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Movie Review - Street Kings (2008)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
David Ayer |
| Starring: |
Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, and Chris Evans |
| Rated: |
R (for strong violence and pervasive language) |
| Length: |
107 minutes |
| Genre: |
Crime/Drama/Thriller |
| Tagline: |
Their City. Their Rules. No Prisoners. |
| Studio: |
Fox Searchlight |
| Website: |
Street Kings |
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PLOT
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Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow
officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone
around him. A fairly routine corrupt cop drama ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Problem #1: When you can't tell if the lead character's deadpan line delivery is a by-product of intentional sarcasm or unintentional mediocre acting then there's a wee
bit of an issue.
Problem #2: Jay Mohr, with a ridiculous blonde mustache, playing a corrupt cop. Riiiiiiiiight. Maybe if this is a goofy SNL skit.
Street Kings is a gritty crime drama where the blood flows like wine at the Wedding of Cana, the "f" bombs drop like IQ levels during a conversation with Paula Abdul,
and Keanu Reeves' acting borders on tree-like woodenness and passable. I know that Reeves' range has always been limited, but I've always felt the guy is watchable as long
as he doesn't step out of his element. He has a few decent moments here, but mostly he is out of his element as the bad-to-the-bone cop who'll take out anybody he has to
whenever it needs to be done.
Here's the problem - James Ellroy wrote the screenplay. This is the same James Ellroy who is responsible for one of my favorite crime dramas - L.A. Confidential.
That connection alone raised my expectations, and unfortunately, Street Kings pales in comparison. What's worse is Keanu isn't in the same country, let alone the same
ballpark, as Russell Crowe when it comes to portraying a rough-around-the-edges cop who possesses an internal intensity that is waiting to externally explode at any
moment.
In fact, the acting in general is fairly sub-par. Reeves' girlfriend is particularly bad, and I couldn't help but laugh every time Jay Mohr appeared on screen. If it's any solace
to him then he's in the running for "Biggest Casting Gaffe" of the year. There's a laurel to rest on. Forest Whitaker - who stops just short of screaming "King Kong ain't
got [nothing] on me!" - puts in the most solid performance.
Anyway, the movie ain't half bad when it doesn't rely on Keanu Reeves talking a lot. When guns are being shot, cars are running at high speeds, and the tension builds during
confrontational moments that scream "inevitable conflict!" then the proceedings are entertaining. If you can handle the blood. Reeves is actually believable when he's called
on to handle the action, but man, things slow down quite a bit when the movie laboriously explains the plot. I took a quick nap during a particularly sagging middle act.
No joke.
I kept waiting for Street Kings to offer something new to its genre, but it never managed to break any new ground. I'm still a little shocked that the man who wrote
L.A. Confidential gave us something this clichéd and generic. How am I not supposed to be disappointed? There really isn't much left for me to say. So I won't.
Except for this:
Ladies, if your husband were a cop who was shot down in cold blood, would you want a video of his death? Who would want to watch that? There's one scene where Keanu Reeves
takes her the DVD, and this conversation takes place:
Reeves: I wanted you to have this.
Chick: And what is this?
Reeves: The video of your husband's murder.
Sheesh. Why not just yell, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and rub a little more salt in the wound?
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Keanu Reeves was in Sweet November with Charlize Theron who was in In the Valley of Elah with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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"F" bombs and G-d**ns fill the air. My mom would have a heart attack within the first few minutes of the film.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer's pretty slick. I can't say it's the most accurate judge, but it doesn't contain any huge surprises either.
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THE GIST
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If you've seen more than one corrupt cop crime drama in your lifetime then you've pretty much seen all that Street Kings has to offer. It's decent entertainment if you
love the genre, but save it for a rental.
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