47
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanIf nothing else, Brother confirms Kitano's stature as the most original purveyor of on-screen mayhem since Sam Peckinpah.
- 70The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottMr. Kitano directed, edited and wrote Brother -- and his style of close-to-the-vest brutality travels extremely well.
- 70L.A. WeeklyManohla DargisL.A. WeeklyManohla DargisBrother is a solid return to gangster form for Kitano, who knows how to transcend the most overly familiar genre clichés without betraying the rules of engagement.
- 70Chicago ReaderLisa AlspectorChicago ReaderLisa AlspectorA wizard at manipulating time, Kitano introduces staccato elements that interrupt the meditative pace even as they help set it.
- 60TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghDelivers some powerful emotional wallops alongside the chopsticks-up-the-nose violence, and manages the remarkable feat of making venerable American genre conventions seem eerily alien.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittEnough odd twists to be mildly interesting.
- 50Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertA typical Kitano film in many ways, but not one of his best ones. Too many of the killing scenes have a casual, perfunctory tone.
- 38New York PostJonathan ForemanNew York PostJonathan ForemanTakeshi's elliptical directorial style here is overwhelmed by the script's crudeness and lack of narrative power.
- 38New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsWretch of a B movie.
- 20Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonWatching this movie, you also have to ask yourself: Just how many acts of self-inflicted finger amputations do I really want to see?