DVD Review - Brother's Justice

Dax Shepard (left), Nate Tuck (middle)
& Tom Arnold in "Brother's Justice"

In 2006, comedian Dax Shepard who looks like he could be Zach Braff's brother comes up with an idea for a movie, and when I say idea, I mean he comes up with only a title and the notion that he wants to do martial arts. He has no story. He has no actors. He has no money.

This doesn't stop him however from pitching basically a non-movie to a bunch of movie people hoping they'll buy it on a wing and a prayer. Shepard pitches to his producer and long-time friend, Nate Tuck, played by Nate Tuck. Shepard goes to his agent and his lawyer. He goes to Ashton Kutcher, Tom Arnold and Jon Favreau. He pitches to all of them, trying to get them to help finance and make his non-movie. Even in a secret scene after the end credits, Shepard pitches to Seth Green.

At first, it seems very much in the vein of I'm Still Here (2010) or Overnight (2003). This mockumentary, which plays less like a documentary and more as a narrative comedy, is about the narcissism, the ego and the ridiculousness of Hollywood, another kind of satire.

A lot of laughs are built on the sort of awkward and deprecating humor made famous by Larry David or Lisa Kudrow, Conan O'Brien or even recently with Louis C.K. It becomes less repetitive when the movie turns to being about the friendship between Shepard and Tuck.

Shepard has these run-ins with celebrities that are funny in their own rights, but the best scenes are his with Nate Tuck. The two real-life friends have fun and a little drama that anchor this movie at the end. Shepard and Tuck's relationship perhaps isn't anything groundbreaking. It can probably best be compared to Don Quijote and Sancho Panza with Shepard being Quijote. Yet, I enjoyed the dynamics between the two.

Five Stars out of Five.
Not Rated But for Mature Audiences.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 20 mins.