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Street Kings

Bring a bulletproof vest ... and a healthy dose of pessimism about law enforcement

By Matt Pais

Metromix
April 10, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Tom (Keanu Reeves), a hero cop with questionable ethics, investigates the death of his ex-partner while an internal reviewer (Hugh Laurie) observes him, and Tom's boss (Forest Whitaker) insists that he let it go. Chris Evans stars as a cop who takes Tom's side, with supporting turns from Jay Mohr, Cedric the Entertainer, Common and The Game.

Big question: Does director David Ayer ("Harsh Times") have anything new to say about crime and corruption?

Skip it: Moral ambiguity about how to keep a city in check gives way to blunt statements about power hungry officials and the slippery slope of internal back-scratching. It's fast-moving and gritty and more interested in bullet-riddled genre conventions than the fear and danger that pushes honest people over the edge.

Catch it: If you enjoyed the historical poetic license taken in "10,000 B.C." and "The Other Boleyn Girl," Tom explains that the police have the same approach: "It doesn't matter what happens; It's how we write it up."

Bottom line: Thanks to "Speed" and "Constantine," Reeves certainly knows his way around a badge, and Evans is much more assertive than usual. But in "Street Kings" the pieces are more intriguing than the puzzle, which becomes less and less distinctive as it comes together.

Bonus: Apparently, Tom is told, there's a false rumor going around that vodka can't be smelled on your breath. Well, at least whiskey is indistinguishable, right?

Video: Watch the review of 'Street Kings'

What do you think of 'Street Kings'? Email me: mpais@tribune.com