Pseudo Review: Righteous Kill

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have been in three films together:

-The Godfather Part II: Considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and earned De Niro an Oscar

-Heat: Michael Mann’s stylish and influential Cops Vs. Robbers epic

-Righteous Kill: From the Dude that directed 88 minutes

Guess which one is not the best?

Yeah, Righteous Kill is no classic. On the plus side, It’s not as bad as people have said, and it’s certainly better than Director John Avnet’s previous mess 88 Minutes. Still, it’s a real shame that the most screen time the two acting icons have ever spent togeather in one motion picture had to be a mediocre thriller with a script lazier than professional athelete’s wife. 

The plot is very familiar; a killer is targeting criminals that, for one reason or another, never got caught or went to jail. De Niro and Pacino play veteran Detectives risking their reputations and pensions (not really sure why) to find the killer. A bunch of manufactured twists and turns follow until we eventually reach a “shocking”  climax that I saw coming about 56 miles away. 

“Watchable” is about the nicest thing I can say about this flick. I love Pacino, so I can sit through anything he’s in. I of course dig De Niro as well and It was cool to see these two acting legends doing their method thang side by side. I just wish they’d been joined by a competent director and better script.