The cops are corrupt and the system has been rotten to the level of no redemption or recuperation in the film “Street Kings”. This is a world defined by the cops been pressurized by the dealing of down trodden criminals. The nick second decisions of doing the right thing and coming clean out of a death hole is something only a cop might understand. “Street Kings” does not explain those and starts as an encounter specialist Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) who takes no prisoners (as tagline says). It shows the ugly righteousness the circle of the unit has created and the means to the greater good has now been officially raped. But “Street Kings” has no plans in causing the mental derailment of tipping the law to the correct side. It starts to ramp up the gun fight the cops in the film celebrate.Can Keanu Reeves be any blander? He is the lead character piling up bodies in the name of saving the victims and he is pale and I mean pale. Not that it bodes cool factor rather it sucks away the energy and gravity the film puts on. He is been brought up and picked by his Captain Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker). There are other officers, who in the competition for grabbing names and getting medals are Clady (Jay Mohr), Santos (Amaury Nolasco) and another detective whose name I forgot (John Corbett).
In spite of that they have each other’s back mainly Ludlow’s. Ludlow’s ex-partner Washington (Terry Crews) has come off the darker side and been talking with Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie). This ticks off Ludlow who begins to follow and bad things happen. It is an investigative glorification of the gun shoots in a very serious manner losing its value on its way. As with films of this kind, a distraught cop at the end of crossroads should have a young aspiring rookie to guide which is Diskant (Chris Evans).
It is tough to see Reeves not able to pull off Ludlow having in mind that he knocked off the role of Jack Traven in “Speed”. I have liked David Ayer’s screenplay in “Training Day” and his directorial debut in “Harsh Times”. Both have characters running along the line separating good and evil when clearly they were always on the path of doing exactly what they intended to. Ludlow is some one like that but what has been making him sleep better all these years is unknown. Whitaker as he had the devilish charm in “The Last King of Scotland” brings some of those to the character of Jack Wander. He is enjoying the rampage Ludlow delivers and he comforts in the end result even if it involves a planned encounter. His philosophy is undiscovered too.
End of day, “Street Kings” becomes the film which it desperately tries not to. It goes on about the darkness in the cop world but it also markets the gun factor and its style to support it. Which side the film is on? It is fine to be border lining but to send mixed signals in a film of violence and corruption, the endless pit of the system should be left to us on what to decide.
Dealing corruption and the outcome of it cannot be known better through real life honest cop Frank Serpico and the film “Serpico”. It does not answer anything rather tells a story plain and front for what it is. It has a positive outcome at the loss of one good cop’s life. “Street Kings” has double vision on approaching the content of corruption. At one time it behaves as honest as it can be and other time it sells off on the macho factor of gun fights and tough guy syndrome.
In “Harsh Times” we see an aspiring cop roaming and breathing the crime. His cold perspective on the crime and the cops is shivering. He drags his partner to a suicide ride. There Ayer plays on the fear of us. Even in the crookedness of that character we desire for him to survive. Keanu Reeves shoulders Ludlow to neither root for him (which is what the film wants) nor do we dislike him completely due to the fact that we know nothing of him. There is a moral calamity in the end which exposes the truth of the political/social games but the stamp is as an exploitative plot factor than a serious message.
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