Seeing as Brick Mansions is an American remake of the French action film District 13, we already had a broad idea of what to expect from the upcoming thriller, and its new trailer confirms those preconceived notions. Co-written by the legendary Luc Besson and Bibi Naceri – both of whom wrote the original – this updated version certainly looks like it will pack plenty of punch for fans of the action genre, if nothing else.
Featuring one of the last performances from the late Paul Walker, the film also stars RZA and David Belle – in a role similar to his District 13 part. Brick Mansions follows an undercover cop (Walekr), as he follows a stolen weapon of mass destruction to a tough neighbourhood known as Brick Mansions. Zeroing in on the mastermind behind the crime – a notorious drug lord (RZA) – he must recruit local man Lino (David Belle) who knows the place and the people better than most, to retrieve the weapon.
The film marks the feature debut of director Camille Delamarre (previously the editor on Taken 2). With bold, sweeping camera moves, a gritty palette and a sombre tone, Delamarre lets us know – in no uncertain terms – that what is about to go down is weighty business. Ultimately, however, though it looks to have all the enjoyable elements of a Besson-envisioned situation, what we have here in this trailer is a collection of energetic, parkour-based fight scenes, lots of guns, and serious men growling at each other. Hopefully, the film itself will have something more up its sleeve.
Brick Mansions is released in the US on April 25, and in the UK on May 2, 2014.
