Review of Street Kings (2008) by Dawdlingpoet — 28 Nov 2021

This is a crime based drama film with a fair amount of action in it and it covers themes including undercover policing, racism and vigilantism. It is a gritty, urban film with an impressive cast (more on that later).

I felt unsure of what was happening at the very start - its quite dark, lighting wise and there's a definite air of mystery and tension via the relatively quiet, foreboding incidental music played in the background as the main character investigates the building he finds himself in. I found myself wondering what he was going to find next and where things may lead to. I felt the film was relatively suspenseful, with some particular moments taking me by surprise and I could imagine some people may find themselves feeling a bit jumpy on ocassion, due to the sudden increase in tension clearly shown between multiple characters and how plot developments escalate. It was one of those films in which the viewer feels unsure quite when things may blow up, metaphorically, but we feel sure that something big will happen, its just a case of when and how.

Cast wise, Keanu Reeves plays the main character, detective Tom Ludlow. I found it interesting to see him play in a non sci-fi or fantasy based film, having seen him mostly in such films over the last while, although its hardly entirely new ground he's breaking in being a steely, aggressive and rebellious type, somewhat like Neo in the Matrix films. Regardless, he gives a decent performance as a no-nonsense, headstrong cop. Equally, Forest Whitaker was on good form as Ludlow's boss, Captain Jack Wander - both being of a steely disposition. Surprisingly, Hugh Laurie appears, as Captain James Biggs, seeming remarkably reminiscent of his US TV show character Dr. House, in being thoughtful and quick-though-dry witted. Other cast members include Chris Evans (not the ginger haired one) as detective Paul Diskant and Naomie Harris as Linda Washington.

Its a sobering watch at times, seeing how various members of the LAPD 'lock horns' (for want of a better term) when trying to get to the truth about things. I imagine that the LAPD aren't, by any means, perfect and the film covers some tough themes but I thought it seemed relatively realistic and plausible, from what little I know. I found myself feeling sorry for Tom at times, although being unsure of his motives in some respect and wondering what was going to happen in regards to the internal investigation that takes place. Content wise, the film contains sex references and partial nudity, plus moderate violence including gunfire and with blood based injuries clearly shown, as well as fist fights and other forms of violence. There is a heavy use of strong language and multiple drug references, plus of course the film is quite dark, tense and looming in tone, so it could be somewhat frightening for young viewers, or in general. The film carries a 15 rating to reflect this.

The plot pace is fairly slow and plodding but the tense atmosphere makes it relatively intriguing and watchable regardless. There is definitely the feel of a cat and mouse film, with the twist being that its partly those within the police who may be against him. While it is a decent enough watch overall, I also felt it was somewhat unoriginal, being similar in tone to other related films. Its not especially memorable but its not really awful either.

Overall, yes I'd recommend it as I felt it did well at being quite tense and atmospheric, although it is rather bleak and dark in tone, so may be a bit depressing for some. It features a decent cast with decent performances and its relatively gritty and suspenseful throughout, so on that basis I'd recommend it.