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Australia Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Appaloosa Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Righteous Kill
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MPAA RATING: R for violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and brief drug use
Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Donnie Wahlberg, and Carla Gugino
A serial murderer walks the streets of Manhattan, targeting violent felons who have fallen through the cracks of the judicial system. All the victims are suspected criminals whose bodies are found accompanied by a four-line poem justifying the killing. The killer’s mission is to do what the cops can’t do on their own—take bad guys off the streets for good. When a notorious pimp becomes one of the killer’s victims, highly decorated detectives Turk and Rooster are called in to investigate. This case could easily be the biggest one in their 30 years on the force. With the unwitting help of a local drug dealer the detectives follow what few clues they have, but their search soon turns inward, eventually leading them full circle as they realize the killer may be one of their own. (Overture Films)
| GENRE(S): | Crime | Drama | Mystery |
| WRITTEN BY: | Russell Gewirtz |
| DIRECTED BY: | Jon Avnet |
| RELEASE DATE: | Theatrical: September 12, 2008 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 100 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 5.4 (out of 10) based on 32 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Lev S. gave it a0:
Absolute DOG of a movie. Made with utter contempt and disrespect for the audience. Goes to show, just because you work in Hollywood and you've made a movie with de Niro and Pacino, you can still be a f***ing hack.
Josh F. gave it a2:
I feel ashamed to have sat through this all when everyone I started it with walked out, save for my brother. Deniro is a shadow of his former self and essentially an embarrassing contradiction, much like McCain. Why would either of the two leads' agents recommend this tripe to them? WOW! I still think Pacino can act, but this movie is no example I would submit to the jury whatsoever. After all these words, one more: WHY?!?
Adam M. gave it a9:
I read all the bad reviews for this movie beforehand and do not agree with them at all. I thought the screenplay was brilliant, great twist at the end, and the acting was pretty superb as well. Don't believe the hype, judge for yourself!
Michael M. gave it an8:
Occasionally the critics are too smart for their own good. This move is very well done and the crowd at the theater on Sunday afternoon seemed to agree with me. Lots of positive vocals going on and laughs in the right places. The two stars looked great and did an excellent job. Secondary players were equally good. Do yourself a favor and go take a look. My bet is you will like the film if you like De Niro and Pacino.
Chad S. gave it a5:
All aging actors reach a critical point of diminishing vim and collapsing vigor; to pretend otherwise, that the whatever-genarian isn't within shouting distance with his own mortality, would put a strain on the audience's suspension of disbelief. From John Wayne in "The Shootist" to Clint Eastwood in "Blood Work", the savvy actor knows its audience have a long memory; they'll remember the younger version of themselves with fondness, so he uses his weathered face like a Dorian Gray canvas to comment on his own body of work. But not seventies icons Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, who both act like they have appointments in Samarra. Since rappers are noted to adore Brian DePalma's "Scarface", the hip-hop setting in "Righteous Kill" is a clever acknowledgment of the black music community's love affair with Pacino's Tony Montana. (SPOILER ALERT!) When Rooster shoots Spider(50 Cent), it's like a kiss on the cheek, a note of thanks to the rap industry. Too bad it's not Pacino who does it doggy-style with Carla Gugino, then he could yell, "Say hello to my little friend," over Gugino's cries of "Harder! Harder!" DeNiro, by the way, is sixty-five-years-old; Gugino, thirty-seven. "Righteous Kill" is a routine police procedural with a denouement that insults the audience by cheating. Parceled throughout the film, Turk(Robert DeNiro) imparts a confession of sorts, in great length, on grainy black-and-white video, but when the moment of its recording is revealed, moviegoers will notice that the running time of his monologue doesn't match what they previously heard in its totality. Turk uses a notebook for reference, but in the video, he's always looking straight into the camera. "Righteous Kill" doesn't cheat to the extent of Frank Oz's "The Stepford Wives", or Alexandre Aja's "Haute Tension", but the filmmaker owes his audience a plausible twist ending that checks out.
Billy S. gave it a5:
Pacino. DeNiro. Acting Legends. Unfortunately, they will be remembered for their 10 minute scene together in Heat because nobody's going to remember them in Righteous Kill, a made-for-TV movie with take the money and run written right in the script!!
Daniel S. gave it a1:
this is how i imagine the dialogue in the film: DeNiro " i thought it was you!" Pacino " no I thought it was you!" repeat for however many hours..there's you're movie.
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