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Dark Blue

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Dark Blue (2003)

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Reviews Counted:127

Fresh:73

Rotten:54

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Kurt Russell gives a good performance. Too bad there’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violence, language and brief sexuality

Runtime: 3 hrs 56 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Feb 21, 2003 Wide

Box Office: $9,059,588

Synopsis: There aren't many cops left like Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell). A member of the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Investigations Squad (SIS), veteran Perry is no stranger to the violence of the... There aren't many cops left like Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell). A member of the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Investigations Squad (SIS), veteran Perry is no stranger to the violence of the streets and the tough decisions that come with the job. He rarely questions the orders given by his powerful boss, Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson). When Van Meter's nephew, Bobby Keogh (Scott Speedman) joins SIS and becomes Perry's partner, the stakes are raised. Keogh, who idolizes both his uncle and Perry, is eager to prove himself. But the naïve rookie has no idea how deep the corruption in the department runs. Set during the racially charged days before the Rodney King verdict and the ensuing L.A. riots, DARK BLUE also looks at racism within the department through its focus on Assistant Chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames), who questions the SIS brotherhood and is determined to be the first black chief of the LAPD. Russell is a powerhouse as Perry, a man who has made some difficult decisions in the name of justice. Directed by Ron Shelton (BULL DURHAM, TIN CUP) and based on a story by James Ellroy, the film also stars Michael Michele, Lolita Davidovitch, and rapper Kurupt. [More]

Starring: Kurt Russell, Scott Speedman, Ving Rhames, Brendan Gleeson

Starring: Kurt Russell, Scott Speedman, Ving Rhames, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Michele, Lolita Davidovich, Kurupt

Director: Ron Shelton

Director: Ron Shelton
Screenwriter: David Ayer
Story: James Ellroy
Producer: Caldecot Chubb, David Blocker, James Jacks, Sean Daniel
Composer: Terence Blanchard
Studio: MGM/UA

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Release:

Jun 2, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • From the writer of Training Day comes this "terrific corrupt-cop drama" (Entertainment Weekly) set in the days leading up to the L.A. riots. Starring Kurt Russell (Escape From New York) and an acclaimed ensemble cast, this gritty police thriller "keeps you on the edge of your seat with white-knuckle suspense" (The New York Observer). Adrenaline is high, tempers are hot, and racial tensions are boiling over. Against this explosive backdrop, LAPD detective Eldon Perry (Russell) tutors his rookie partner (Scott Speedman) in the realities of police intimidation and corruption as they investigate a high-profile homicide case. But as the body count rises and the evidence just doesn't add upAssistant Chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames) threatens to end Perry's brand of "justice" if Perry's own demons don't destroy him first.
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    Reviews for Dark Blue

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    1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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    If melodrama were a ticketable violation, this flick would rack up fines for to-the-hilt performances and cliche-laden scenes.

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    02/20/03
    E! Online
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
    02/21/03
    Arizona Republic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
    02/21/03
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    07/02/03
    Boston Phoenix
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    07/08/03
    Guardian [UK]
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
    08/08/03
    Sydney Morning Herald

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    09/27/03
    Empire Magazine
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
    03/08/04
    Movieline

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    01/26/06
    Time Out

    The script is overloaded with exposition and incident, and for long passages it shows all the verve and imagination of an episode of Hunter.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    02/20/03
    A.O. Scott
    A.O. Scott
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
    03/25/03
    Adam Nayman
    Adam Nayman
    eye WEEKLY

    Kurt Russell will be tough to beat during the next Oscar race. He's at the top of his game in 'Dark Blue.'

    Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    02/22/03
    Betty Jo Tucker
    Betty Jo Tucker
    ReelTalk Movie Reviews

    Russell makes a Herculean effort to pump life into Perry's hard-charge toward awful self-awareness, but Dark Blues' overall conception is too faulty for it much to matter.

    Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
    02/21/03
    Bob Strauss
    Bob Strauss
    Los Angeles Daily News

    Not bad, it's just that we've seen it before and we've seen it better.

    Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
    02/20/03
    Boo Allen
    Boo Allen
    Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

    While it doesn't avoid the familiar and formulaic (what cop movie does these days?), DARK BLUE was a pleasant surprise, and proved that Russell can save just about anything

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    05/08/04
    Brian Mckay
    Brian Mckay
    eFilmCritic.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
    03/27/03
    Brian Orndorf
    Brian Orndorf
    Modamag.com

    Rather than coming across as ambitious, it comes across as overblown. Rather than fascinating, it’s contrived. Rather than entertaining, it’s typical heavy-handed Hollywood.

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
    02/25/03
    Brian Webster
    Brian Webster
    Apollo Guide

    Once upon a time in Los Angeles, the air was dirty and the cops were clean. The only reason to see this movie is to see Kurt Russell again prove his consistency. Too bad there aren't Oscars for the Cal Ripken's of Hollywood.

    Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
    03/11/03
    Bruce Bennett
    Bruce Bennett
    Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

    Speedman doesn't show much in his first big movie role, while Russell shows too much.

    Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
    02/20/03
    Bruce Newman
    Bruce Newman
    San Jose Mercury News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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