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RIGHTEOUS KILL

Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Donnie Wahlberg and Carla Gugino

Directed By: Jon Avnet

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

By John Delia

As far as crime drama’s go, Righteous Kill is humdrum and ordinary. This film should have been made in the 80’s while the two main actors, De Niro and Pacino were in their prime. The film does nothing to showcase their talent. However, for those who just can’t get enough of the two actors, this film would be a good choice.
The plot involves partner detectives Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino) on the New York City police force who realize that a killing they are investigating may be the work of a serial killer who leaves poetry with their victims. The two above reproach detectives have been working together for 30 years and have seen many such crimes, but this one seems to point to a member of their precinct. The oddity with this case is that each of the killings tends to be at the hands of a vigilante who has singled out victims that have come in contact with Turk and Rooster. When Perez and Riley, two fellow detectives get the impression that Turk may be their killer, they put all their efforts into bringing him down.
The film has some good things going for it including the stunning performance by Gugino (Spy Kids, Sin City, American Gangster) as the over the top tough as nails detective Corelli who gets her kicks out of masochistic love play. The ferocity she lends her character steals the show from the De Niro and Pacino.
As far as De Niro and Pacino go, I believe that it is a little to late to be pairing up and with the trivial script it made it even worse. If they had done something more their age in the fashion of The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, it would have been more enjoyable to see the two going at it on the screen. Most audiences today are craving strong performances from their “A” list stars, and individually (De Niro in Meet the Fockers in 2004 and Pacino in Any Given Sunday in 1999) you would have to go back several years in order to find their peak. They are icons in the film industry, but are sorely miscast for Righteous Kill.
But you can’t blame acting for the failure of the film, it mostly stems from the predictable plot. With so much pending on it’s revealing finish, the writer failed to realize that his prospective audience is educated adults who should be able to figure it out midway through the hour and forty minute film.
The film contains some drug use, sex and brutality so be cautioned when allowing your under 17s to attend the showing.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Unless you really want to see De Niro and Pacino together in a film, there’s not much here to challenge your mind.