Righteous Kill (R-2008)

It is hard to believe two Hollywood legends would agree to shoot this script. I had heard going in that this was an awful movie. The good news is it is just a little less awful than I feared. The script is loaded with cliches and one-dimensional characters and the most predictable script I've seen in years. Deniro plays "Turk" and Pacino plays "Rooster" (cringing yet?), two veteran cops who start to become disillusioned when the bad guys go free. Right from the opening sequence, you know this is trouble when the partners are in a giggling and hi-fiving like 5 year olds with a new toy. Then, not long after, we see that "Turk" has a hot young cop who "likes it rough" for a girlfriend (Carla Gugino). Can Deniro, the actor, get himself a young chippie? Sure, fame and money help there. Could "Turk", the aging veteran cop on the verge of retirement? Not on your life. That is the first of many unbelievable things in this movie. The plot revolves around their hunt for a "serial killer" who is gunning down known thugs. They work the case with a young detective team (Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo) who start to believe the killer is a cop, and may even be "Turk"! Since the script basically serves you the killer on a platter early in the film, it is painfully obvious that a twist is being set up and, once you realize that, the real killer is also obvious. The most painful part of watching this movie for me was Pacino's performance. I LOVE Pacino and he is probably my all-time favorite actor. I will, as the saying goes, watch him read the phone book. Well, in this case, the phone book would probably have been a better performance. I was stunned at how terrible he is in this movie. He does this thing with raising his eyes that is completely distracting and unnecessary. Deniro sort of sleepwalks through the movie and he has settled in to "just being Deniro", but Pacino?? Wow. When you are out-acted by 50 Cent, you know you hit the wall. For such a great collection of talent (Brian Dennehy is also in this), it is incredibly disappointing. The writing was more on the level of a made-for-Spike-TV movie. I could easily see Steven Seagal in this flick, not Pacino or Deniro.

Grade: D-

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