Mr. Brooks attempts to put a fresh spin on the serial killer genre, but mostly serves up a bowl of soggy leftovers. While the way the film taps into the mind of a sociopath is clever, it has been done before (Ron Howard used a similar technique to enter the mind of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind). Still, this uneven, overstuffed movie does have entertainment value.

In Mr. Brooks, Kevin Costner is the title character, a reputable working class gent with a deep, dark secret. It seems that this respected family man has something of a surprising hobby - he likes to murder people. He isn't a killer for hire or anything like that. No, Mr. Brooks needs to kill to feel alive. It's more than simple recreation - it's an addiction.

Brooks is able to kick his nasty habit cold turkey, but after several months on the wagon, his alter ego (played by a wonderfully eccentric William Hurt) attempts to nudge him back into his wacking ways. Reluctantly, Brooks agrees to take out another unsuspecting victim, with the strict understanding that it is to be his last. Unfortunately, a clumsy misstep during the deed, threatens to destroy Mr. Brooks' life for good. This particular misstep all but forces the loner to team up with Mr. Smith (played by slacker comedian Dane Cook), a sleazy photographer with a most unusual request. Adding to the already thickened plot is a game of cat and mouse between Mr. Brooks and Tracy Altwood (played by Demi Moore), a police officer with some serious personal issues of her own.

Mr. Brooks starts off interestingly enough. The way the film delves into the domestic life of this sick individual is interesting, and Costner is able to convey empathy. We never really hate this guy even though he's incredibly disturbed and in dire need of professional help. The way director Bruce A. Evans gets inside this guy's head is also interesting. Whenever Mr. Brooks is experiencing a psychotic break, it is manifest in the form of William Hurt. Who better to play the evil side of Kevin Costner than one of the greatest eccentric thespians of our time?

That Mr. Brooks really falls apart as a movie, can be blamed in large part on the convoluted morass of the screenplay. Rather than just focusing on Brooks' sickness, this film opts to go into far too many zany directions. There's the Dane Cook scenario which is silly and utterly implausible. There's the completely dull and unnecessary sub plot with Demi Moore and all her insignificant problems. And finally, there's a bizarre bit of business with Mr. Brooks' college bound daughter that suggests perhaps the apple may not have fallen any too far from the tree. While these various plot threads ultimately intersect, they feel more gimmicky than organic. What's more, things feel far too convienently pat.

Kevin Costner has never been one of my favorite actors. I prefer Cosnter the director (with the exception of The Postman) to Costner the actor. As a performer, he picks great projects to be sure, but his dull, mundane line delivery has always bothered me. There are exceptions. He has been lively in a few stand out performances (see Silverado or Tin Cup), and it's hard to not get teary eyed when he plays catch with dear old dead dad at the end of Field of Dreams, but ultimately, Costner is more of a personality than an actor. With Mr. Brooks, he's found a happy medium. He isn't exactly brimming with life here, but the thing is, his personality fits the character. Mr. Brooks is a blase individual so it works.

William Hurt is spellbinding and he brings undeniable tension to the movie. This guy wants to be the dominant force in Mr. Brooks' psyche and when Hurt is pushing buttons, the movie really comes alive. Dane Cook is...Dane Cook. Nothing more, nothing less. Truth be told, I like this guy and hoped for more out of him. Sadly, there's no real depth here. I wasn't bothered by his character's lack of motivation, I just never saw anything beyond Cook in a role. Having said that, Cook's Mr. Smith is an absolute revelation when stacked up against Demi Moore's bland Tracy Altwood. I never bought into her tough as nails persona at all, and in fact, I found this turn so boring, that I was constantly rooting for Brooks to end her miserable existence. Granted, it's not entirely fair to blame Moore. This character simply should have been omitted from the screenplay entirely.

Mr. Brooks ends interestingly enough. During the final moments, there is a cheap shot scare, but what follows suggests that maybe we haven't seen the end of this peculiar individual, but more importantly, we haven't seen the last of his dark side. If Mr. Brooks returns, let's hope the film maker's focus on the title character rather than the uninteresting people around him.