IMDb > Righteous Kill (2008)
Righteous Kill
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Righteous Kill (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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Righteous Kill (2008) -- This is the second theatrical trailer for Jon Avnet's Righteous Kill, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Righteous Kill (2008) -- MyMovies.Net - Clip - Bullet in the shoulder (WMV)
Righteous Kill (2008) -- The premiere of the film "Righteous Kill" staring Academy Award winners, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro took place in New York City, N.Y.  It was a red carpet event with the full cast in attendance.
Righteous Kill (2008) -- Righteous Kill Teaser Trailer

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Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   29,386 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 65% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Russell Gewirtz (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Righteous Kill on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 September 2008 (USA) more
Tagline:
Most people respect the badge. Everybody respects the gun. more
Plot:
Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars? full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(242 articles)
De Niro wants to be a rap star!
 (From RealBollywood. 18 November 2009, 11:00 AM, PST)

50 Cent Covets Chace Crawford's Charm
 (From Celebrity Mania. 13 November 2009, 11:51 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Good Acting, Very Weak Script more (199 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and brief drug use.
Runtime:
101 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the first movie where Al Pacino and Robert De Niro starred together, The Godfather: Part II (1974), they both played gangsters. In their second movie Heat (1995), Pacino was a cop, and DeNiro was a gangster. In this, their third movie together, they are both cops. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During the opening credits, the two main characters fire H&K MP5 submachine guns, but then we see 5.56 rifle casings falling. The MP5 usually fires 9mm pistol rounds. They're rarely used by police, 10mm and .40SW variants exist. more
Quotes:
Turk: My name is David Fisk, detective first grade. I've been a cop in the NYPD for over thirty years, in that time I've killed 14 people. more
Movie Connections:
References 10,000 BC (2008) more
Soundtrack:
We Fly High more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is "Righteous Kill" based on a book?
more
133 out of 180 people found the following comment useful.
Good Acting, Very Weak Script, 13 September 2008
6/10
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

Turk (Robert De Niro) and Rooster (Al Pacino) are longtime NYC police partners, in this Jon Avnet thriller that has them trying to stop an unknown serial killer, a person who leaves a poem at the scene of each crime. Victims are law-breakers who were freed on legal technicalities. Two other cops, played by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg, become suspicious of the investigation, and this hampers the efforts of Turk and Rooster.

The script on which the film is based is rather poor. The setup is muddled; none of the characters are especially sympathetic, and secondary characters are not well defined. Further, "Righteous Kill" is not that much different from other serial killer or urban crime films.

The mood here is dark, and the tone is rather cynical. Characters go out of their way to telegraph their toughness by using lots of "hard" language. There's an edginess to the characters, and that's okay. But I could have wished for a character with some degree of softness. That would have provided much needed balance to the overall tonal savagery.

Without a doubt, the film's best element is the acting. There's not a weak performance in the bunch. Of course, the focus is on De Niro and Pacino. This is really their film. And it's their camaraderie, their back and forth playful banter, that makes the film worth watching. Production design and costumes are credible. Color cinematography is generally dark, consistent with the story's mood.

In spite of a weak script, "Righteous Kill" does provide some good plot misdirection that will leave viewers unsure as to the story's outcome. But the film's main virtue is the casting of De Niro and Pacino, two contemporary screen legends whose performances here are quite good.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Righteous Kill (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Ron? Sbabota? pauljfrain
I actually enjoyed it rbuonomo27
Stellar! A Treasure! Jazznme-1
Most predictable 'twist' ever? *spoiler* balefulwerewolf
who's worse pauljfrain
List other lame reasons Pacino might want to kill... jwire25
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