Corporate Line: Set in the LAPD in April 1992, it takes place just days before the acquittal of four white officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King and the subsequent LA riots. In this racially charged climate, the LAPD’s elite Special Investigations Squad (SIS) is assigned a high-profile quadruple homicide. As they work the case, veteran detective Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell) tutors rookie Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman) in the grim realities of police intimidation and corruption. Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Holland (Ving Rhames), the only man in the department willing to stand up to the SIS, threatens to end Perry’s brand of single-handed “justice” on the LA streets. While navigating through tumultuous neighborhoods of South Central LA, Perry and Keough must track down killers and face their own demons.
The Good: Dark Blue gets deep into what we all fear most; police corruption. It’s very convincing and is written just the way we all imagined it would be and is obvious yet tasty. Kurt Russell plays the part of a sidewinder very well and keeps the film from completely crumbling.
The Bad: And it does crumble. The build up is done well. We see the fires burning in the street and the fires burning within the LAPD. It’s all symbolic, yet it takes so long to build up to these fires and yet the fires burn so quickly that you wonder if there couldn’t have been more or less. The ending is just too easy.
Frankly: There is enough drama and tension to keep you interested through out. There is a good build to the climax, too bad it’s really anti-climactic. You know exactly what is going to happen. It’s not obvious at first but once the dominos begin to tumble you can see the ending unravel like a gift on Christmas.
+ charlie craine
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