Directed by:
Brian KirkCinematography:
Paul CameronCast:
Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons, Stephan James, Taylor Kitsch, Keith David, Alexander Siddig, Louis Cancelmi, Victoria Cartagena, Gary Carr (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers, a disgraced NYPD detective (Chadwick Boseman) uncovers a massive and unexpected conspiracy. As the night unfolds, lines become blurred on who he is pursuing, and who is in pursuit of him. When the search intensifies, extreme measures are taken to prevent the killers from escaping Manhattan as the authorities close all 21 Bridges to prevent any entry or exit from the iconic island. (Roadshow Entertainment)
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Reviews (7)
21 Bridges is a very decent genre film that by the end branches off quite interestingly (if predictably) and basically has two endings. The naturalism of the shootouts is solidly close to the best of Michael Mann in places. Chadwick Boseman tries his best to prove that he really can act, and actually succeeds quite well.
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The Black Panther’s father was beaten to death and so, now in the role of an NYPD detective, he likes to clean the streets somewhat more thoroughly than his colleagues, preferring to terminate them rather than taking them into custody. He's the perfect candidate to lead a manhunt for two eight-time cop killers who disappeared with 50 kilos of uncut cocaine. This action classic (coherent shoot-outs, high-speed chases) changes direction a little halfway through and is much more intelligent than it seemed at the start. And it just keeps on moving. The moralistic conclusion paradoxically does not present the main character as a good person, but more of a perfectly functioning machine for imposing a new order on the modern world.
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A great, snack-sized genre piece for immediate consumption. The gunfights are as brutal as they should be and the atmosphere of Manhattan at night lends the film a welcome touch of noir. What helps is that the plot plays out within the space of a few city blocks and a few hours, so there is no time for unnecessary detours or expository talk – the film gets right down to business and never relents. Some will find the comparison exaggerated, but I found the unapologetic, fast-paced way in which the two villains are hunted down reminiscent of the second and third installments of the Bourne series.
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21 Bridges is an unassuming film from lesser-known creators that ultimately surprises with its solid atmosphere, impressive shootouts, and decent final resolution. Don’t expect a groundbreaking event; it has its weaker moments, but overall, it turned out about as well as it could have. The main highlight is definitely Chadwick Boseman as the detective; I was surprised at how well he played his role, and I believed his emotions. Besides him, I’d also highlight J.K. Simmons—his talent is often overlooked, which really shouldn’t be the case. There are plenty of shootouts, but I have a minor critique. They rely heavily on visual effect, which is fine, but I missed a greater sense of rawness and chaos (something that was achieved in both films from the Sicario series), and I’d prefer not to comment on the silenced gunshots; few films manage to portray them accurately. The ending surprised me, though it could have been a bit more pessimistic (which would have suited the overall tone of the film better), but satisfaction prevails. I give it a surprising 70%.
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This crime flick is fantastically stylish in every possible way, with its gloomy atmosphere of Manhattan at night, alarming police mega-dragnet with a lockdown of “the city that never sleeps”, the noirish character of an honest, straight-shooting cop, music in the spirit of old “gritty” crime movies. And standing against that, the most transparent and predictable screenplay that I can remember. Everything that is merely suspicious to the protagonist is immediately so clear to the viewers that they think that just maybe, for such stylish filmmaking, it must have been done intentionally to serve a higher purpose. But that’s not the case and, because of that, the film turns out in the end to be just a naïvely short-sighted banality.
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