Robin PottratzReview: Pacino and De Niro make sure "Righteous Kill" isn't a complete waste **1/2 out of 4
September 26th 2008 23:13
"Righteous Kill" is the much anticipated reunion of legendary actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino since their two scenes in the modern crime classic "Heat." Let me just state this right of the bat, "Righteous Kill" is no where near "Heat," and "Kill" director Jon Avent is no where near "Heat" director Michael Mann. "Righteous Kill" is simply too flawed of a film to be referred to as a new crime classic...given these two actors and their track records, the fact that "Righteous Kill" is not at the same level as the any of the crime classics on their respective resumes is the primary reason why there is so much of a backlash against this film.
Yes, "Righteous Kill" is full of crime drama cliches and moves too quickly for us to really enjoy any of the scenes or the story...which is very predictable in itself. Also, Jon Avent also is under the impression that Robert De Niro is about 10-15 years younger than he actually is. Are we really supposed to believe that the 65 year old De Niro engages in frequent aggressive sex with a hottie nearly 30 years younger (Carla Cugino)? Also watching him struggle to kick a drug dealer in the gut is made even more painful when that dealer is played by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
Pacino is quietly riveting as Rooster, the calm and collected partner to De Niro's hot headed Turk. With the exception of the piece of dead wood that is Jackson's performance, the supporting performances are all solid, most notably Cugino as a crime scene investigator, Donnie Wahlberg as a rival detective and Brian Dennehy as the police captain. Yes these roles are all cop movie cliches, but the actors do their best to give them all a pulse.
If you've seen any of the trailers...or the title, you can figure out the plot of the movie. De Niro and Pacino are cops trying to find a killer who's victims are criminals. The killer also leaves poems behind just so the cops can figure out his motives...leaving a message to the cops, another cliche. I'm sure you can figure out what happens, but still I won't give it away.
This movie is flawed and for all of the viewers who are expecting another "Heat"...keep dreaming. Despite the fact that this movie is evidence that De Niro and Pacino have reached the point in their careers where they have become subject to self parody, they still are two brilliant actors who can simply do whatever they want. They could've easily phoned it in on a script this ludicrous, but they didn't and because of that "Righteous Kill" is better than your average trip to the movies.
Yes, "Righteous Kill" is full of crime drama cliches and moves too quickly for us to really enjoy any of the scenes or the story...which is very predictable in itself. Also, Jon Avent also is under the impression that Robert De Niro is about 10-15 years younger than he actually is. Are we really supposed to believe that the 65 year old De Niro engages in frequent aggressive sex with a hottie nearly 30 years younger (Carla Cugino)? Also watching him struggle to kick a drug dealer in the gut is made even more painful when that dealer is played by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
Pacino is quietly riveting as Rooster, the calm and collected partner to De Niro's hot headed Turk. With the exception of the piece of dead wood that is Jackson's performance, the supporting performances are all solid, most notably Cugino as a crime scene investigator, Donnie Wahlberg as a rival detective and Brian Dennehy as the police captain. Yes these roles are all cop movie cliches, but the actors do their best to give them all a pulse.
If you've seen any of the trailers...or the title, you can figure out the plot of the movie. De Niro and Pacino are cops trying to find a killer who's victims are criminals. The killer also leaves poems behind just so the cops can figure out his motives...leaving a message to the cops, another cliche. I'm sure you can figure out what happens, but still I won't give it away.
This movie is flawed and for all of the viewers who are expecting another "Heat"...keep dreaming. Despite the fact that this movie is evidence that De Niro and Pacino have reached the point in their careers where they have become subject to self parody, they still are two brilliant actors who can simply do whatever they want. They could've easily phoned it in on a script this ludicrous, but they didn't and because of that "Righteous Kill" is better than your average trip to the movies.
| 36 |
| Vote |
