Righteous Kill (2008)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Jon Avnet

Writer (WGA):

Russell Gewirtz (written by)

Release Date:

12 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Most people respect the badge. Everybody respects the gun.

Plot:

Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Murder | Bar | Ex Girlfriend | New York City

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Tom 'Turk' Cowan
Al Pacino	...	David 'Rooster' Fisk
50 Cent	...	Spider (as Curtis Jackson)
Carla Gugino	...	Karen Corelli
John Leguizamo	...	Det. Simon Perez
Donnie Wahlberg	...	Det. Ted Riley
Brian Dennehy	...	Lieutenant Hingis
Trilby Glover	...	Jessica
Saidah Arrika Ekulona	...	Gwen Darvis
Alan Rosenberg	...	Stein
Sterling K. Brown	...	Rogers
Barry Primus	...	Dr. Prosky
Melissa Leo	...	Cheryl Brooks
Alan Blumenfeld	...	Martin Baum
Shirly Brener	...	Natalya

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | USA:R (certificate #44434) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Brazil:14 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:16LV | Singapore:M18 | Mexico:B15

Filming Locations:

Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Millennium Films

Trivia:

Carla Gugino played the sex partner of Robert De Niro in this movie. 15 years earlier, she played his daughter in This Boy's Life (1993)

Goofs:

Continuity: During the opening credits, the two main characters fire H&K MP5 submachine guns, but then we see 5.56 rifle casings falling. The MP5 usually fires 9mm pistol rounds. They're rarely used by police, 10mm and .40SW variants exist.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Turk: When you walk outside, watch your back.

Movie Connections:

References "Underdog" (1964)

Soundtrack:

We Fly High

De Niro and Pacino make it a good movie…

This film has a lot of problem, but the great performances of its stars still make it worth seeing at the theater. The twist was way too predictable (I had it solved half an hour in, and I'm usually unable to figure out twists way ahead of time) and the script wasn't very impressive. The direction is OK, but nothing special. There were some pretty funny moments and one liners though. The only thing that makes this better than a sub-par thriller is De Niro and Pacino, both of whom put in great performances and really save this movie. The supporting actors do just fine, but are overshadowed. I was really anxious for a movie in which the pair finally share some significant screen time together, and this movie was about as good as could be expected, considering the makers of the film.

It isn't the best movie out right now (try Burn After Reading), but I do recommend going to see this one. I give it 7/10. I hope Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up again, hopefully with a better screenplay and director.