Mean Streak

Mean Streak is boring, unconvincing, and not worth watching. A serial killer is on the loose. Scott Bakula plays a cop who believes it's the same killer he put behind bars years before. He is teamed with an FBI agent to solve the crime. The explanation for the killings is racism, and yet, barely touches upon this other than as an excuse for this and for that. Bakula is unconvincing and frankly, acts as if he wishes he was anywhere else but doing this film. I can see why!

I had some qualms about watching this film, given its TV-M rating, which it deserves for strong adult language, a relatively graphic sex scene, and an extended shot of a topless dancer in a bar BUT, toss all that out and this is a VERY good film about prejudice, good enough it's made me be more introspective on my own attitudes towards other races. There are many people, like Scott Bakula's character Lou, who aren't even aware they are bigots. When Lou has to work with a black FBI agent (played by Leon), Lou discovers his own underlying prejudices. Because of the adult content, I cannot recommend this for the under 17 crowd, but it's something adults should see.

I have trouble understanding how people can like this movie. The anti-racism message isn't bad, but what the movie lacks in subtlety it makes up for in cliché-yet another troubled cop with a drinking problem who works alone because he can't play nicely with others. Luckily, the ridiculous situations that occur throughout the movie distract you from the sledgehammer moral delivery and overdone characters.

--The movie is about baseball, but baseball action is laughable. The guy who is attempting to brake the hitting streak record swings like a t-ball player. Poorly fitting uniforms only reinforce this little league feel.

--Although "every cop in NYC" is at the stadium, none are around when you need them. There is a major shoot out on the baseball field during a game, but only one cop responds-ever. Later, the cop leaves the dead suspect all alone under the bleachers to check on his girlfriend.

--The lead federal law enforcement agent leaves the scene of the crime just before the crucial showdown also to check on the cop's girlfriend. That would have sounded great at the Waco hearings.

That said, if taken as a parody, the movie could be entertaining bad TV.

Stop me when you think you've seen this one.....Bigoted "white" terrorizes innocent "black" and in the end, the lesson we learn is that we are all of one race. Politically correct film for a politically correct time? Not that racism is a good thing, not at all, but MEAN STREAK (a good looking film, technically speaking) is but another poor attempt by Hollywood in only tackling part of a very heated subject. If we only see what Hollywood (and the media) portrays, then we must assume that only whites are racist and non-whites, the victims. As Scott Bakula responded to the comment that his new FBI partner was in charge of investing hate crimes: "I thought all crimes were hate crimes." To get at the real root of racism, Hollywood and society in general must acknowledge that racism is a 2 way street.