Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a tough, bend the rules, violent cop. He gets results by going places no one else wants to, and by doing things other cops would never even think of. He is part of a ‘special’ super ultra vice squad commanded by his mentor Captain Jack (Forest Whitaker). Oh yes, and Ludlow is also a racist, an alcoholic, probably corrupt, and lost his wife three years ago. Then his ex-partner Washington (Terry Crews) gets gunned down in a convenience store and Ludlow decides to do what is right and find the killers.
A James Ellroy Meets The Shield Tale
Street Kings wants to be a tough as nails, ultra slick hard cop/crime flick. Instead it turns out to be a poor imitation of L.A. Confidential meets Miami Vice meets The Shield. Ellroy wrote the script in the early 90s and since then it looks to have gone through at least two more writers. This is never a good thing. Dialogue is the macho one liner variety laced with profanity for each and every scene. “You went toe to toe with evil, and you won”.
The problem is, it never goes anywhere. For all this tough talk, it can only end one way. The ending is obvious, and Ludlow for all his faults is, of course, not a bad guy; but why couldn’t he be? The problem is that his decision to ‘follow through’ on Washington’s murder has no build up. It is just something he decides to do. His apparent racism disappears about 20 minutes in, and then is replaced by being haunted by the death of his wife. The wife is a cheap excuse for Ludlow to degrade himself and drink. The racism could have had merit if it didn’t disappear. Of course then we are imitating far superior L.A. stories; L.A. Confidential, The Shield, and even the uneven but underrated Dark Blue.
Keanu And Whitaker
The movie does a great disservice to the two main actors, in this case Reeves and Whitaker. Whitaker as always has energy and pizzazz, but here it feels like he felt going over the top would be the only thing to get him through. Reeves, who is never very impressive but has a reputation for working extremely hard, does just that. His Ludlow is a sad man who, for all his achievements, feels drained and useless. Reeves will never win an Oscar for his acting but in Street Kings he elevates his performance to one that certainly deserved something better than this.
The Bottom Line
Street Kings fails to deliver considering the abundance of excellent L.A. cop stories out there. How many times does the lead character have to be the best of the best that plays by his own rules? Why do corrupt cops always rule in the shadows? Why are the issues that could make Ludlow credible pop up and disappear? There are many questions that come to mind when thinking about this film.
That being said, the shootouts are impressive and well shot, and the camera work gives the story a certain feel. Fans of this type of story will not be totally disappointed, but those in the know will quickly learn that compared to Vic Mackey and Bud White, these cops are not Street Kings; they probably don’t even belong in the royal court.
Actor and character names referenced via IMDB.
