Righteous Kill Starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro Movie Review by
Righteous Kill starring Robert DeNiro as Turk and Al Pacino as Rooster was a movie a movie goer has to see if only to watch these two academy award winning actors on screen together.
The last time Pacino and DeNiro graced a movie together on screen was in Heat. DeNiro played the gangster while Pacino was the cop trying to catch DeNiro and his crew. Heat was a well plotted film with a storyline to back it up. In Righteous Kill DeNiro and Pacino are both on the same side of the law, but are they? This is the question the audience finds themselves asking.
The acting is there and why would it not be after all that is what Pacino and DeNiro do. The supporting cast is led by 50 Cent (Spider), Carla Gigino (Karen Corelli), John Leguizamo ( Det. Simon Perez) and Donnie Wahlberg (Det. Ted Riley).
The plot is someone is killing bad guys who beat the judicial system either on technicalities in the court room or by slithery that the cops just can’t put the criminals away.
Righteious Kill reminded me of Death Wish starring Charles Bronson back in the 70’s as a vigilante killer evening the scales of justice.
Director Jon Avnet at the very least restores himself with Al Pacino after they worked on 88 Minutes. 88 Minutes was released more than one time only to fall each and every time it was not because it was terrible but because the marketing of the film was awful. Maybe the video will do better.
Back to Righteous Kill here is a classic movie that falls into the category of every other film that is moving along with some interest and than out of no where the writer and director realize this one could drag on and on so let’s come up with an ending and fast. And that is what they did.
The supporting cast on screen with DeNiro and Pacino add a lot to the movie. Brian Dennehy (Lieutenant Hingis) shows what a powerful actor he is when on screen with DeNiro and Pacino he not only holds his own but steals a scene.
Karen Corelli is a sex crazed cop that can’t get enough and likes it incredibly rough as long as it’s on her terms. When it isn’t she tries to turn the table on her fellow cop only to be shut down by Lieutenant Hingis, Dennehy’s charachter who can’t believe Karen because of her sex crazed track record in the department.
The twist that comes at the end of the film is a bit of a let down but if one pays attention in the beginning it is in your face the entire film. When I left this movie I compared it to The Sixth Sense. The ending fell way short in Righteous Kill while The Sixth Sense pulls the whole film together with flash backs to show the audience we see what we want to see. Righteous Kill is worth watching with Pacino and DeNiro delivering acting performances the best they can with the script they had to work with. As far as the movie without them it just wouldn’t be a Righteous movie.
Clue: Turk and Rooster are DeNiro and Pacino’s nicknames. Pay attention in the beginning when DeNiro comes on screen and says I’m David …and try to catch a glimpse of their badges, or if they say their name during the film. If you do you can figure this one out in the first 5 minutes.
Peter Tosto rates this: Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino 4 out of 4 stars we want to see them again Righteous Kill 2 out of 4 stars. Supporting Cast 3 out of 4 stars.
