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'Righteous Kill' not only disappoints, it's an epic failure. And I mean wanna-punch-everyone-involved failure. Re-watching that one petite coffee-house scene with De Niro and Pacino in 'Heat' will jolt more electricity into you than this whole waste of celluloid. 'Righteous Kill' is a movie that actually accomplishes to have both De Niro and Pacino hand in a performance so far under their usual level, I'm still in disbelief over it. A healthy suggestion: avoid all films by this untalented hack not worthy of the title 'director'. For example, he also made Pacino look bad in the stinker '88 minutes', a straight-to-cable thriller meets 'Phone Booth'.

Shouldn't these two legends make use of their golden years to partake in interesting movies, why doesn't Pacino make another Lumet (see: Dog Day Afternoon) or why not team up again with Mann again (Heat). Surely they have the power to pull the tablecloth toward them when it comes to getting roles in prestigious projects? Why they rather star in a movie that kids 'you can lick my balls any time' is beyond me.

If you think I'm being too dramatic, go see for yourself but don't come crying to me when you get your heart ripped out and served on a platter as well...

Righteous Kill is one of those films that a lot of people have just been looking forward too because it has two of the greatest actors of our generation, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. I must add how I love in a lot of the TV ad's they're saying this is their first film together, true, it's the first time they are real co-stars together, but they've had two films already. Anyways, back onto the film, Robert and Al are both incredible actors, we know that, Robert is actually my favorite actor, so naturally I was looking forward to seeing this movie, I hate to say this, oh, man, I hate to say this, but this film was an utter disappointment. I'm not saying this was a bad movie, but this was a sad and very predictable thriller that could have been done with more average actors, Al and Robert are above this script and don't pull in their best performances due to that. The story is very mediocre compared to some of these terrific actors who looked so bored throughout the move.

Turk and Rooster are partners on the police force, having experienced over 30 years of constant bad guys going free, seeing the innocent's blood shed, and all the injustice in the world, they've almost lost it. Suddenly, there are murders involving the criminals they have arrested, along with younger officers, they try to figure out what is going on, but when one of the cops brings up that it might be a vigilante situation, Turk and Rooster are hesitant. Maybe they're hiding some secrets of their own.

Righteous Kill, don't get me wrong, it's worth the look, especially to see these cinematic legends on screen together, but like I said, for the script they were given, this was way too average and they are above it. I even hate to say it, this was very predictable if you've seen a lot of these thriller movies of today. Not to mention, I think Al Pacino, this must have been his third movie where he has worn that same leather jacket, I mean is it just me, or does anyone else notice this? Over all, it's not a bad movie, but it could have just been done with average actors, instead of all the hype that has been around it because of the actors. Just don't be fooled, it's a typical thriller, nothing special, I suggest waiting for the rental.

6/10

Righteous Kill is a kind of prototypical modern cop thriller that has the intonations of a neo-noir mixed in with some iconic figures. The script, in a way, is much better than I might have thought, and the actors- stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, in a film technically for the third time and for the first time technically in the frame for more than a few seconds (a pressure obviously from those who whined about their bit at the diner in Heat) as well as the likes of Brian Denehey and Carla Gugino- do their best to make it an entertaining ride. And for all of its recycled elements and plot turns and tough-guy take-no-s*** dialog, it's a fun ride for what it's worth as far as substance goes. You want to see what will happen with these two veteran cop characters as they delve deeper into this killer case (somewhat ripped off from Magnum Force, or something like that in terms of the victims), and what the "twist" will ultimately be.

For those who might think it tired or stiff, I wouldn't put any real blame on the stars, or even Gerwitz's (flawed) screenplay, which does occasionally pull off dark and funny banter and some coarse dialog and action and thrills to the degree that one saw in his Inside Man script. The problem mostly was the direction; Jon Avnet is not a visionary, nor is he a really well-suited neo-noir director. He's just a competent technician (if not veerying close to outright hack) enough to dig up a few potent bits or visual touches, and mostly tries to make the film "hip" and "fresh" and "inventive" with the approach to style in the flashbacks, and he doesn't possibly bypass the pitgalls in Gerwitz's script. What is pleasing, ultimately, about the picture is that it's not bad at all, and is actually a good movie. But with characters played by near generational icons dubbed in the film as "like Lennon and McCartney", this isn't quite up to their previous snuff together. They deserve just a little better with the likes of Godfather 2 and Heat to their previous collaborations.

FINALLY! DeNiro! Pacino! Together! For more than one scene! I couldn't wait. I'm also happy to say that, while the film won't be winning any Oscars, it isn't bad by any means, and is certainly an improvement over Pacino and director Jon Avnet's last film, 88 Minutes. Avnet is growing as a filmmaker, and has learned from past mistakes. Righteous Kill is an acceptable mystery film, and of course, features two great performances from two of the greatest of all time.

Righteous Kill, despite having the two leads that it does, is really a director's film, and Jon Avnet cloaks the film in a black blanket of mystery very well. While the main plot twist of the film (and oh, there are many of them) is sort of obvious, the fact that there's more to it than that really helps the film and saves it from oblivion.

What I liked most about the film, however, was the casting of DeNiro in a role Pacino would normally play (the hotheaded cop who just can't seem to keep his mouth shut or stop cursing), and Pacino in a role DeNiro would normally play (the reserved, yet silently intense friend). The film is split up into two parts, each showcasing the talents of one of the legends. Unfortunately, I can't really describe the performances in a deep way without coming close to spoilers, but rest assured, both are excellent. John Leguizamo is a nice addition as a hot headed detective at odds with DeNiro, and Carla Gugino as the eye candy was not a mistake by any means. I have no comment on the inclusion of 50 Cent in this film. Thankfully, he doesn't have a ton of screen time.

The script of the film, on paper, isn't really good, but there's a few techniques that really work on screen, such as the main characters' nicknames, and the feeling that almost everyone in the film is bad. I definitely like Avnet a little more now. DeNiro and Pacino share a wealth of screen time and have a lot of meat to chew on as actors, especially DeNiro, who turns up the intensity and the New York accent (it's a little stronger here than it normally is). While the film won't go down as legendary, I think every fan of both actors will be pleased and will smile at numerous moments just because these two are playing off each other so often, and so well.

My complaints lie with the emotional feel of the film, which I felt wasn't strong enough. I wanted to shed tears in the end, but for some reason, I couldn't. I won't say the acting in the climax could have been stronger, but had it been done in a different way, I might have liked it a bit more. All in all, Righteous Kill is not a bad film, as it managed to keep my attention and hold me in suspense for it's duration without making me feel frustrated. It definitely requires your full attention, and may even require a couple of viewings.

Turk (Robert De Niro) and Rooster (Al Pacino) are longtime NYC police partners, in this Jon Avnet thriller that has them trying to stop an unknown serial killer, a person who leaves a poem at the scene of each crime. Victims are law-breakers who were freed on legal technicalities. Two other cops, played by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg, become suspicious of the investigation, and this hampers the efforts of Turk and Rooster.

The script on which the film is based is rather poor. The setup is muddled; none of the characters are especially sympathetic, and secondary characters are not well defined. Further, "Righteous Kill" is not that much different from other serial killer or urban crime films.

The mood here is dark, and the tone is rather cynical. Characters go out of their way to telegraph their toughness by using lots of "hard" language. There's an edginess to the characters, and that's okay. But I could have wished for a character with some degree of softness. That would have provided much needed balance to the overall tonal savagery.

Without a doubt, the film's best element is the acting. There's not a weak performance in the bunch. Of course, the focus is on De Niro and Pacino. This is really their film. And it's their camaraderie, their back and forth playful banter, that makes the film worth watching. Production design and costumes are credible. Color cinematography is generally dark, consistent with the story's mood.

In spite of a weak script, "Righteous Kill" does provide some good plot misdirection that will leave viewers unsure as to the story's outcome. But the film's main virtue is the casting of De Niro and Pacino, two contemporary screen legends whose performances here are quite good.