Open Forum Friday: Will Righteous Kill Actually Be a Return to Form for DeNiro and Pacino?
I just happened to catch the latest trailer for the upcoming crime flick Righteous Kill last weekend, and although I hadn’t really been expecting much from it, I have to admit that the trailer kind of gave me pause for thought. Could it actually be good? I know some people are excited about the fact that it puts Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino back together on screen just like the good ol’ days, but considering their recent filmographies, it was going to take more than those two names on a poster to sell me on it.
The trailer does its best to convince us that this is a Scorsese film by slipping in a Rolling Stones tune, but aside from that little deception, there do seem to be some fun one-liners and some gruff performances from both DeNiro and Pacino. Director Jon Avnet may have directed an Academy Award-nominated film in Fried Green Tomatoes but more recently he also did the tepid thriller 88 Minutes (which even Pacino couldn’t save). However, writer Russell Gewirtz also penned Spike Lee’s Inside Man. I could really go either way on this one. What do you guys think… is Righteous Kill going to revive DeNiro and Pacino’s careers? Will it be this year’s The Departed? Or is it just going to bomb and be quickly forgotten? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.
Comments (11)
I doubt this will be the one. The screenplay to The Inside Man was good but 88 Minutes blows. This looks to have some of the same claustrophobic and terrible camera framing that one did. Why would Pacino do this after seeing 88 Minutes? Even though he’s old there’s no way he’s struggling to find roles.
I’d bet on another quickly forgotten bomb.
Posted by Ryan M. on August 22nd, 2008I think it looks pretty good. I will give it a chance when it comes to cinemas.
Posted by Stephen on August 22nd, 2008I don’t think they’ll ever return to form. They are much older now and thats the only type of guys they can play which are the old guys in movies. From looking at IMDB, it looks like De Niro is still a busy guy and his future projects look promising. I think Righteous Kill could be good though. They are still great actors.
Btw, thanks for linking uk.youtube vids. Regular youtube site is banned at my work.
Posted by Primal on August 22nd, 2008Criminy, what is with these guys? They’re Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro for crying out loud. They could make any movie they want to, work with whatever director they want to. When was the last time either of them were in anything that even made any money? Meet the Fockers?
Based on the trailer, this movie looks like it’s riding purely on the established personas of Pacino and DeNiro without possessing any substance. Who knows, on the surface of things it seems like the kind of movie I love–it might turn out to be the next Heat–but I strongly doubt it. The trailer made me cringe.
Posted by Joel on August 22nd, 2008Yes.
Posted by Mitch on August 22nd, 2008Hmmmm. John Avent who did 88 Minutes with Al and which my buddy reviewed and said was a totally funny idiotic movie. I’m expecting it to be bad. I loved Heat it’s probably my favorite movie ever but this looks like some treatise on the nature of vigilantism or something. Still with Al and Bob and of course my favorite Denehey I’m looking forward to watching it to be sure.
Posted by Ian on August 22nd, 2008“is Righteous Kill going to revive DeNiro and Pacino’s careers?”
No.
“Will it be this year’s The Departed?”
No.
“is it just going to bomb and be quickly forgotten?”
Probably, though this trailer did make it seem more bearable than I first thought. We’ll have to wait and see, I suppose, but I’m not expecting much.
Posted by Rian on August 24th, 200850 cent ruined any chances of me taking this seriously. Both DeNiro and (especially) Pacino have completely lost it. This looks like shit run over twice.
Posted by Jon Rocks on August 24th, 2008I might actually have to rent 88 minutes just so I can laugh at Pacino’s retarded wig.
Posted by Neil M on August 24th, 2008Sadly, the trailer didn’t get me excited. But I’m still hoping for the best.
Posted by HollywoodDream on August 30th, 2008Leave a Reply