Ryan: First up is the crime drama Righteous Kill (R), starring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. In the film DeNiro and Pacino star as two NYC veteran police detectives investigating a vigilante serial killer. Jon Avnet directs.
DeNiro and Pacino co-starring in a film together is definitely noteworthy. These two screen icons have only been in two films together, but one of those was The Godfather: Part II where, by the nature of the film’s narrative, it was impossible for them to appear in the same scene together. The other film was Michael Mann’s 1995 action crime flick, Heat, and in that film they only shared one crucial scene together. So the fact that they are sharing screen time throughout much of Righteous Kill is certainly going to raise the interest of the casual moviegoer.
Saying Righteous Kill falls short of those two previous screen efforts is not an accurate measurement considering that The Godfather Part II is one of the best films of all time and Heat was one of the best films of 1995. When it comes down to it, there's no sugar coating it; Righteous Kill is simply a bad movie. When even the efforts of DeNiro and Pacino are unable to save a film then one knows that the film is a complete debacle. Granted, seeing DeNiro and Pacino yuck it up certainly has its charm and they absolutely have an unmatched screen presence together. But not even their combined efforts can salvage this film. Even thought they cannot be completely held accountable for making such a disastrous movie--considering that they have nothing to work with--one would think that they would have had an inclination during filming that they were making a dud.
Regrettably the rest of the mechanics of the film are completely underdeveloped for the two leads. Furthermore the movie has a twist that one can see coming a mile away and for whatever reason, there are several pop culture references weaved into the film that are completely out-of-sync with the film’s tone.
I would say that if one has a strong interest in seeing Righteous Kill then it might be worth watching. But if not, proceed with caution. Final grade: D+.
Andy: I watched Ghost Town (PG-13), starring Ricky Gervais as a reclusive dentist who unwillingly gains the ability to see ghosts. Greg Kinnear hassles him into a relationship with his widow (Tea Leone). David Koepp directs.
Ghost Town is a tired concept that should translate into a boring movie. Ultimately, casting Ricky Gervais as the lead in a romantic comedy is what saves the picture. Gervais tones down his signature awkwardness and focuses more on being a traditional breed of disagreeable. Ultimately his sense of humor wins over the audience as well as the romantic lead. The relationship between Gervais and Kinnear propels the movie forward and is also enjoyable, particularly when they are having conversations in public where nobody else can see Kinnear.
In general there is not much that is exciting, unique, or all that special about Ghost Town. But there is also not a whole lot that is wrong with the film. Tea Leone does a nice job in the role of the lead female, forging a believable relationship with an unconventional leading man. The movie carries several laugh-out-loud moments and a healthy dose of charm. This is not a movie to wow you, but it will keep you entertained for the majority of its 102 minutes. Final grade: B.
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