter. To his honor, brothers manages to bring about an end that is mutually agreeable to all parties. But it’s the film’s cast that makes it shine, rather than the film’s particular strengths.

“Brothers” owes a lot to its star-studded cast

A number of high-profile names are keeping the film afloat

brothers can’t get rid of the scent Gemini light. The plot, about two estranged brothers who meet on a road trip and one of them cheats on the other, is very similar to the 1988 film, which almost had a sequel. The biggest difference between the two films lies in their characterization. Watching Moke attempt to break away from his family raises the age-old discourse of nurture versus nature. Brolin plays against type in this role. His body language is that of a man too shy to face his own shadow, in this case his mother’s memories. When Moke first sees Cath, he is so stunned that he falls from the second floor of a motel. His awkward energy says it all about being the reluctant partner in Jady’s plans, and his holding a mirror up to the others is doubly satisfying.

For Jady, it’s really just about getting the next job; His obsession is a double-edged sword, as it not only gets him into trouble, but is also the reason the conspiracy moves forward. For a film that focuses on Moke’s feelings and gives his fears room to breathe, brothers ultimately makes Jady the central character. His character development is subtle. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes Moke to show his brother a better way of life. However, Dinklage gives Jady more depth and complexity than his underdeveloped character deserves. He has a real sense of his character’s tics, which sometimes makes it harder to hate Jady for his stubbornness.

Cath Munger: Time is short, sweetie. Money is the only thing I can give you.

The original Cruella de Vil herself, Glenn Close, pulls off the role of an evil mother almost too well. Everything Jady does, from cheating to making spontaneous plans, makes Cath better. This is how she has survived all these years and plans to spend the rest of her life lavishly… even if it means alienating her sons. The absolute coldness in Cath’s eyes as Close delivers some of her dialogue can anger the audience on Moke’s behalf. brothers shows how dead parents can slow down the emotional development of children who have long since grown up. Much of the conflict in the final act arises from Cath’s greed. Although she receives her redemption, it doesn’t feel earned.

Conversely, Farful deserves character development but never gets it. He may look tough and to a certain extent he is strong and relentless – but inside he is confused and angry. He wants the jewels, but not for himself. What drives the character is the hope for validation from his rich and powerful father, who doesn’t care about him at all. Farful directs his anger at Jady and his pursuit, but breaks down when things get difficult. Brendan Fraser gives an unforgettable performance, reminding viewers of his many successes as a comedy actor. The character is only memorable because of Fraser’s timing and his goofy facial expressions.

“Brothers” is an incredibly embarrassing comedy

Brolin and Dinklage do their best to be funny

brothers is a wild ride from start to finish. The more outrageous the situation, the greater the takeaway viewers get from Moke and Jady’s predicament. From an orangutan who doesn’t respect personal boundaries to rich golfers protecting their golf course, bizarre and sometimes violent jokes abound. Some of the comedic scenes aren’t well received and there are far too many plot holes throughout the film.

The plot where Jady meets Bethesda (played by Spider-Man Trilogy alum Marisa Tomei) so he can steal their IDs to enter a construction site and gain access to an excavator seems boring on paper. However, on screen it sums up the atmosphere of the film. It’s a complicated way to make the audience laugh. But when Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage want to have some fun with physical comedy, who can stop them? Especially when they’re hilarious together, which really matters in a movie that features their faces on the poster.

Outside of them, however brothers feels more like a drama than a comedy. Jady and Moke bicker, bicker and insult each other like twin brothers, but love is ultimately the glue that holds them – and the disappointing story – together. Unfortunately, with a better script and well-developed characters, brothers could have been a cult hit. Instead, it relegates itself to being an entertaining film that you watch once and that audiences may not want to see again.

Brothers is now streaming on Prime Video.