NYPD blew

Dream headline of De Niro and Pacino goes to
waste in clichéd crime drama Righteous Kill

by CHRISTOPHER SYKES

It’s hard for film buffs not to raise an eyebrow in cautious excitement upon hearing that Robert De Niro and Al Pacino will star in a New York City cop flick. It must also be said, however, that neither actor has done their best work of late—I’d go under the knife to permanently erase Rocky and Bullwinkle from memory. With such an illustrious past, one tends to highlight the Michael Corleones and Travis Bickles of a career and turn a blind eye on the rest.

The generational gap in The Godfather: Part II separated their roles, and despite both men headlining Michael Mann’s excellent Heat back in 1995, it was only during the film’s climax that Bob and Al faced off onscreen. In a publicist’s dream, Righteous Kill marks the first time the iconic Italian-Americans star in a full feature side by side.

But even heavyweights of De Niro and Pacino’s stature can’t prop up a pic by themselves. Like a bad poker player, Kill gives away its hand during the very first scene. As the opening credits roll, director Jon Avnet (Risky Business) introduces the superstars taking target practice. One-upmanship and wisecracks ensue, and it becomes uncomfortably evident that this is an overwritten case of sophomore jinx for screenwriter Russell Gewirtz (Inside Man).

The premise is neither complicated nor particularly clever. Old-school detectives Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino) are on the trail of a vigilante serial killer who leaves poems on the crime scenes justifying the murders. The victims are all criminals who slipped through the courts in one way or another, and the killer condones his actions by passing a permanent judgment that the justice system can’t.

When fellow cops Perez (John Leguizamo) and Riley (Donnie Wahlberg) begin to suspect that the killer must have police ties, Lt. Hingis (Brian Dennehy) comes down on De Niro and Pacino to wrap up the case. Drug pusher/club owner Spider (Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent) becomes entangled as the bait to draw out the real killer. The clusterfuck of finger pointing culminates in a plot twist most will see coming. It’s regrettable that Kill is a waste of both a talented cast and your 10 bucks.

RIGHTEOUS KILL OPENS THIS
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12

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