Los Angeles crime novelist extraordinaire James Ellroy is credited as one of Street Kings’ three screenwriters, though that doesn’t prevent David Ayers’ second directorial outing from being a lousy mediocrity. Ayers’ latest is, after 2006’s Harsh Times, his second straight overwrought and unfulfilling tale concerning a loco white boy knee-deep in the City of Angels’ criminal scene, albeit the primary focus here isn’t the metropolis’ underbelly but its halls of law enforcement. Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a surly, boozing Dirty Harry lapdog to Captain Wander (Forest Whitaker), who has Tom do his dirty work and then cleans up the resultant mess. When Tom’s former partner (Terry Crews), who’s supposedly working with Internal Affairs to send Tom up the river, is gunned down in a convenience store in front of the roughneck cop’s eyes, he ignores his captain’s warnings to let the affair go and commences an investigation into the slayings. Shit, meet fan, though the nastiness Tom discovers – corruption, deception, betrayal – is so dreadfully unsurprising that it’s easy to believe in Tom’s oft-remarked-upon blindness to what’s going on around him. Ayers has a thing for L.A.’s seedy side yet little to say about it save for the fact that it’s a modern Wild West, and in Reeves, his protagonist seems only half-conceived, convincingly wrought with guilt and regret but lacking credibility as a kill-‘em-all vigilante. Reeves’ robotic monotony brings some welcome stillness to the surrounding whirlwind of blustery machismo. Too bad, then, that Street Kings goes nowhere except into clichéd revelations and trite epiphanies, merely another example of its maker’s over-the-top infatuation with tough guys talkin’ smack from behind raised pistols.
Why was this film released? Your telling me that it sat through a screening that let it be unleashed on us rather than straight to the dvd bargin bin. This film was made solely on a story line that was done years ago in "the shield" but the problem with this version is millions of dollors were wasted doing it badly. The story has been seen a thousand times but with none of the gritty drama or twists usually seen. In the begining you think it could be good when he goes off to save the missing twins but there are mistakes throughout. The film never actually explains that bit or how he knew where to look???? Reeves is monotoned and expressionless and he get the outcoming half hour after the audience. Half way through you find out he has a wife and she died. The audience dont care as this is a new revelation that has no substence - the drinking that occurs with this is also pointless as it has no effect on reeves or the storyline. the 2 undercover cops part is laughable as it is unbelievable (and no in a good way) and it doesnt actually explain why they are undercover. The money in the wall and the cop kidnap is irritating as this is what you get after 90 minutes or boredom. If you liked this film I recommend renting the shield or training day again as these are of a high quality and you dont feel cheated. watching for 90 minutes to get an twist (if you can call it that) when you are told of what happened and you have never seen it played out on screen makes you wonder what the hell they were doing in the cutting room floor and if they cut out the wrong parts of the movie and screened the excess. Good things in this film Chris Evans and High Laurie dont make you want to peel the skin from your right arm just to have something else to do. Unlike reeves who I think has overplayed himself and maybe he should go to acting classes before subjecting me to another numb bum for a bum film.
Posted by: wonder66 | April 26, 2008 at 03:57 AM