On Screen / Linda Cook

Review: 'Street Kings' will get you hooked

By Linda Cook | Wednesday, May 07, 2008 | () comments

(Contributed photo)

“Street Kings” is one of those entertaining popcorn movies for adults. It’s fast-paced, gritty and has just enough true-to-life atmosphere to get you hooked and keep you interested.

This is a good for Keanu Reeves because it’s playing against type. He’s not a laid-back “whoa”-sayer, but rather a dirty cop — a streetwise two-timer who loves to manipulate. If you’ve ever seen Michael Chiklis in “The Shield” on television, then you’ll know the kind of officer Reeves is playing here: a guy with ethics that are all his own and exist far outside the boundaries of legitimacy.

Tom is a kind of Dirty Harry, taking out the bad guys any way he sees fit. His maverick moves have drawn the attention of Capt. Biggs (Hugh Laurie) of internal affairs. Tom finds out who is snitching on him to Biggs and vows to seek revenge. The informant is killed in a convenience store incident during which he is brutally mowed down by two apparent gang members.

It’s all there on video from the store, but Tom’s boss (Forest Whitaker) tells him to forget about it or he could be indicted on charges of having the man assassinated. Tom won’t let it go, though, and teams up with detective Diskant (Chris Evans) to find the killers and dispense with them.

Corruption piles up and so do the corpses. Tom ends up following an ever-more-seamy trail of misinformation.

Reeves is enjoyable as the detective who won’t take no for an answer. Stellar as always is Whitaker, who plays his role to the hilt. There is true chemistry between the two men. Watch while Whitaker admonishes Reeves’ character in an almost paternal way, as though he is punishing a child. The two work well together.

The script is well-written and mostly smart. I like the way Tom always wears a chip on his shoulder and seems to be simmering with violence.

The finale isn’t all that great. In fact, it’s a letdown because it’s so contrived. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the movie won’t appeal to fans who like their cop stories gritty. This is a look at the mean streets that will keep you guessing.

For Reeves, it’s a nice break (and a far cry from “Point Break,” which he also starred in as a detective so many years ago). For grownups, this is solid adult action to see before the summer blockbusters hit the big screen.

Linda Cook reviews movies for GO! and KWQC-TV6. Contact her at (563) 383-2400 or lcook@qctimes.com.

STREET KINGS

Rating: 3 stars

Running time: One hour and 47 minutes

Rated: R for violence and foul language

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie and Chris Evans

Director: David Ayer

Screenwriters: James Ellroy, Kurt Wimmer and Jamie Moss