There's a spoiler here, but....
Broadly speaking, post-Rodney King, cop movies tend to fall into two categories for me; on the one hand, they wallow in the depths of sanctioned depravity that led to that case and the many like it (mostly from a condemnation via entertainment perspective), while on the other, they attempt to justify police behavior, either personally on the part of a cop (he's an alcoholic, he's getting a divorce, whatever) or more widely on the part of the 'force' (society has gone utterly feral and the uniform is the only the between 'us' and total anarchy).
I find that the closer a film (or tv show or whatever) hews to one or the other of these lines, the less interesting it is as the conclusions are always forgone, the beats are telegraphed from miles out, and there's never really anything at stake.
Ok, look, I'm kinda vamping here 'cause I'm not really sure what to say about this film other than it really is not very good.
Kurt Russell overacts a lot, Scott Speedman is somehow even more wooden than he was in those latex vampire movies (you know, the ones with Kate Beckinsale), the story was adapted from something by James Ellroy (and if you ever read anything of his you'll see where this going from step one) & written by David Ayers (who usually has a better handle on 'grit' than he does here), and directed by Ron Shelton (who seems woefully out of his depth given his, up to then, more usual metier of sports dramadies).
The film is actually set during the Rodney King court case (though filmed ten years after), but to no real effect other than getting to stage some 'riot' scenes, and, boiled down, follows a corrupt cop who tries to initiate his rookie partner, looses 'everything,' and, in a laughably melodramatic denouement, decides to take down the higher ups who encouraged his bullshit to begin with (see aforementioned Ellroy comment). Along for the ride are Brendan Gleeson (who seems unable to commit to one accent although he playing one of Ellroy's stock 'Irish Police Chief' characters), Ving Rhames (a fine actor who genuinely looks like no one's told him what's going on), and Michael Michele (who, of everyone, seems to be the only person trying to sell this lead brick of a film).
A couple of years ago, I watched this same movie (not coincidentally, also an Ellroy project) only it starred Woody Harrelson called 'Rampart' -- it was pretty bad. This isn't any better.
The only thing about it with any verve at all is Kurupt's verse of the lame Porno for Pyros song that plays over the end credits.
There's a spoiler here, but....
Broadly speaking, post-Rodney King, cop movies tend to fall into two categories for me; on the one hand, they wallow in the depths of sanctioned depravity that led to that case and the many like it (mostly from a condemnation via entertainment perspective), while on the other, they attempt to justify police behavior, either personally on the part of a cop (he's an alcoholic, he's getting a divorce, whatever) or more widely on the part of the 'force' (society has gone utterly feral and the uniform is the only the between 'us' and total anarchy).
I find that the closer a film (or tv show or whatever) hews to one or the other of these lines, the less interesting it is as the conclusions are always forgone, the beats are telegraphed from miles out, and there's never really anything at stake.
Ok, look, I'm kinda vamping here 'cause I'm not really sure what to say about this film other than it really is not very good.
Kurt Russell overacts a lot, Scott Speedman is somehow even more wooden than he was in those latex vampire movies (you know, the ones with Kate Beckinsale), the story was adapted from something by James Ellroy (and if you ever read anything of his you'll see where this going from step one) & written by David Ayers (who usually has a better handle on 'grit' than he does here), and directed by Ron Shelton (who seems woefully out of his depth given his, up to then, more usual metier of sports dramadies).
The film is actually set during the Rodney King court case (though filmed ten years after), but to no real effect other than getting to stage some 'riot' scenes, and, boiled down, follows a corrupt cop who tries to initiate his rookie partner, looses 'everything,' and, in a laughably melodramatic denouement, decides to take down the higher ups who encouraged his bullshit to begin with (see aforementioned Ellroy comment). Along for the ride are Brendan Gleeson (who seems unable to commit to one accent although he playing one of Ellroy's stock 'Irish Police Chief' characters), Ving Rhames (a fine actor who genuinely looks like no one's told him what's going on), and Michael Michele (who, of everyone, seems to be the only person trying to sell this lead brick of a film).
A couple of years ago, I watched this same movie (not coincidentally, also an Ellroy project) only it starred Woody Harrelson called 'Rampart' -- it was pretty bad. This isn't any better.
The only thing about it with any verve at all is Kurupt's verse of the lame Porno for Pyros song that plays over the end credits.
