Product Description

Adrenaline is high tempers are hot and racial tensions are boiling over. Against this explosive backdrop LAPD detective Eldon Perry tutors his rookie partner in the realities of police intimidation and corruption as they investigate a high-profile homicide case. But as the body count rises-- and the evidence just doesn't add up --Assistant Chief Arthur Holland threatens to end Perry's brand of "justice" ...if Perry's own demons don't destroy him first.System Requirements:Starring: Kurt Russell Khandi Alexander Jonathan Banks Lolita Davidovich Brendan Gleeson Kurupt Master P Michael Michele Dash Mihok Ving Rhames Scott Speedman Directed By: Ron Shelton Running Time: 118 Min. Color Copyright 2003 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 027616886446 Manufacturer No: 1004603

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27292 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2003-06-24
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 118 minutes

Amazon.com
The Rodney King riots of April 1992 hang like a keg of dynamite over Dark Blue, a crackling tale of Los Angeles police corruption that gives Kurt Russell one of the best roles of his underrated career. Adapted by Training Day screenwriter David Ayer from a story by L.A. Confidential novelist James Ellroy, the plot finds Russell's rule-bending detective teamed with a promising young partner (Scott Speedman) whose ethics have yet to be tainted. Their boss (Brendan Gleeson) is a lawless maverick, maneuvering the unwitting detectives into covering up a lucrative robbery scam, while L.A.P.D.'s Deputy Chief (Ving Rhames) campaigns to bring them all down. While adhering to familiar cop-thriller formula, director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) escalates tension with forceful impact, drawing a climactic parallel between the King riots and the fallout from Russell's cynical behavior. It's a powerhouse combination, allowing Russell to find shades of complexity in a character who realizes, almost too late, that he's a devil in the hell of L.A. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
Another tale of crooked cops, this time set in 1992, in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict. Kurt Russell, his good looks puffy and slumped, plays a Los Angeles police veteran who has been promoted to lieutenant by dint of dogged persistence. His partner (Scott Speedman) is learning the ropes of corruption, while the squad's boss (Brendan Gleeson) has been tangled up in them for years. The screenplay is adapted from a James Ellroy short story; we get the Ellroy smell of moral rot, but none of his momentum-these errant souls may be driven, but in circles, and they spend so much time bewailing their predicament that the cracking of crime feels like a passing hobby. Only in the last half-hour does the movie, like Los Angeles itself, ignite. Ron Shelton, the director, picks up the pace as Russell scrambles through the inferno of the King riots. With Ving Rhames as a senior policeman of surreal nobility. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Rather disturbing, but a great film
It is hard to believe that this film did so poorly at the box office. It was written, in part, by the writer of Training Day and is as good or better then that one. A powerhouse cast led by Kurt Russell who in this movie looks every bit of his then fifty two years. But for this role of a burnt out, street weary, corrupt cop, his haggard appearance is perfect. The gritty subject matter contrasts sharply with the beautiful cinimatography which manages to make L.A.s smoggy skies look inviting. The jazzy musical score is a winner also. Its a credit to Russell's vast acting ability to watch this, where he plays a ruthless cop and compare it to his role in Unlawful Entry where he was the victim of a similar character. Ving Rhames, who has also played his share of nice, and not so nice guys does great as the assisstant chief of police. The women in this film such as beatiful Michael Michele, Sexy Khandi Alexander of CSI Miami and the still gorgeous Lolita Davidovitch(as Russells long suffering wife) don't have a whole lot to do here. Mainly because the overwhelming machismo of the males dominates the story. These guys have a lot of smarts for the job they do, but not much sense for any thing else in their lives which, in part brings on the tragic results.

More like a telenovela than anything else.
Plays like a made for tv movie, or worse. The script is so obvious and prosaic. There's drugs, sex, violence, dumb dialogue. I thought I was watching the lifetime channel for men. When has Kurt made a good movie
anyways? The ending is decent and at least has a point, but damn, the first 100 minutes is like having your hair pulled out one strand at a time.

Falls disappointingly short of its potential; "C+"
I was a little disappointed with this - Kurt Russell (the main reason I checked this out) does a fine job but it's the story that's lacking I think. There just isn't enough subtlety to it, evidenced in the amount of corruption that is portrayed and how "ordinary" the real bad guy turns out to be. The concept of setting this in the climate of the Rodney King incident was very creative and the writers did a good job of keeping that in our memory throughout the story. In the end though, while the story seemed to aspire to working on several different levels at once, it just couldn't quite pull it off and there isn't enough nuance for me to truly recommend this: I'd suggest you rent 'Backdraft' if you're looking for a great Kurt Russell drama.