Movie Review: Righteous Kill

In 1995, Heat, a film written and directed by Michael Mann, was released. Since then, Heat has become the archetype for intelligent, gritty, crime dramas and heist flicks. While the ensemble cast was exceptional, the keys to Heat's success were the performances of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. As two men on opposite sides of the law, Hanna and McCauley found much in common even as their respective careers pitted them against one another. The scene in the coffee shop (the only one where both actors share significant dialogue together) demonstrated what was possible when two great actors were given intelligent roles to work with.

In 2008, Righteous Kill tries to capitalize off of the dynamic that made Heat great. It comes up short. If you've seen the trailers, you already know that someone is killing off bad guys. And two cops investigating the muders, De Niro and Pacino, may have something to do with it. The film introduces a narrative device in the first few minutes that seems to explain all, and immediately make wary viewers suspicious that a twist ending is imminent.

Righteous Kill smacks of a B movie that would go straight to DVD if not for the involvement of the two stars. And while it's fun to watch De Niro and Pacino play off of each other, the weak plot means that the brief interplay the two actors share in Heat is still more compelling than the whole of Righteous Kill.

And if you're wondering just how much director Jon Avnet was hoping to borrow from Heat's success, look no further than the climactic warehouse scene. It's setup and cinematic elements (where are those lights coming from?) mirrors the airfield scene from Heat so closely, you already know how it's going end. De Niro and Pacino make Righteous Kill worth a look, but do yourself a favor, and wait for the DVD.