Dark Blue Movie
| Resolution | Size | Download | ||
|
720x528 | 1973.1 MiB | hidivx | |
|
592x436 | 1008.7 MiB | divx | |
|
320x236 | 355.46 MiB | ipod | |
|
320x236 | 368.97 MiB | hpc | |
Storyline
TAGLINES
Sworn to protect / Sworn to serve / Sworn to secrecy
1992, L.A is at boiling point. One cop's turning up the heat.
Set in the Los Angeles Police Department in April 1992, Dark Blue is a dramatic thriller that takes place just days before the acquittal of four white officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King and the subsequent L.A. riots. In this racially-charged climate,the LAPD's elite Special Investigations Squad (SIS) is assigned a high-profile quadruple homicide. As they work the case, veteran detective Eldon Perry, known for his tough street tactics and fiery temper, tutors SIS rookie Bobby Keough in the grim realities of police intimidation and corruption. Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Holland, the only man in the department willing to stand up to the SIS, threatens to end Perry's brand of singlehanded "justice" on the Los Angeles streets. While navigating through the tumultuous neighborhoods of South Central L.A., Perry and Keough must track down cold-blooded killers and face their own demons, which prove to be more ruthless than the criminals they pursue.
| Kurt Russell | Eldon Perry |
| Scott Speedman | Bobby Keough |
| Michael Michele | Beth Williamson |
| Brendan Gleeson | Jack Van Meter |
| Ving Rhames | Arthur Holland |
| Kurupt | Darryl Orchard |
| Dash Mihok | Gary Sidwell |
| Jonathan Banks | James Barcomb |
| Lolita Davidovich | Sally Perry |
| Khandi Alexander | Janelle Holland |
| Dana Lee | Henry Kim |
| Chapman Russell Way | Eldon Perry III |
| Marin Hinkle | Deena Schultz |
| Jim Cody Williams | Suspect |
| Eloy Casados | Rico |
| Ron Shelton |
6.60 out of 10 (6244 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Decent Movie, but got too preachy and too much like "The Shield"
posted on 18 Aug 2009This was a decent movie, and was (as usual) a great job done by Kurt Russell. Russell plays a L.A. Detective who sometimes blurs the lines between right and wrong. The two problems I had with the film are that (1) It was the exact plot and storyline of "The Shield" television series (and not done nearly as well), and (2) It really was a bit too preachy on matters of racism for my tastes. I think the film oversimplified some of the common stereotypes that people have and should have stuck to entertaining, and not preaching. Overall, it was a very watchable film, with some very good sequences. Five stars out of Ten.
White cop bad - Black cop good
posted on 14 Aug 2009*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*Every white cop is a murdering, evidence planting scourge of the community. The black cops go to church and pray to bring justice to the community. So says "Dark Blue". Kurt Russell and sidekick bring justice to the mean streets of L.A. - white cop style. Beating, killing, lying and just being white. The black cops are disgusted and are going to bring them down. The Rodney King riots are going on in the background just for emphasis so that the audience can make the connection that bad white cops brought the riots down on L.A.I guess what I'm trying to say is that the movie goes for a simplistic notion of good guy/bad guy. I can't believe that the situation out in L.A. is so, (forgive me), black and white. I didn't buy it. Although I don't live there, so what do I know? James Ellroy seems to have a thing against LA cops. After the cop massacre at the end of "LA Confidential" and now this indictment from "Dark Blue", I have to wonder why he has such strong feelings against them.All that aside, I thought Kurt Russell did a great job. It was definitely one of his better acting performances. "Dark Blue" tells a pretty straight forward corrupt cop story. Nothing too exciting except for Russell. The L.A. riots happen near the end but it didn't seem all that horrific. It was more of a distraction for Russell's character than anything anyone was really interested in. The riots were background noise.
very average
posted on 31 Jul 2009Now here is a film that would sink without trace without Kurt Russell. The characters were all very cliched, especially the black police chief and Kurt Russell's boss who was a carbon copy of Captain Duddly Smith from LA Confidential (complete with a hint of an Irish accent) right down to the Jive talking punks who steal the safe...But Kurt (I was born ready!) Russell, no matter how corny, is always watchable no matter how s*** the film. This would have been much more satisfying as a 2 hour TV special as it seemed to have been filmed by the same shaky handed camera-man who works on shows like NYPD Blue and ER. 5/10 or 1/10 (without Kurt Russell)
Could have been great.
posted on 11 Jul 2009Something was missing from this film, and I am not sure what it was. The back setting of the emminent Rodney King roits was excellent, as well as the corruption of the police department officials and the cops themselves. The characterization of the corrupt cops doing whatever it takes to get the job done is very interesting. The movie portrayed scenes of tension excellently, but over all, the movie just did not quite gel together. Going from excellent to slightly boring form scene to scene leaves me with the impression that it could have been great.
Kurt Russell gives the performance of his career!
posted on 21 Jun 2009Set just before the Rodney King verdict and the 1992 race riots. Dark Blue revolves around Eldon Perry the tough talking hot tempered LAPD cop who'll do anything to get the bad guys off the streets. If that means giving false evidence,lying,and getting the wrong criminals instead of the right ones then that's what he'll do. Eldon came from a family of gunfighters (like his father and grandfather) they were both L.A. lawmen themselves and Eldon is proud to live up to that.The newcomer to the SIS department is Bobby Keough and Eldon is determined to his new partner his methods of getting the guy - regardless of his innocence by using intimidation and corruption. But the way Bobby sees this as wrong and it doesn't sit with him at all. Soon Eldon and Bobby clash when they're assigned to a case by their boss Jack Van Metre (Gleeson) who is head of the SIS department. Van Metre orders them to get the criminals behind convenience store robbery which left four innocent people dead this took place in the first half of the film. But Van Metre wants Eldon to pin it on 2 other innocent criminals who aren't the real culprits.Eldon knows the actual killers are connected to his boss but he doesn't know that the guy he trusts and admires Van Metre is the man behind this crime and many others. Jack was Eldon's father's former partner and friend and Eldon has no idea that he is being used to carry out Van Metre's dirty work. The only person who knows that Van Metre is corrupt is police chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames).He is the only one who wants to bring down Van Meter and his department.Holland also knows that Eldon is a crooked cop responsible for many crimes and so he seeks to find the right evidence to lock him away.Kurt Russell gives an excellent portrayal of the morally corrupt and emotionally messed up Eldon Perry. Kurt brings Eldon to life and he does a very good job of it. He doesn't play it over the top like Denzel did in Training Day. Eldon is not a perfect cop or husband but Russell is able to portray a character with problems so believably. Eldon is tough on anyone who don't approve of his methods. As Eldon says:'at the end of the day the bullets are in the bad guys' and thats the way he sees it. Eldon's partner played by Scoot Speedman is excellent as well as Eldon's naive partner. Bobby believes in doing good as the honest cop but he feels pressure to fit in and he desperately wants to please Eldon. As a good guy that he is Bobby is forced in to a situation he is shocked at what has happened but shuts his mouth. Ving Rhames and Michael Michelle are very good in their roles as the good cops.Again I must say that Kurt Russell's performance took me by surprise. In one scene i can remember there he is with vulnerability in his piercing blue eyes when Eldon is talking to his wife Sally played by the fantastic Lolita Davidovich in a small role. She's lost all respect and love for him and the way it's shown is very real and heartbreaking.Spoiler- There's one scene I liked when Eldon presents his case to his boss and Van Metre completely tears him apart you can see the humiliation in Eldon's eyes. In the final showdown Eldon is giving a speech.It seems like his all over the place and his feeling all emotions at once as he faces his demons.Eldon is a tough creature that i almost found myself disgusted by him but I felt sympathy for him.
I really believed Russell in his bitterness, rage, sadness, his guilt,and his compassion. Dark Blue deserves to be the film that earns Kurt Russell recognition he rightly deserves. Kurt has been an underrated veteran actor for many years in his 40-year career. Kurt gives one of his best performances in this film. He really deserves to be at the top the A-List in his own right.
wow! was i ever surprised!
posted on 28 May 2009wow! was i ever surprised!first i should let you know i am 1-not a kurt russell fan , 2-i was not impressed with the previews, and 3-i was not going to see this film until i read a short review by my favorite reviewer: richard von busack.ok, having said that, i have to say this is great film. DARK BLUE is a film in the tradition of CHINATOWN and L.A. CONFIDENTIAL brought up to date with an in the street detective who is a trusted member of the "inner circle" of the SIS unit. it is set in a time period most of us will not soon forget: rodney king acquittal and subsequent riots. i found all the characters to be believable...and was simply amazed at kurt russell's acting: scenes where the action is all taking place in his face, especially in his eyes, reverberate for me.i walked into the theatre expecting to be disappointed. what a pleasant surprise to find a well acted, well written, and well directed movie. what more could one ask for?!
Kurt Russel is excellent in this, but the rest blows!
posted on 20 May 2009Here in Sacramento, the dude in the paper that gives the reviews is a total idiot. For example, he gave "Gangs of New York", 2 stars. Now that was a great film. So, now he gives "Dark Blue", 4 stars. I hyped this movie, yes, but, honestly, it wasnt good at all. Kurt Russel and Ving Rhames (sp?) both did excellent, except for the fact that they have a total of 6 min. on screen-time together, but, as for the rest of the acting, it was god-aweful. Kurt's partner is by far one of the worst actors I've ever seen, i dont even know how he landed this. And then, there's his girlfriend, who resembles Vennessa Williams (sp?) from the movie "Eraser", and she was a horrible actress as well. But honestly, a film with this much potential, it suprises me how these horrible actors landed the job. Next for me to complain about, the directing was not good at all. Maybe it's just me looking at it from a stand point of a great piece of film, but honestly, it was bad too. There were these quick stupid cuts that had no point, and they were just annoying. My complaints dont go on much further. Basically, the story was excellent, the lead acting was good, but everything else was sh**. I give this 5.5 out of 10.
Kurt Russell continues to be under rated.
posted on 20 May 2009Kurt Russell has had an interesting career. Starting his career as a young actor for Disney, he has evolved into an all around movie star and fine actor. He will mostly be remembered in his career for the films he did with John Carpenter. Here, in 'Dark Blue', he plays a sadistic L.A. cop who believes the rules must be broken in order to apprehend suspects (or kill them for what he believes will be the good of society). Bearing a striking resemblance to 2001's 'Training Day', this film is written by David Ayer, who also wrote that film. 'Dark Blue' has a fascinating look at police ethics (or the lack of them) and 'L.A. Confidential', 'Training Day', and 'Dark Blue' are a good triple bill if you have the time on your hands.
Kurt is great, the movie isn't...
posted on 14 May 2009Having Kurt Russell in it, I was pretty sure it would be a good movie. For some reason I tend to enjoy movies with Kurt in them. But I am here to review the movie so here I go. First off, this is not as good as I thought it would be. But it is not terrible either. This is just one of those normal movies that you forget quickly once you have seen it. But don't misunderstand me, this is after all an enjoyable movie, it is just not good enough. With that said, Kurt delivers as always, giving a steady performance in this cop drama. So if you like Kurt Russell, watch this movie. If you don't like Kurt Russell you probably won't watch it no matter what I say about it. So to sum it all up, an ok movie, nothing more, nothing less. I rate this movie 5/10
Tinseltown at its worst
posted on 10 May 2009"Dark Blue" uses a the sad time in Los Angeles history between the infamous beatings of Rodney King and Reginald Denny to add credibility to its hogwash story about a rogue cop in the mean streets of L.A. Borrowing cliches from lousy cop B-flicks with no sense of dignity, originality, purpose, or police procedures this mindless drama steps on what little humanity exists in the story, exploits the race riots, and serves up cheap thrills while vying for your buck and offering only sensationalism in return. "Dark Blue" is Tinseltown at its worst. (C)
This mess brought to you by the letter "L" (standing for Liberal White Guilt)
posted on 30 Apr 2009In yet another film that tread's the politically correct liberal line, comes this cliché ridden hatchet job movie that has Perry, a typical evil white racist, homophobic cop (played by Kurt Russell, the only reason I chose to give this flick a chance) who is of course entrenched in a brotherhood of other white, evil, racist cops. The only one who wants to dismantle this evil, presumingly conservative gang of police is the saintly (barring a brief adulterous sexcapade, which no one cares about after the Clinton years anyway) upstanding black man (here played by the usually good Ving Rhames)/ It's set with the Rodney King trial as a background and wishes to convey the 'brutality' of what happened to King (brutality being a term I point in quotes as he was on PHP and deserved what he got by fighting back and resisting arrest for recklessly speeding) was just the tip of the white racist iceberg. It gets extremely grating. All the actors seem to merely go through the motions and none of them seem particularly invested in the proceedings. The only one that comes close is Russell himself, yet he's highly restrained by an atrocious script. So by the end it get's further removed from reality as its suggested that the riots were the fault of the police, silly me I thought they were the fault of the savage animal-like actions of the rioters themselves. Oh what a silly silly boy I am. Disowning and distancing himself from this film is the best move that James Ellroy could have done.My Grade: D Eye Candy: Kaila Yu gets topless as a stripper
Maybe now Kurt will finally get the respect he so deserves!!
posted on 07 Mar 2009When speaking of great A-list actors, for some reason Kurt Russell doesn't come to mind; and HE SHOULD! Arguably THE most underrated actor in the history of cinema (even more so than the great Jeff Bridges), the man is as solid as they come. And his performance in "Dark Blue" is perhaps the best he's ever given!!You gotta give the guy credit; it just isn't in him to play it safe! His family has always come first (not the regular trend in Hollywood). He doesn't take himself or his celebrity that seriously and he takes chances. Unfortunately, when an actor takes chances, sometimes they fall flat; but that's the name of the game. And Kurt Russell understands that perhaps better than ANY actor working today.Kurt's genius has gone largely unnoticed because this country insists on confusing popularity with talent. The Oscars have become nothing but a popularity contest; if anything, Jeff Bridges and Kurt Russell are proof that the Oscars are MEANINGLESS!! Jeff should have three by now and Kurt's never even been nominated!! Who wins and who DESERVES to win are completely different. But it's like Clint Eastwood said in his Opus "Unforgiven": "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it!"Many people might not see this film because of the popularity/talent thing mentioned above (it's more important that we pay attention to mediocre actors), but if any of you A-LIST DIRECTORS are listening out there (namely Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan) do yourselves and your films and favor and cast KURT RUSSELL!!With "Dark Blue", maybe now Kurt will finally get the respect he so deserves. . . . . . !!
Russells performance
posted on 24 Jan 2009I had only heard about Kurt Russells performance before I saw this movie. I had been told he was good but the movie wasn't. Well I disagree.I though Kurt Russell was as good as I've ever seen him. Better than Backdraft and Tombstone, and that's saying something. Near the end he's just so cool...I hope this is the beginning of something new for him. He hasn't really been in a lot of movies recently with Vanilla Sky and this being the only ones that springs to mind. He's at the awkard age now where he's too old for Romantic and Action leads, perhaps this is when we see him at his best...as an actor. Don't get me wrong the rest of the cast are solid and dependable, particulary Scott Speedman, but this needed a strong performance in the main role of Eldon Perry and boy, did Kurt Russell deliver.As for the rest of the movie, it's not as bad as painted. The ending is a bit hollywoodish and I though the riots would feature more than they did but it didn't spoil the film. Ving Rhames is quite good and comes across as the last hope for the LAPD, but I thought Brendan Gleeson may have been miscast.In an extra on the DVD they mention how Gleeson is the same age bracket as Russell but in the movie his character had to be a bit older so they used aging makeup so he appeared older. It didn't work. I just didn't believe he could have been partners with Russells father. I'm not saying he was bad in the movie, he wasn't. I'm just thinking he could have been given more to do and perhaps an older actor should have played the part.Still, I'd recommend the movie to anyone. Just don't expect LA Confidential.
No thriller, but good one man show
posted on 12 Jan 20095 and a half hours of driving that day, allergies, and a nearly empty theater made Dark Blue a bit less of the experience I had expected.
However, even with all that, I still think it managed to be a pretty well-acted film with two main assets: 1.The look of South Central, especially during the riot scenes which are simply madness to watch.
2.Russell's performance, seeing this guy who is a criminal but somehow able to seem heroic in his own mind and to us as well (much like Sy Parrish in the recent thriller "One Hour Photo.") I ended up enjoying the film, although the trailers seem to make this much more into some kind of conflict between Russell and Rhames, even though Rhames' role isn't that big. It's got a very big resemblance to Training Day, but it lacks the narrative pull that that movie managed to find and the chemistry that Denzel found with Ethan Hawke. Speedman and Russell are a good match-up, but you never see the rookie seem smart enough to do right on his own. One good thing, though: after all the emphasis these days on youth, it's nice to see Kurt Russell and Lolita Davidovich, who I'm guessing are around the same age, as the main couple of the movie. See this movie if you're ready for a dark look at LA law enforcement, with little redemption but intense acting. ***.5
Above average cop movie.
posted on 31 Dec 2008Taking place sometime before the L.A. riots, Eldon Perry shows his rookie partner how to be your own worst enemy.The material is kinda familiar, but a good supporting cast and a terrific performance from Russell make this worth a look.Rating:**** (out of five)
L.A.P.D. Blues
posted on 15 Nov 2008This movie was shown recently on cable and based on the different names involved with the making of it, I decided to take a look. The film was directed by Ron Shelton, a good director, although he is not associated with the action genre. Also, the picture is based on a James Elroy story with a screen play by David Ayer, who also wrote "Training Day".Basically, we are taken back to Los Angeles during the dark days of the street uprisings that follow the Rodney King verdict in the early 90s. We are presented a cast of characters in the L.A.P.D. that are so corrupt, one wonders how can it possible serve the citizens of that city.Of course, there are decent folks that work in that department, as it's demonstrated by Arthur Holland, the black official that wants to get rid of the bad cops in it. As played with dignity by Ving Rhames, this man's job is not going to be easy because there are so many corrupt higher ups that will not let him get to the bottom of what's wrong, that he must do it on his own.Kurt Russell plays Edon Perry, one of the most interesting roles in his career. Granted, he seems to be a little old for it, but he is believable as the man that has stooped so low, but knows he is protected by the higher ups. Elson is a frustrated man who comes to the realization that he is no one in the larger schemes of things and will be eliminated by the same master he has served so well.Brendan Gleeson plays the evil Jack Van Meter. He controls with an iron fist what goes on under him. He is a study in evil doing; this man will betray his own protegees when it's not convenient to be associated with them. Scott Speedsman, Michael Michelle and Lolita Davidovich round up the cast.
Falls badly at the last hurdle
posted on 08 Oct 2008*Some Spoilers*Until the last 15 minutes, Dark Blue wasn't that bad a movie, but the ending is very disappointing.The movie is set in the days leading up to the Rodney King verdict and the LA riots. Kurt Russell's character is a a thoroughly corrupt and nasty cop who similarly corrupts his rookie partner, and whose only redeeming quality is that his own (white) bosses are obviously bigger criminals than he is.Russell is good without being spectacular. In fact the whole cast is at least adequate, while nobody really shines. The main problem is that the whole movie is a white liberal attempt to redeem white liberal America. After shooting an unarmed patsy in cold blood (albeit under considerable pressure from Russell), Russell's young partner finally cracks and comes clean. The dire consequences for him are supposed to convince us that his act of contrition excuses his participation in a homicide, and that he's really a hero.Similarly, Russell's 'And Justice for All' type conversion at the end of the movie, where he switches from crooked cop to sacrificial hero is just too sudden, contrived and hollow. Basically we're supposed to believe that an utterly racist and corrupt LAPD is redeemed by this single act of maverick (and out of character) contrition. It didn't wash with me, so I can only guess what a black LA audience thought of it.Still, political considerations aside, it's a fairly decent film, though I had major problems hearing the mumbled dialogue in between the overly loud music and sound effects. 5 or 6 out of 10, and certainly not Kurt Russell's finest hour.
Kurt Russell the best thing about this average movie.
posted on 14 Sep 2008The movie is about two hot-shot LAPD SIS division cops solving a liquor store robbery-murder, done against the backdrop of the Rodney King trial and subsequent riots is average at best. What makes the whole thing watchable is Kurt Russell.I was interested to find out that the people responsible for the story of this movie also had hands in "LA Confidential" and "Training Day", because I found Russell's character to be a literal mix of Russell Crowe's Bud White and Denzel Washington's Alonzo Harris. Russell's Sgt. Eldon Perry is a hot-shot SIS officer who is valued by his superior not for his detective skills, but rather his belief that being on the side of "good" justifies any action he takes to bring the bad guys down, not to mention his unquestioning obedience of his immediate superior, played by Brendan Gleeson. Russell is at his goofy grinning, cock-sure best playing Sgt. Perry, confident to the point of arrogance of the justification of his actions, right up to the point where everything he believes is true is pulled down and he sees the widespread damage his philosophical mindset has caused.I gave it a 6/10
Move over DENZEL WASHINGTON, KURT RUSSELL IS IN TOWN!
posted on 27 Aug 2008This movie was similar to TRAINING DAY but yet not. Kurt Russell plays a cop who is a little on the bad side...but as he said "at the end of the day, the bullets are in the bad guys." That's true. There is not a single movie that Kurt does not deliver the goods in. This movie is no exception.
The action is fun and Ving Raims (I know I spelled that wrong) played a good asst. chief of police. The ENTIRE MOVIE takes place in the backdrop of the LA RIOTS spurred by the RODNEY KING verdict. I feel that worked well. The strange thing in this movie, that kind of bothered me was when Kurt Russell's character drank BOOZE within two minutes of waking up. Yes, you heard me right, within TWO MINUTES. Then he went and did some cop stuff.
Other than that, this movie delivered ALL THE GOODS!!
Plenty of Boozing Cops
posted on 22 Aug 2009This is a very entertaining film about some very rotten cops in LA and at the same time it depicts the riots in Los Angeles at the same period of time. Kurt Russell,(Eldon Perry),"Miracle",'04 played a cop who's father was the old style policeman and Eldon wanted to follow in his footsteps, no matter what he had to do to accomplish his mission. Every time you turned around someone was having a martini straight up with an olive and plenty of beer and shots at all times of the day. I was beginning to wonder just how these policemen could even shoot straight, and started to understand why there was so much unnecessary killings. There was a nice black and white romance between a great couple and it gave some class to all the wild corruption going on all around the city. Vig Rhames, (Arthur Holland),"Back in the Day",'05, stood his ground in the police department, and gave an outstanding supporting role. Lots of action, strip joints and plenty of bars and great scenes in the Los Angles area. Enjoy.