Review of Righteous Kill (2008) by Jeff B — 17 Aug 2010

After countless fanatical viewings of The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Serpico, Raging Bull, Dog Day Afternoon, Goodfellas, and Heat with a religious film geek devotion, your reviewer was somewhat dismayed to see acting legends Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino simultaneously take a dump on the screen with their latest team-up, Righteous Kill. But such is the case with this insipid Keystone cop-out. From the time that they were infants, these actors had to have learned the word ?no.? As of late, it seems that they have said ?yes? to anything attached to a pay-stub (Pacino: Gigli, 88 Minutes; DeNiro: Rocky and Bullwinkle, Godsend). Moviegoers could learn from their errant ways, however, by answering in the negative when asked at the box office if they would like to throw away two hours of their lives.

In this R-rated crime-thriller, two 30-year NYPD partners on the verge of retirement (DeNiro, Pacino) are called up to investigate a serial murder case possibly being performed by a member of their own department.

From the get-go, Righteous Kill smacks of movie-of-the-week ridiculousness?if said movie was being screened in-between infomercials on basic cable at 3 in the morning. The dialogue proves asinine, the ending proves insufferable, and the acting cooks up more ham than an Easter dinner. And this last transgression, dear readers, is unforgivable. Many years ago, Bill Cosby saved face by publicly admitting that his forthcoming film Leonard Part 6 was a veritable turkey. Bobby D and the Pac Man should have followed suit, saving moviegoers from this harrowing fate.

Bottom line: Righteous crap.