Rating: 
Summary: A good ole' fashioned type cop movie...
Review: This movie is one of the best new releases I've seen this year. A good ole' fashion cop story...Kurt does a great job portraying a hard old school cop who takes no gruff from the bad guys, his ultimate goal is to see them go down no matter by what means. As usual Kurt Russell comes through with a good flick...be sure to see 3000 Miles to Graceland too!!
Rating: 
Summary: 2.4stars rounded down.
Review: I am reviewing the Kurt Russell movie Dark Blue released in 2003. The is the story of a third generation LAPD cop named Eldon, who is a corrupt cop. The movie is set during the time of the Rodney King jury verdict. My DVD was very difficult to watch as it kept losing the picture, breaking up and freezing. The movie sets up the juxtaposition of the cops view of the King situation and the view of a couple of thugs who express their hope that the cops get convicted. They then walk in to a store and murder 4 people for no reason. As the movie goes along one starts making assumption about where it is going, but surprisingly it takes turns and folds back into its self. In the end it comes together as it must with the rule of law prevailing, for Eldon, as LA burns after the King acquittals. This movie is curse laden, has brief nudity and simulated sex. We ask our cops to be boy scouts while bring in the bad guys. In the old west it was common for US Marshals to have been wanted men and gunslingers. No one else was going to preserve order and protect justice. In a concluding speech as Eldon turns on the Boss of the bad cops he says something like... My grand-dad was a gunslinger wearing the badge of an LA cop that chased after the bad guys. So was my daddy. I am a gunslinger like my family before me. People want results, but forbid us the tools we need to get the job done. I was a great gunslinger. I would shot the bad guys and cover it up. I was good at it. My son hates cops so the family business ends with me. Come and cuff me now.
Rating: 
Summary: HORRIBLE
Review: If you want a good time watching crooked cop go and watch The SHIELD.
This is a really bad movie.
The previews made it look good but its worse than the ring.
DONT Buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Another "bad" cop, Hollywood style
Review: I thought this was a good outing for Kurt Russell, who I have always felt was an underrated actor. He is very solid in the film, turning in an edgy yet at times nuanced performance. The problems in the film lay elsewhere. The film is about a supposedly crooked, violent racist cop that sees the light and, in some measure, makes amends. This is problem number one. His conversion from hard-bitten head breaker to reformer is much too sudden. Russell does an admirable job in trying to make this transition, but I got the feeling the film went from being realistic to a liberal "gee, wouldn't it be cool if this happened to this bad cop" kind of scenario. People just don't change that suddenly, particularly not career police officers that have dealt with the worst society has to offer day in and day out. Someday, somehow, I would like to see a Hollywood picture where a tough, head-breaking cop simply stays that way throughout the course of the picture and does not "seek redemption" or come to a violent, "deserved" end. Second problem was that, as is always the case in Hollywood these days, all the major black characters are noble, all the white characters, except for the young, whiny partner Kurt Russel's character is saddled with, are evil and racist (of course). Worst performance: Ving Rhames, who I have liked in other roles. Here, he is a flat, stiff cutout. Every line is moral and "true", and Rhames uses an affected, self righteous tone of voice throughout (a propensity the actor often needs to be directed away from). There is even a long scene where he relates a little sermon in church, just to make it clear what a good, godly man he is. There is something self-pitying about the character, and I found myself rooting for him to be crushed in the film, which is surely not what the filmmakers indented. Also, Michael Michele is terrible as Beth Williamson. Another beautiful woman that wants to be a serious actress. Yet another actress that imagines if she makes her eyes half-lidded and speaks in a flat voice, it makes her seem tough. A bright spot in the film was the performance by Brendan Gleeson, who plays Jack Van Meter. Now here is an actor that knows half-closing your eyes just makes you look sleepy and stupid. His eyes are wide open throughout. He is also terrifying. Gleeson's acting is almost worth the price of admission.
Rating:
Summary: Lightning Doesn't Strike Twice
Review: First of all, I can't believe this story was written by James Ellroy who wrote L.A. Confidential, and was directed by Ron Shelton who wrote and directed one of my all-time favorite movies, Bull Durham, and stars one of my favorite actors, Kurt Russell. Of course, I just saw Shelton's Hollywood Homicide in the theater, and it was a zero star production as well.
Both of Shelton's last two movies feature cardboard cut-out characters (Hollywood Homicide: old cynical cop and cute young cop are partners, and it was supposed to be funny that one wanted to be an actor and the other was selling real estate, a la L.A.Story), and the entire plot seems to have been concocted by committee: let's go around the table and let everyone contribute their favorite cop movie cliche. Assuming that police officers are the enemy has been very fashionable, especially in the liberal media and Hollywood, but in post-9/11 America where we have rediscovered that police officers are dedicated heroes this kind of corrupt cops drama seems forced and dated. I had to roll my eyes when Kurt's wife left him for a defense lawyer. The other players in the criminal justice system, criminals and defense attorneys, are OK, everyone, that is, except the police officers. Even the assistant DA's and the judges are uncaring and self-involved. (The judge signs a search warrant without bothering to read it while sitting in a bar holding a martini in his hand.) The white characters are all racist, and the black characters are all mistreated. The young white cop is redeemed by having a sexual relationship with a black female cop who turns out to be his superior in the department, so, while racism is a major complaint, sexual harrassment apparently isn't. Was it supposed to be ironic that the two shooters in the armed robbery case were complaining about the lack of justice in the Rodney King trial right before they went into a Korean store and shot four people to death?
When Kurt's partner agrees to set him up, and tries to beat him to a crime scene to put the Korean grocery shooters in protective custody (!) before Kurt gets to them, the shooters shoot the young cop and the black female cop. Instead of commenting on the irony of that situation, she complains that they didn't shoot Kurt instead. What any of this had to do with the Rodney King trial remains a mystery, unless this was supposed to suggest a reason for the L.A. riots. The Korean crime victim turns out to be a criminal as well, so what this movie had to say about multiculturalism isn't encouraging either. If we are going to be able to divine someone's ethics from the color of their skin, I suggest an idea for the next movie: why an all-white jury acquitted the white King cops in retaliation for (?) a largely black jury acquitting a black double murderer (O.J.). What would Martin Luther King have to say about this turn of events? For all the lip service liberals give to the idea of a color-blind society, we have come to this: in certain movies you can predict what the character will do based on their skin color and economic status. YAWN. When Kurt is arrested at the end of the movie, it is by a young Latino cop. I rest my case. Bottom line, nothing in this movie rings true or makes you care about the characters. During the extras on the DVD, Ron Shelton kept saying that he needed a technical advisor because this movie is not about his area of expertise, sports. I suggest he leaves criminal justice to someone who knows something about it and has less of a liberal axe to grind. Skip it. Lightning really doesn't strike twice.
Rating:
Summary: Ineptly Made Thriller
Review: DARK BLUE stars Kurt Russell as Eldon Perry, a corrupt LA cop who is also pretty racist. The movie is set in 1992, during the first Rodney King trial, and LA cops are feeling the brunt of civil rights complaints against them. This situation doesn't deter Eldon, who continues to beat and kill suspects at will. He also has to contend with an inexperienced partner (Scott Speedman) and a superior (Ving Rhames) who sees through him. DARK BLUE was directed by Ron Shelton, who has done some really nice work, such as White Men Can't Jump and Bull Durham. Unfortunately, the direction is really poor here, and it looks and feels like a cable TV movie. The plot is also pretty hackneyed and too similar to "Training Day" (which was written by one of the same screenwriters). The acting also is not very good, with some over-the-top performances from Ving Rhames and Brendan Gleeson. Despite an ok performance from Kurt Russell, this movie sinks under unbelievable situations and an attempt to give each character a sub-plot. None of the plot twists are surprising or satisfying. Finally, the movie uses the LA riots as a clumsy plot twist, without exploring the important underlying issues of race. Not recommended.
Rating:
Summary: ON THE EDGE.
Review: KURT RUSSELL, ONE OF THE FEW TRUE BLUE CONSERVATIVES IN HOLLYWOOD TURNS IN AN EDGY PERFORMANCE IN THIS DARK SULLEN CHARACTER STUDY OF A COP ON THE VERGE OF DICINTEGRATION. UNLIKE 'TRAINING DAY' WHICH THIS MOVIE HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY COMPARED TOO, THEIR ARE MAJOR DIFFERENCES. ALTHOUGH RUSSELL'S CHARACTER OBVIOUSLY 'CROSSES THE LINE' HE IS NOT MORALLY BANKRUPT LIKE THE TOTALLY 'GONE' COP IN THE AFOREMENTIONED FILM. RUSSELL'S COP IS SIMPLY TRYING TO RIGHT SOME WRONGS AND ACCOMPLISH HIS OWN INTERPRETATION OF JUSTICE BY GOING TO THE EXTREME. REAL COPS WILL RELATE WELL TO SOME OF THIS GUY'S PHILOSOPHIES JUST NOT HIS OVERT ACTIONS. RUSSELL IS A THROWBACK DETECTIVE WHO'S POLICE ROOTS GO BACK AT LEAST A GENERATION OR TWO. HE EVEN CARRIES HIS COP DAD'S GUN AS A TRIBUTE TO THE PASSED ON PERRENIAL. SET AGAINST THE
BACK DROP OF THE SENSELESS STREET RIOTS IGNITED BY THE 'JUST' VERDICT IN THE FIRST RODNEY KING "CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG." TRIAL, RUSSELL'S CHARACTER LOOSES HIS WIFE, IS SACRAFICED BY HIS CORRUPT SUPERVISOR AND DEALS WITH THE DEATH OF HIS NEW 'IDEALISTIC' PARTNER. THE FILMS REALNESS COMES FROM THE INFINITE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING THAT ACTUALLY EXISTS IN THE DICEY WATERS OF POLICE ADMINISTRATION AND THE TRUE EMOTIONS OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN WHO HAS SEEN TOO MUCH, TOO LONG. KURT'S JOB OF ACTING IS OSCAR WORTHY BUT THE MOVIE GOES ASTRAY AT THE END. IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT A RENEGADE COP WOULD EVER THROW HIMSELF TO THE WOLVES BUT THATS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN RUSSELL HAS A LESS THAN BELIEVABLE 'LIBERAL AWAKENING.' THIS IS WHERE THE PLOT HEADS SOUTH AND THE OVERALL CREDIBILITY OF THE FILM SUFFERS. UP TO THAT POINT THOUGH THE MOVIE HAS A TRULY GENUINE FEEL TO IT. IT IS A SHAME THAT SUCH A 'REAL' PLAY GIVES INTO WEAK POLITICAL CORRECTNESS 'TO BE REDEEMED' AT ITS FINALLY. THE MOVIE WOULD HAVE RANG TRUER IF RUSSELL'S CHARACTER WOULD HAVE STUCK TO HIS GUNS AND REMAINED REBELLIOUS TO THE END.
Rating:
Summary: Better than "Training Day"
Review: It had a more in depth story. If you actual sit down and watch it, and give it a chance you'll be pleased. It flopped really big in the box-office, but it had pretty good reviews, that's why i gave it a chance, and i was pleased that i did. Kurt Russell gives a great performance, and it really makes you think if most cops are really that crooked. Atleast rent it.
Rating:
Summary: BAD MOVIE
Review: I thought this was supposed to be good! Kurt Russell's acting is okay, but just about everybody else looks like they can't act in this picture, including Ving Rhames. I'd normally blame it on the director, but the script, the screenplay and dialogue, is so laughably cheesy and bad that it alone might have brought this film down. Totally unbelievable cardboard cutouts. Worst of all, this movie is 'blackwashed'. Which is to say, the white people commit the worst crimes in this picture, and always act racist, while the blacks are cast as mere reactionaries to injustice. They DESERVED to riot! What a crock. And a total disservice to all the innocent people who were brutalized during the L.A. riots, and during the Mardi Gras riot in Seattle, for that matter.
Rating:
Summary: Glad To See Kurt Back!
Review: It's been a while since I have heard the phrase "Kurt Russell's latest movie" and I am glad to say that hopefully this will propell him back into the mainstream again. I have always been a fan of Kurt's movies. He is always been able to pull off goofy and toughguy at different times (heck, sometimes even in the same movie). This movie is more toughguy than anything else though. If you want to know the plot, read other reviews. Basically all I want to say is that the movie was good and the acting all around was outstanding. Kurt turned in a fantastic performance and showcased a lot of ranging emotions throughout the movie. In my opinion, one of his better all around performances given the complexity of his character. The supporting cast was outstanding and the script was very good. For those looking for a high octane shoot'em up flick, this isn't it. It is more a drama than anything else with some action splashed in. A very good drama though. Well worth the money to rent! The story and performances were great. Watch it today!!............Kurt is BACK!
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