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Righteous Kill is Dead Ordinary

Generic cop flick falls flat despite De Niro, Pacino power

By Jess Kilby, Newser User

Posted Sep 12, 2008 2:47 PM CDT

(Newser) – Not even the combined star power of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro can save the “tricked-up and often turgid” cop thriller Righteous Kill, critics conclude. The iconic duo finally share some serious screen time as a pair of veteran NYPD detectives tracking a vigilante killer in their midst, but the “groaningly predictable and needlessly convoluted” script doesn’t give them much to work with, writes Justin Chang in Variety.

“As early as the 20-minute mark, it’s clear enough where all this is headed,” he adds. Failing to build the necessary momentum, director Jon Avnet instead tries to “goose up the wearisome tale by dropping in another killing every few minutes,” notes Colin Covert in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Ultimately, writes Gene Seymour in the Los Angeles Times, the flick is a "Law & Order episode bent and stretched beyond all hope or reason.”

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In this image released by Overture Films, Robert De Niro, left and Al Pacino are shown in a scene from "Righteous Kill." (AP Photo/Overture Films, Ken Regan)

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Righteous Kill video clip: "He Wants Us To Catch Him." (robertoh9234)

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Unable or unwilling to match the visceral chops and moral provocations of superior serial-killer chillers, Righteous Kill is content to be a twisty genre exercise; it’s like Seven as reimagined by M. Night Shyamalan. - Justin Chang, Variety

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Righteous Kill is Dead Ordinary