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Righteous Kill (2008)

Director: Jon Avnet

Time Out rating

Average user rating

15 reviews

Synopsis

In ‘Heat’, they only shared the screen for one all-too-brief scene. Now Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are teaming up as a pair of New York detectives tracking down a vigilante murderer in this gripping and shadowy thriller. Pacino and De Niro play longtime partners David Fisk and Thomas Cowan, both closing in on retirement, who are forced out from behind their desks to hunt down a notorious killer. With a supporting role for Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, this is a hard bitten crime drama on the mean streets of NYC.

Movie review

From Time Out London

De Niro. Pacino. Together again at last. Well, you can stop salivating right this minute because this first reunion for the two key Hollywood actors of their generation since the diner scene in Michael Mann’s ‘Heat’ puts them in the sort of schlocky crime flick which would have gone straight to video had it not been for their involvement. Aptly cast as two weary NYPD detectives on the verge of retirement, the two play to a good cop/bad cop template, as Al (a sprightly 68) delivers concerned emollience and Bob (a fit 65) parades his anger-management issues in the face of a serial-killer investigation where evidence suggests a police insider enacting their own brand of justice on sundry scumbags. As the procedural moves along entirely functional lines, inserts of grainy faux-video footage shows Bob confessing to said slayings…

Forget any pretensions to moral complexity, this dispiriting affair is more a matter of tired plot-spinning, vainly trying to disguise a blatantly predictable final ‘twist’. It offers the two stars plenty of screen-time together, yet gives them only low-voltage banter to work with. Admittedly, they’ve both been worse; Pacino tones down the windmilling arms and volatile intonation, while De Niro produces some variation on his recent rictus smirk, but there’s little here apart from a few grace notes and sly asides to suggest former heavyweights at work. They look like jobbing veteran actors picking up another payday in some routine cop filler, and Avnet’s busily clueless direction offers them and the clunky writing little help. Pacino. De Niro. It’s over.

Author: Trevor Johnston

Time Out London Issue 1988, Sept 25 - October 1

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User reviews of this film

Ron Zorro said...

Posted on Jan 18 2010 12:52 How could I go wrong renting a movie with Pacino and DeNiro? Well, I did. These are great actors? They played themselves in this film. Just too cool for words. Not for me though. If you have nothing else to do on a Saturday night maybe you would want to watch this schlock. It was terrible.

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John said...

Posted on Oct 27 2008 09:10 I am a huge Pacino fan (got everything he has done on video/dvd) but I could not take this movie seriously as the two leads were too old for the parts they were playing as was Brian Dennehy who played their boss. I am not being ageist I am 52 but seeing DeNiro having rough sex with his much younger lover and Pacino with his motor bike and a couple of leggy blondes just to prove how virile they were was a bit sad. The plot was easy to work out and the film would not get the exposure it did without the participation of these legends I will be happy to be as fit and active as these guys when I am their age but unfortunately they just looked so much older than everyone round about them.

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critique said...

Posted on Oct 14 2008 17:22 Very average police thriller, enlivened by the two screen legends, clearly not in Heat`s class but nowhere near as bad as some reviewers have enjoyed painting it.

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troy said...

Posted on Oct 10 2008 17:11 From looking at most of the comments from people who LIKED the film, if you take deniro and pacino OUT of this movie, tv wouldnt even air it. Thats the measure of a good movie, not the actors.

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SHE said...

Posted on Oct 10 2008 12:02 I am surprised by the really negative comments. Admittedly I did see the twist and the ending was not about big fireworks, however, I love Pacino and De Niro and I was gripped by the film, despite knowing the twist. There isn't much effort to hide the twist and I think the film is carried by atmosphere and tension as you watch it all unravel. I liked it and definitely think it was worth watching.

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Jimbo said...

Posted on Oct 08 2008 18:58 Compared to what's out at the moment, this is pretty good. OK maybe the plot and the script don't deserve the grace and favour of top actors like De Niro and Pacino but they are as good as they've ever been and really lift the film off its ass. Sliightly ropey in places but keeps you gripped and worth seeing.

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usman khawaja said...

Posted on Oct 04 2008 04:11 this movie had no plot and both the actors were flagging their dead ogoes -my girlfriend and me got so bored with IT ,we walked out -NYPD must be a really morbid and sick place to employ these buffoons as detectives -Mark Holcomb was dead right

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Andy Stevenson said...

Posted on Oct 02 2008 11:01 Really not as bad as many make out. Ok, the finale was a touch weak, and the two leads have wrinkles aplenty, but their performances were very sparky, the mood of the film well delivered and the premise pretty good. I've seen a lot worse, notably the recent 'Street Kings' and the awful 'Lucky Number Sleven', and this, for Al and Bobby, really isn't too bad an effort. Worth seeing, and a great supporting cast as well.

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Madison said...

Posted on Sep 30 2008 13:03 boy what a Turkey! so bad its almost compelling. do yourself a favour and get Heat out on DVD instead.

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ryan mc donagh said...

Posted on Sep 29 2008 21:05 I've just arrived back from seeing rightous kill, and have been shocked that the generall consensus is this film is pants. Throughout its runtime i was gripped, perhaps the opening montage was a little irksome and the workout scene was horrible to look at but the chemistry between De Niro and Pacino is undeniable. The film is not the most impressive cinematic feat, however i can think of worse ways to pass a sunday afternoon. Oh and i didnt see the twist coming either.
I would highly reccomend "Righteous Kill" to anyone who wants to escape the world for a few hours of intense cop action.
4 STARS !!!

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troy said...

Posted on Sep 29 2008 06:49 This film was BEYOND stupid. Whats more shocking than the film is Deniro's and Pacino's agreeing do damage their reputations and the decades long anticipation of seeing them together on screen by signing on for this junk. There is NOTHING about this film thats even worth mentioning.

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PK said...

Posted on Sep 28 2008 18:16 I am just grateful that I listened to the advice of my family and ignored the critics reviews. De Niro and Pacino still have big screen presence and worked intuitively well together. The film had a genuine tension throughout, good atmosphere, and some great satire. Perhaps the ending was not as predictable as stated in earlier reviews as the three of us viewing today arrived at different conclusions until the final plot unveiling.
The film is recommended and I would also recommend that the above negative comments are ignored.

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PERFECT DAY said...

Posted on Sep 26 2008 22:12 This film is really bad. BAD!
The editing is shocking. The script is awful.
If you listen very closely you can hear the rigo rmortis setting in. If you are looking for a good vigilante film, break out Death Wish 1. Come back Charlie.

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Kester said...

Posted on Sep 26 2008 11:07 No Londoner should go to see this movie for one simple reason: the tag line "there's nothing wrong with a little shooting, as long as the right people get shot."
After de Menezes, with gun and knife crime up, we don't need this barrel-scraping sh*t from Hollywood. Piss off back to LA and make something decent.

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Dr R McM said...

Posted on Sep 20 2008 15:15 Is there a reason why your reviewer Mark Holcomb is so insecure about his own reviews that he feels compelled to write in language that lots of people wont understand? Why all the references to drug trade names for viagra (cialis) and Geritol (a vitamin preparation). It's just pretentious crap- trying to be overly sophisticated when there is no need to be so. This kind of language will not be understood by young readers. Is that the aim? I actually do not care what he think about this movie because of the ridiculous review he has posted.

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