Street Kings

David Ayer is good. I've been putting Street Kings off for a long time, but I finally got around to it and I have to say it was a pleasant surprise. Keanu Reeves plays a troubled cop who kind of interprets the law to suit himself and the whole story is in his direction, but then unexpectedly bigger problems start happening that overwhelm him and the ride begins. Police corruption, action, suspense, and most importantly an A-list cast (Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Chris Evans) in a solid action flick that kind of rides its wave. In the last half hour everything takes an amazing surprising turn and the film throws one solid twist after another until the finale. I knew it’d be a good film all along, but the ending makes me throw in that extra fourth star due to its unpredictability and clever build-up. Satisfaction, and the result is a lot of fine, unpretentious "retro" fun with everyone's favourite Keanu, who is good to watch in just about any role. (06/12/2023)

And exhausted and stale story about a tough guy who eventually mans up and takes everything bravely into his own hands because he finally realizes he's doing the right thing. It's definitely cheesy, but the director knows it and we know that the director knows it. The action is quite tough – at least that. Keanu Reeves is surprisingly solid as a “punk” with a black car and Forest Whitaker is amazing. The buried bodies and the shots to the face are pleasant bonuses as well. The ending is clear after thirty minutes. (26/09/2008)

Initially a hopefully gritty crime drama, which unfortunately slides towards the end into a boring story on a theme we've seen too many times before. And done better. The ending was strangely clamorous, but without emotion, although it probably should have been there, originally. The action scenes were good though, the best being the second shootout in the apartment. Hugh Laurie unfortunately got very little space. (06/07/2013)

I had a surprisingly good time watching Street Kings. The cast delivered solid performances, and Keanu Reeves as the rogue cop with a gun really worked for me. That said, it got a little hard to buy into the idea that Keanu could single-handedly take down half the cast and still come out on top. It was tough to fully believe he was that much of a badass who could fight anyone for respect. But in the context of the film, he pulled it off well enough. The movie kept up a great pace, never dragging, and built up to a finale that definitely delivered the best moments. (25/06/2012)

A story of necessary evil. Following Harsh Times, David Ayer has succeeded with another probe into the underworld of Los Angeles. Ludlow is a great dirty hero who reels out one off the cuff wisecrack after another, and Keanu Reeves is right at home in this strange cowboy’s boots. Forest Whitaker is clearly enjoying his character, and Hugh Laurie has easily shaken off his House image. In terms of the overall plot, it can jump from predictable situations to unexpected and downright surprising endings (e.g. shovel in the head). I admit to a little hesitation in my rating because it wasn't clear-cut. At first I considered giving it 4.5 stars, but this kind of movie is just my cup of tea, and in this genre, Street Kings is the best thing I’ve recently beheld. (10/06/2008)