MEMORY deceives, but before Righteous Kill I could have sworn that Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had appeared together in more than just two movies (Heat and one of the many Godfather films).
Whether my memory deceives me or not, judging by the results of the acting chemistry in their current outing, it’s been a loss to the cinema-going public, for they are undoubtedly great actors who seemingly could win an Oscar snoozing gently in a chair.
Not that any kind of acting could save Righteous Kill from being the kind of film to make you nod off in the first place.
The two men play aging New York detectives, Turk and Rooster, close to retirement, single, and with more attitude than bad-tempered rhinos. They go on the trail of a serial killer who knocks off distinctly unpleasant ‘lowlifes’, leaving poor poetry at the scene.
The murders are so clean of evidence, so pointedly different in style and so efficient, that suspicion grows that the killer must be a cop with a grudge.
We have the hint at the start when De Niro (Turk), apparently confesses to at least 14 murders on a webcam, but do we experienced crime drama experts fall for the obvious culprit? No, we do not. We look around for others.
Could it be the two young and feisty detectives helping Turk and Rooster? Or could it even be the naughty female, forensic detective (Carla Gugino), who has a liking for rough sex with older men? Perhaps it is even the crusty old lieutenant (Brian Dennehy), or Rooster?
Well, you’ll have to see it for yourself to find out, but the discovery doesn’t make the movie any more organized, because it is not.
Producer-turned-director Jon Avnet, scrambles up a perfectly satisfactory plot with a confused narrative, obvious twists and heavy-handed hints so that, in the end, you’re glad someone coughs for the lot and we can all go home.
Pacino turns in a role that is similar to his FBI-man-turned-bad in The Recruit, while De Niro remains tight-lipped throughout (except when he is swearing copiously). The photography is sufficient, although it fails to make the most of atmospheric backdrops in the way that Seven created a nightmare world of dark and dripping evil.
This is simply a passable film with the old masters making the best of a slack job. Without them, this film would have sunk without trace. As it is, everyone was waiting for a classic. What they have is a damp(ish) squib.

Review rating **