In nature, there are any number of critters that aren't highly looked upon by humans, while the same probably holds true for some of their animal brethren. Most are scavengers of some form or another, and while their behavior is likely viewed as unsavory, they're actually extremely useful -- in fact, they're downright needed -- in terms of getting rid of the "trash."
Based on his film work, it isn't hard to surmise that filmmaker David Ayer has come to believe such beings exist among humans. After all, in his script for "Training Day," he crafted Denzel Washington's character as a rogue narcotics detective who thinks he's above the law and thus dispatches whatever justice he seems fit.
Now firmly seated in the director's chair, Ayer visits the world of corrupt cops once again, this time with "Street Kings." Such corruption is nothing new in reality or the movies, but Washington's performance was so extravagant in "TD" that it was nothing short of mesmerizing to behold and thus made the not particularly novel material suddenly seem fresh.
While it's a different sort of role and Keanu Reeves gives a solid take on it, he's no Denzel in terms of thespian showmanship. Accordingly, the film's biggest drawback -- beyond both dialogue and the delivery of it being drenched in far too much testosterone -- is it doesn't feel new or different. Not realizing who directed the pic as I watched it, I kept coming back to "Training Day" as my most recent point of reference for this sub-genre tale.
Of course, while said corruption was difficult to miss in that previous work (although for a while viewers were left guessing if it was real or just a test for the rookie cop played by Ethan Hawke), it's hammered home even harder this time around, both in terms of total involved characters as well as dialogue related to the discussion of such matters.
Although hyenas, vultures and their like presumably aren't aware of their role in "the circle of life," Reeves' Tom Ludlow knows exactly where he falls in the overall scheme of things and that his personal shortcomings actually serve the means to his end. At one point, he even tells the Internal Affairs captain who's after him (Hugh Laurie, pretty much wasted in the "good guy" "villain" role), that the latter's type might hate his kind, but knows they need cops like him for the under the table results they produce.
That point also isn't lost on Tom's boss (Forest Whitaker) who serves as a den mother of sorts to Tom and his fellow, less than merry band of bad cops (including Jay Mohr, Amaury Nolasco and John "I Need to Reinvent My Big Fat Greek Sex in the City Image" Corbett). Since their work leads to his promotions, he's become quite adept at covering and cleaning up their messes.
Perhaps sensing the absence of much-need onscreen charisma to smooth over all of the badness, Ayer and screenwriters James Ellroy, Kurt Wimmer and Jamie Moss provide their protagonist with some sympathetic features. We learn that his wife died of an aneurysm while having an affair. The bigger plot element, however, is that his ex-partner (Terry Crews, whose character was working with IA against him) is murdered.
While most low-lifes would rejoice at seemingly now being off the hook, Tom decides to find the villains, not just because that's what he does best, but also because he feels like he owes it to the deceased and his newly minted widow (Naomie Harris).
Of course, in doing so, he only discovers that the rampant corruption in the police force is far more pervasive than even he imagined, eventually fingering just about every character in the film. Thematically, it isn't exactly uplifting stuff, but in true movie form, our bad guy turns out not to be the baddest of them all, and thus we're supposed to root for him in his efforts to dispatch the villains, natch, by whatever illegal means necessary.
Again, it's certainly nothing new, and the conclusion sadly includes the inevitable mano a mano battle. Nonetheless, Reeves brings enough intensity to his part (without going over the top) and Ayers delivers enough competent action that it never feels like a chore to sit through, even when you pretty much know where things are ultimately headed. "Street Kings" rates as a 5 out of 10.
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