Reviewed by Stuart O'Connor
Stars Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino, John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, Trilby Glover, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Alan Rosenberg
Written by Russell Gewirtz
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 100 minutes
Directed by Jon Avnet
It's a treat to see these two greats on screen together again (I'm talking about De Niro and Pacino, in case you haven't worked it out). Actually, this is only the second film inb which they've been on screen together. The first was 1995's Heat, in which they shared just two scenes. This time they are together throughout, as a pair of New York homicide detectives on the trail of a serial killer. It's just a shame Righteous Kill is not really all that special — it's plodding, predictable and dull.
The film opens with De Niro's detective, Turk, seemingly confessing on tape to a string of murders. So for the rest of the film you're wondering if it's just a red herring, or if Turk really is the one going around killing a bunch of bad guys who are slipping through the cracks of the justice system — mobsters, pimps, drug dealers, killers and child abusers. Shades of Magnum Force and TV's Dexter. In fact, at one point De Niro even quote's Dirty Harry's classic line: "There's nothing wrong with a little shooting, as long as the right people get shot." Turk and his partner, Rooster (Pacino), are set the task of tracking down this new serial killer cum vigilante. Their boss (Dennehy) doesn't think they're up to handling the case alone, so young "turks" (LOL) Leguizamo and Wahlberg are brought in to help on the investigation. They soon come to realise that the killer could only be one of their own — a cop gone bad.
The final twist is one that is easily spotted just a few minutes in to the film. And that's not the only problem. Director Avnet (also responsible for the dull Pacino vehicle 88 Minutes) has no feel for pacing, action or even lighting — the film is so dark in places it's almost unwatchable. It's a shame that we've waited so long for these two screen veterans to team up and they pick such a lacklustre project. Righteous Kill is obviously a film that the both of them have done just for the money.