Directed by:
David AyerCinematography:
Gabriel BeristainComposer:
Graeme RevellCast:
Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Cedric the Entertainer, Jay Mohr, Terry Crews, Naomie Harris, Common, The Game, Martha Higareda (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Reeves stars as Tom Ludlow, a hard-nosed detective with a talent for delivering brutal street justice. When evidence implicates him in the murder of a fellow officer, the violence around Ludlow explodes as he realizes his own life is in danger and he can trust no one. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
And exhausted and stale story about a tough guy who eventually mans up and takes everything bravely into his own hands because he finally realizes he's doing the right thing. It's definitely cheesy, but the director knows it and we know that the director knows it. The action is quite tough – at least that. Keanu Reeves is surprisingly solid as a “punk” with a black car and Forest Whitaker is amazing. The buried bodies and the shots to the face are pleasant bonuses as well. The ending is clear after thirty minutes.
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David Ayer is good. I've been putting Street Kings off for a long time, but I finally got around to it and I have to say it was a pleasant surprise. Keanu Reeves plays a troubled cop who kind of interprets the law to suit himself and the whole story is in his direction, but then unexpectedly bigger problems start happening that overwhelm him and the ride begins. Police corruption, action, suspense, and most importantly an A-list cast (Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Chris Evans) in a solid action flick that kind of rides its wave. In the last half hour everything takes an amazing surprising turn and the film throws one solid twist after another until the finale. I knew it’d be a good film all along, but the ending makes me throw in that extra fourth star due to its unpredictability and clever build-up. Satisfaction, and the result is a lot of fine, unpretentious "retro" fun with everyone's favourite Keanu, who is good to watch in just about any role.
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Initially a hopefully gritty crime drama, which unfortunately slides towards the end into a boring story on a theme we've seen too many times before. And done better. The ending was strangely clamorous, but without emotion, although it probably should have been there, originally. The action scenes were good though, the best being the second shootout in the apartment. Hugh Laurie unfortunately got very little space.
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Relentless action, positive tough guys, and negative friends with a facade, that's always been my thing and will continue to be. Whether Keanu Reeves reminisces about past trauma with a suffering expression, furrows his brow while pondering the increasing number of corpses, or simply puts on a face that says "touch me and you won't have a hand", pulls out a gun, and goes after everyone he doesn't like, I can't help but be amazed and humbled by the fact that this fast-paced and yet highly convoluted bloody corrupt affair can't be stopped.
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David Ayer understood that as a screenwriter he had already exhausted himself with Training Day, so it was providence that advised him to shake hands with the neo-noir classic James Ellroy. The result is not particularly stunning, the traditional plot about the improved cop/asshole doesn't provide anything new and the director also doesn't do anything special in terms of the formal aspects. Yet the atmosphere of L.A.'s suburbs is literally dripping and the vivacity with which Keanu Reeves runs through the film is incredible. The clenched, pissed-off expression of the stubborn bulldog fits him perfectly and the viewer makes uncompromising cuts into the arm with him, of which there are many. This is Ayer's best film, but I’m not buying the negros, corrupt cops, and dark tough guys for the fourth time.
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