Film Review: Righteous Kill

ANY film with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the two leading roles is always going to guarantee some excellent on-screen business being carried out, and on that front, Righteous Kill certainly does not disappoint.
The chemistry between the two icons of the silver screen, teaming up for only the second time in their careers, is very strong from the beginning, and remains so throughout.
By way of contrast, the plot is something of a letdown and the aforementioned 'business' on show is carelessly frittered away.
The film begins with a botched wire-tap on a drug-dealing club owner (50 Cent), which results in the officers in charge of the string, Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino), being referred to a therapist by their lieutenant.
From there, a story of vigilantism begins to unfold. A serial killer with a penchant for poetry is taking out the remorseless and wrongly acquitted criminals of the city – often perpetrators of emotive crimes such as rape and child murder.
The killer is being closely followed by the veteran team of Turk and Rooster, as well as Detectives Perez and Riley (played by the excellent John Leguizamo and the less convincing Donnie Wahlberg respectively), and it isn't long before tensions run high and fingers are pointed at those within the police department itself.
To reveal any further detail would blow the whole thing wide open, although the ending is nowhere near as big a surprise as the film's creators would have you believe, but I will simply say there is more to the story than a straightforward eye-for-an-eye plotline.
On the whole, the film is by no means terrible and there is enough here to please even the most ardent of movie cynics, although there is a strong argument for the recent career paths of De Niro and Pacino to be called into question, given their willingness to appear alongside the likes of 50 Cent and Donnie Wahlberg!

Film Review: Hancock

PURE escapist fantasy is probably the simplest way of describing Hancock, starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron.
The film centres around John Hancock, a homeless and largely dislikeable drunk who appears to possess invincibility.
Within five minutes the viewer is made aware of his capabilities, which include the power of flight, superhuman strength and the ability to resist bullets. Superman with liquor, in essence.
His exploits are clumsy, however, and his fellow citizens aren't happy with his gung-ho vigilantism, and despite saving the life of a struggling PR executive (Jason Bateman) a warrant is issued for Hancock's arrest.
While he is incarcerated, attempts are made to 'market' Hancock as a hero, using the age-old 'You don't know what you have until it's gone' theory as a way of turning the public's feelings around.
When Hancock is called in to diffuse a hostage situation - in his own inimitable style, of course - the film elevates into an adrenaline-fuelled rush of action and excitement.
With explosions, fast-paced battles and a plot twist which, in fairness, you saw coming from the film's early exchanges, Hancock never takes itself too seriously and the viewer should afford it the same courtesy.
Despite it's tongue-in-cheek feel, there are darker elements to the story, such as the protagonist's struggle with alcoholism and anger-management issues.
There is a sloppy attempt to explain the origin of Hancock's powers, which feels rushed and could have been handled better, and the less said about the segment which serves as nothing more than an advertisement for YouTube, the better.
These are minor grievances, however, and overall the film is an entertaining piece which offers the audience something different to the usual superhero-movie fare.

Film Review: The Dark Knight

FOLLOWING Heath Ledger's posthumous success at this year's Golden Globes for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, I decided to give the film – and indeed Ledger's performance – another viewing.
From the dramatic opening sequence – quite remarkably filmed using a high resolution IMAX camera – the viewer is instantly drawn into the film's detailed and complex plot, which starts with a Joker-led bank robbery in the heart of Gotham.
From there the story unfolds slowly, with director Christopher Nolan's dark and menacing vision building towards an explosion of frantic action which is guaranteed to thrill die-hard and casual cinema fans alike.
It is in fact very easy to forget this is a comic book adaptation, with the film often feeling more like a hard-boiled crime thriller plucked straight from the neo-noir genre.
On top of Nolan's moody screenplay and some stellar character acting from both Gary Oldman as Lieutenant James Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, the special effects are genuinely mind-blowing, with high-octane car chases interlaced with stunning shoot-outs.
Ledger's performance as the Joker has of course been the subject of much debate, with many critics declaring the overall film's huge success as a by-product of the young actor's untimely death.
This is a somewhat harsh assessment, and his manic performance is one so deeply captivating that it becomes hard to tear your eyes away from the screen, even during the character's darkest moments – of which there are many.
Despite the grit and gloom, the script is awash with witty one-liners, as should be the way with comic book movies.
Throw in the subtle undercurrent of a tricky love-triangle between leading man Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), his childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Gotham's district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), ultimately there is something for everyone in this truly epic blockbuster of a movie. But only after you've got over Batman's baffling gravel voice!