Street Kings’
plot is hollow
By Vincent Cervantes, Staff Writer
Where corruption and murder rule the streets, it’s hard to know who you can trust.
Based on novelist James Ellroy’s original story, Street Kings is a corrupt cop drama set in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles.
Helmer David Ayer, a native of Los Angeles and writer/producer of such gritty films as Training Day and Harsh Times, wields his camera on streets that are not shown on postcards.
Keanu Reeves (Constantine, The Matrix trilogy) stars as Tom Ludlow, an alcoholic and problematic LAPD detective who finds life even more arduous after the death of his wife. He’s also the tip of the spear for his boss and mentor, Jack Wander, a social climbing captain with an eye for a more powerful position. Wander is played by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland).
Ludlow’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later mentality makes him both an irreplaceable asset and dangerous liability, which is why he’s highly touted as a man for extreme missions.
But evidence links Ludlow to the gruesome murder of fellow detective and former partner Terrence Washington, played by Terry Crews, (Norbit, Friday After Next).
Things go from bad to worse when Ludlow is forced to go up against the cop culture he’s been a part of his entire career. The only man willing to help is Internal Affairs Captain James Biggs, played by Hugh Laurie (House). Biggs wants nothing more than to rip corruption from the gut of the police force.
Miami-attired Reeves – one of the most inscrutable actors – brings to life the scruffy, loose-tongued Ludlow nicely, firing witty lines at criminals and cops alike.
Street Kings’ plot is hollow, coated with violent sequences in an attempt to mask its vacuousness. Its characters repeatedly telegraph their illicit deeds, so any genuine tension simply vaporizes. In some serious moments, some actors’ expressions actually are laughable.
The cast includes Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), Jay Mohr (Jerry Maguire), Cedric “the Entertainer” Kyles (Barber Shop), Martha Higareda (Borderland, Ninas Mal), and rappers Common and The Game.
Gruesome murder scenes and all, Street Kings is consistent at being inconsistent. And it steadily moves from exciting to monotonous to completely asinine.