Review: Righteous Kill (2008)

[Jerry Saravia]

RIGHTEOUS KILL (2008)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: One star and a half

Once upon a time, there was a tremendous thrill in seeing either
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino on screen. Now, for the first time, they
are paired in the same movie and share scenes together (unlike "Heat,"
save for one scene, and "The Godfather Part II"). Alas, the exciting
novelty of these two iconic actors wears thin and is superfluous to
decent storytelling, so much so that "Righteous Kill" feels and acts
like an average crime thriller that went straight to DVD.

Detectives Turk and Rooster (respectively and respectably played by
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino) are veteran cops who have seen it all.
They also don't follow the rules since they plant evidence to get the
bad guys of their choice. Anyway, a serial killer is on the loose,
apparently killing violent offenders who get off on technicalities.
The assumption is that the killer is a cop, someone with access and a
grudge. Evidence seems to point at the righteous Turk. Other cops
played rather respectably by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg also
believe that it must be Turk.

Turk does have a grudge and he is shown to play against the rules,
hence planting evidence (funny how a scene like that used to be
considered so shocking, and now this movie treats it as if he is
drinking a cup of coffee). Turk also has vigorous sex with a forensics
expert (Carla Gugino), though there is not much of a relationship. She
does care about him but De Niro plays Turk like an unhinged animal
ready to burst. Any measure of empathy, let alone sympathy, is thrown
out of the cinematic window.

"Righteous Kill" is an anonymous and bloody thin thriller with no real
story whatsoever (I love "Law and Order" and its spinoffs and there is
more meat in their weekly stories overall than in this movie). De Niro
merely frets and does his trademark mugging so frequently, you'd think
he was priming himself up for a "Meet the Parents" sequel. Al Pacino
is far more subtle yet he also grows annoying as well. Critics often
lambast Pacino for ratcheting up his hollering-at-the-top-of-his-lungs
routine but here, his whispers and soft inflections can also grate the
nerves. That leaves Leguizamo and Wahlberg who give the film a little
lift out of its doldrums - it may be sacrilege but they should've been
cast in the lead roles. As for Gugino, her character is so severely
underwritten that she may as well be the killer.

"Righteous Kill" is not quite disposable junk but close. De Niro and
Pacino have played cops before in far superior films. Here, they are
treading so much water you're almost afraid they'll drown.


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