In the wake of the L.A. riots, an LAPD vice detective who always went above and beyond the call of duty to keep the streets safe receives a startling wake-up call that leaves him convinced he can no longer employ the tactics that made him so effective in his work. LAPD veteran Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) has borne personal witness to the worst that the streets have to offer, and when his partner, Detective Terrance Washington (Terry Crews), is killed the violence strikes a bit too close to home.
Now Ludlow is on a mission to bring his partner's killer to justice, though Captain Walker (Forest Whitaker) is concerned that the hotheaded detective is taking the case too personally. Now, as Captain Walker attempts to convince Ludlow to work within the confines of the law, Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie) begins following the vengeful lawman's every move. In order to accomplish his mission, Ludlow recruits fresh-faced Robbery Homicide Detective Diskant (Chris Evans) to trace Washington's killers through the winding streets of Los Angeles. Later, when Ludlow and Diskant come face to face with the remorseless cop killers, they must chose between upholding the law and seeking bitter vengeance. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Street Kings wastes a moderately intriguing premise by filling it with laughably clichéd dialogue, one-dimensional characters and implausible turns of events.
A lot of reviewers seem to have disliked Street Kings because of its negative view of the LA police, and perhaps the country at large. That is not a problem for me.
Everything here is predictable, from the tired plot whose revelations are deeply unsurprising to the gritty dialogue and casual everyday violence of the cops involved.
There is certainly something compelling in the film's ideas, but the way they're executed suggest that any true questions about morality and the law are just grist for the action mill.
If you can forgive its stale dialogue, which at times seems so egregiously leaden that it might have been better suited to a Mad magazine parody, 'Street Kings' is a tense, aggressively absurd thriller.
While military man turned director Ayer implicates our culture steeped in violence and the damaging effects of trained killing, whether by police or in war, he's assembled such a deplorable LAPD rogues gallery, it's hard to tell which one is the worst.
There is something quite odd about Street Kings that I can't quite put my finger on. I did like it and I thought it was better than many films in the genres, there is something quite quirky about it but I'm not sure if that's not just because Keanu Reeves's performance is so bad (or did he play the character the way it
was intended - I'm not sure). Anyway, for the 5 minutes of screen time they had, I was very impressed with the comically named 'Common' and 'The Game'. They were two scary dudes!
Very interesting L.A. cop thriller with Keanu Reeves in his best role and performance since the Matrix films. Not only does he need more than one facial expression here, his character is wonderfully ambiguous and unusual in his oevre. The film offers a smart and enthralling plot while enjoying its own immorality. The
action is well timed, and it's just fun and exciting to see the noose tighten around the main character, while cheering for him nonetheless. There are several plot twists you don't see coming and you'll certainly stick around for the ending. The supporting cast is excellent too. Overall an intense, enthralling, violent and realistic look at the good, the bad and the immoral in the war against crime. Excellent.
No quotes approved yet for Street Kings. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Street Kings'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
