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One thing here is that you'll either get swept up in this delightfully moving family / brutally searing cop drama or think it's manipulative tugging away with its unconvincingly trite plot developments. I would go with the former, but I can see why some might not be entirely taken away by it… especially with its sugar-coated ending.

After the tragic death of his detective partner in their quest to crack down on a new wave drug --- Ice. Artie Lewis and his wife end up looking after the decease's three daughters with the possible intention of adopting them. However they're stretching for money and to keep them they have to find a house than living in their small apartment. Hence the dangerous path Artie decides to take to gain the extra doe to keep everyone together.

The simple minded mixture of two genres is for most part well balanced and organised in not so a black or white fashion, as it bestows a seamy underbelly with the violence packing a punch (plenty of blood and bruises) and the emotional attachment and complexity weight of a couple trying to cope with the responsibility of looking after three children. Hard at first, but it brings them joy. Nevertheless what really lifted this from the standard material were the solid performances. Michael Keaton's likable easy going persona along with a touching Reno Russo was holding it together. Tony Plana held a vicious intensity to his drug-dealer gangster and Kevin Conway was commanding as Lewis' Ltd. Anthony LaPaglia as his former cop partner is affably good and Benjamin Bratt also shows up as one of his fellow officers. Writer / director Heywood Gould (who co-penned the much underrated revenge feature "Rolling Thunder") drills away in what you could say is sturdily workmanlike, building upon the pressures at home and work. Entertaining, if questionable.

Michael Keaton is good, as usual, in the role of Artie Lewis, an NYPD detective who must endure one of the time-honoured cliches of the cop drama: the death of his partner (Anthony LaPaglia). However, LaPaglia was the single dad to three adorable daughters, and in his will he had given custody of the girls to Artie and his wife (Rene Russo). They do prove to be good parental figures (she'd been unable to bear her own children), but all of the problems facing them (inadequate housing for the new family, and a supposed dearth of funds) prompt Artie to do something crooked for once: rob a drug dealer (an effectively smooth and slimy Tony Plana).

The script by veteran screenwriter Heywood Gould ("Rolling Thunder", "Fort Apache, the Bronx") has its share of problems; not only is it predictable and manipulative, but it's scarcely believable. Too many story twists are hard to buy, especially that ridiculous ending. The film is still reasonably entertaining in a visceral way, and Gould maintains an effective forward momentum; Keaton and his excellent supporting cast are so compulsively watchable that they compensate for a fair bit. "One Good Cop" has some decent action, and violence, and makes good use of some NYC locations.

Keaton is compelling in the lead. While you may not always find his character credible, there's no doubt that the star will always be able to do some true heavy lifting, both comedically and dramatically. The rest of the cast plays like a who's who of Hollywood players: Russo, LaPaglia, Kevin Conway, Rachel Ticotin, Plana, Benjamin Bratt, Charlayne Woodard, Victor Rivers, Mike Hagerty, J.E. Freeman, Kevin Corrigan, Vondie Curtis-Hall, etc.

Highly recommended to Michael Keaton fans, even in light of the flaws.

Six out of 10.

Not at all what I was expecting. The title and movie poster suggest a straight NY police procedural -- or at least the one good cop out of the whole corrupt department.

Nope. The movie sees Michael Keaton lose his partner in the line of duty and try to raise the now-orphaned children. This is while he's also trying to take down a drug kingpin, but it's that Mr. Mom angle and split focus that's distracting.

The movie also engineers a reason for him to break bad, which feels forced, as well as the "but wait!" ending in the service of the family drama.

I dunno, maybe I was disappointed that Rachel Ticotin didn't have more to do. It's just that the cop stuff was so much more interesting. They certainly put some real effort into the melee right scenes, there's some nice grit there.

Keaton's fantastic as usual, and the supporting players are all strong, no complaints there. It's just scattered.

Michael Keaton and wife Rene Russo want to adopt Anthony LaPaglia's three young daughters after he is killed on duty with partner Keaton by his side in this dull, slow-moving and uninteresting little film. The typical problems arise as the couple need money to move to a larger place before they can legally claim guardianship of the girls. Could this mean that Keaton will get involved in crooked dealings to get the cash they so desperately need? Predictable and amazingly cheap-looking film that just never does generate any drama or real intrigue. 2 stars out of 5.

The stage curtains open ...

Before the event of the Quentin Tarantino film, "Jackie Brown", this 1991 movie was Michael Keaton's bid to enter the action arena which was so prevalent at the time. It is also a film with warmth and heart. Though it feels disjointed in places, this is an entertaining entry into Keaton's silver screen work.

When Artie Lewis's (Keaton) partner is killed while on duty, he leaves behind three young girls and not much else. While facing death almost daily, resisting the temptation to be on the take, Artie and his wife decide to fight for the girls and give them a home. This is the story of how one good cop endures the daily struggle of trying to bring justice out on the streets and still make ends meet on the home front. Finally, he is faced with a life changing decision ... one that may force him to do something he doesn't want to so that he can do what is ultimately right.

This is very typical of an early 90's action film with a little over-the-top violence, but nothing too heavy. Keaton does a decent job on the believable scale turning in a good performance. As I mentioned before, there are parts that seem out of place, but overall, this was an entertaining movie. The pacing is decent with some lulls, but I felt those were necessary to the story. I enjoyed Rene Russo in this one as the loyal, yet frustrated wife. And the three girls were perfect for their roles.

I would recommend this one, but not highly. Not necessarily one I would watch a lot, but one I might pull out some time down the road and probably enjoy just as much. I think this would have to be a sentimental favorite - a movie that would take someone back to a good time in their life or to this era of film making, or for a big fan of Michael Keaton. A solid 7 out of 10 stars.