2008 Woodie Awards
Police drama displays violence
Andy Bockelman
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Entertainment
The crime drama "Street Kings" may be an extreme look at the nasty underbelly of Los Angeles, but there is nothing regal about it.
Detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is one of the most determined workers on the Los Angeles Police Department vice squad. His questionable tactics and aggressive approach to his investigations have gained him a limitless amount of respect from his supervisor Capt. Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker) and the rest of his team of colleagues (Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Amaury Nolasco).
Ludlow's former partner Terry Washington (Terry Crews) has nothing but disdain for his ex-friend's new personality and also has information that could get him in trouble within the department. Soon, both Washington and Ludlow wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time, resulting in a gruesome demise for the former. Though Ludlow is not responsible for Washington's death, extenuating circumstances do not give him the appearance of an innocent man. Wander convinces his underling to let him take care of everything, but Ludlow is not completely satisfied. He wants to find Washington's killers, but his inquisitiveness may prove to be more problematic than he could ever expect.
Reeves is difficult to follow as the angry, widowed law enforcer in question, who guzzles miniature containers of vodka the way some people drink bottled water. Whitaker is quite authoritative as his commanding officer, although lacking a little of the panache necessary for such a role. Hugh Laurie is dry as Wander's rival Capt. James Biggs, who is dead set on cleaning up what he believes to be a crooked system. Chris Evans is just too baby-faced to be taken seriously as Det. Paul Diskant aka "Disco," a wet-behind-the-ears investigator who accompanies Ludlow on his search for Washington's murderers. As one of their key sources, a heroin addict named Scribble, Cedric the Entertainer is surprisingly adept, actually surpassing the majority of the cast in believability.
Intense and downright harrowing at times, the film's look at the ethics of the California boys in blue is just too hard to swallow.
Detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is one of the most determined workers on the Los Angeles Police Department vice squad. His questionable tactics and aggressive approach to his investigations have gained him a limitless amount of respect from his supervisor Capt. Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker) and the rest of his team of colleagues (Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Amaury Nolasco).
Ludlow's former partner Terry Washington (Terry Crews) has nothing but disdain for his ex-friend's new personality and also has information that could get him in trouble within the department. Soon, both Washington and Ludlow wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time, resulting in a gruesome demise for the former. Though Ludlow is not responsible for Washington's death, extenuating circumstances do not give him the appearance of an innocent man. Wander convinces his underling to let him take care of everything, but Ludlow is not completely satisfied. He wants to find Washington's killers, but his inquisitiveness may prove to be more problematic than he could ever expect.
Reeves is difficult to follow as the angry, widowed law enforcer in question, who guzzles miniature containers of vodka the way some people drink bottled water. Whitaker is quite authoritative as his commanding officer, although lacking a little of the panache necessary for such a role. Hugh Laurie is dry as Wander's rival Capt. James Biggs, who is dead set on cleaning up what he believes to be a crooked system. Chris Evans is just too baby-faced to be taken seriously as Det. Paul Diskant aka "Disco," a wet-behind-the-ears investigator who accompanies Ludlow on his search for Washington's murderers. As one of their key sources, a heroin addict named Scribble, Cedric the Entertainer is surprisingly adept, actually surpassing the majority of the cast in believability.
Intense and downright harrowing at times, the film's look at the ethics of the California boys in blue is just too hard to swallow.
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