As Duas Faces da Lei

When Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro teamed for the first time in Heat the main complaint from fans was that there was not enough screen time for them together. In fact the one scene in that film that had them together was shoe horned into the film. It had to be because in that one the two were on opposite sides of the law.

No problem on that score here because in Righteous Kill, Pacino and DeNiro play a pair of veteran police detectives who take the job very seriously indeed. What they're working on now is as the leads in team that is tracking down a serial killer who likes to leave little poetical epitaphs behind for each victim.

The plot here is borrowed from Magnum Force, but in that film, Hal Holbrook has recruited a personal death squad from among the young officers of the San Francisco PD. and Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry is trying to solve the case. When these guys do figure it out that it's a cop doing the killing, it's one individual however doing it on their own.

This is not a harmonious team that Lieutenant Brian Dennehy has put together. Carla Gugino is trying to show she's as tough as the men and a couple of younger detectives, John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg are wanting bad to show up the older Pacino and DeNiro.

Righteous Kill is pure gold when the two acting legends are on the screen together. When the attention is not on them however, the story does drag a bit in spots. In fact the very lack of forensic clues at the crime scenes should have alerted this team as to where to look for the killer.

Still no opportunity to see Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro for the price of one ticket should be missed.

One word, no, actually, two words to describe this film: TOTAL Disappointment (obviously for Robert Deniro and Al Pacino). If you're a fan of these two actors, and films like Heat, I recommend you NOT to see this film. And if you do, expect the worst (maybe that way you won't be that disappointed). The acting was sad but the worst part: the roles they play, they don't fit with their age. Tell me, how can a 68 year old or a 65 year old be a cop, lift weights, try to get in a fight with 30ish year old guys, jump a fence and not break both knees?? It doesn't fit, it doesn't look cool, it looks ridiculous and disappointing! I mean c'mon, learn from actors like Anthony Hopkins, he is 70 and still does films that kick ass like Fracture. He doesn't go running, fighting or anything like that, in the contrary, he does films that FIT HIS AGE! Anyways, this is just my opinion...

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

It is what you would expect from Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. They've been doing these kind of roles for the past 30 years of their acting life. Applause, but no surprise there.

The film itself was not a blast. Totally predictable plot, stereotype good cop bad cop, drug dealers, bad neighborhood were huge minus to this movie. Lack of character development made the film implausible and some parts inconvicible no matter how great the acting was. Finally, the director's abuse of dramatic music without much happening throughout the film slowly eats away your patience.

Six out of ten is what I will give, 3 from Al Pacino and 3 from Robert De Niro.

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.