Review of Righteous Kill (2008) by Dwight D — 01 Jul 2009

Pop quiz: What do you get when you pair two of the most revered and honored actors of a generation for the first time opposite each other, sharing actual screen time, in a cop-drama film seemingly written with each in mind?

Answer: Not Heat.

The best way for me to describe Righteous Kill is, simply put, bland and predictable. Everything in this movie is right down the middle average.

Acting: 5/10; Plot: 5/10; Intrigue: 5/10....and so on.

Pacino and DeNiro (Rooster and Turk respectively) star as long-time NYPD partners who end up investigating a series of murders seemingly being carried out by one of their own, each with the connection to the last that makes it evident they are being carried out as "righteous", in that those being murdered are scum of the earth who either beat their rap or continually avoid capture.

Mixed in with the big stars is Carla Gugino as NYPD Karen Corelli, and sex buddy to Turk, with a passion for being treated rough by cops. She brings very little to the film, though when you put it all in perspective, she was needed just to keep things from beign stagnant. It almost feels like she was written in along the way to try very hard to give this movie something more than the actual plot.

Another seemingly shake-your-head role was given to 50 Cent, who plays Spider, the big-time drug dealer... or is he? This role is so undeveloped you never really get a good understanding of this character, and being played by 50 Cent in general makes this role weak.

Whether you untangle the inevitable twists of this snoozer before it is given to you is, I suppose, something to shoot for while watching, but if you don't, no worries - it will all be laid out for you nice and neat at the end, you know, just in case you weren't smart enough to understand what happened, which is what everyone in this movie seems to think of the audience.