Whether “Matrix” or “John Wick”: Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest action stars of our time. So it’s no wonder that the brutal cop actioner “Street Kings”, now available on Disney+ subscription, is worth watching precisely because of him.
If you still can’t get enough of Keanu Reeves after the latest “Matrix” or “John Wick” marathon, you can now thank Disney+. Today, the brutal FSK-18 actioner “Street Kings” was added to the streaming service’s catalogue. In it, a merciless Keanu Reeves shows his abysmal side.
WHAT “STREET KINGS” IS ABOUT
Detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) works for the Los Angeles Police Department. His uncompromising nature has not only made him friends, however, and after a particularly spectacular hostage situation he is targeted by internal investigator Biggs (Hugh Laurie). The latter is just waiting for Ludlow to make one last, serious mistake.
A few days later, when Ludlow’s former partner, Terrance Washington (Terry Crews), is executed on the open street by unknown gunmen, Ludlow is one of the main suspects, as Washington is said to have testified against him to Biggs. Ludlow, on the other hand, is now investigating with the help of young colleague Paul Diskant (Chris Evans) without the knowledge of his superiors in order to finally catch the real killers…
KEANU REEVES AS A DRUNKEN BRUTE
Shining heroes are something Keanu Reeves has played very rarely in his career: But icons like John Wick, Neo, Jack Traven or Johnny Utah – despite their rough edges – could still distinguish themselves by an intact moral compass that makes them tangible and sympathetic. In “Street Kings”, on the other hand, Keanu Reeves shows himself from a villainous side, although he ultimately still tries to stand up for what is right.
The reason for this is “Suicide Squad” maker David Ayer, who for years has been focusing on action cinema in which violence-crazed unsympathetic men threaten to choke on their own toxic masculinity. In “Street Kings” it’s no different and for the most part we have to deal with characters who have little to no identification potential. Keanu Reeves, too, is not very likeable as an alcoholic hooligan.
As a result, however, “Street Kings”, as an incredibly grim tearjerker, gains precisely the abysmal dynamic that has distinguished Ayer since his screenplay for “Training Day”. If only Ayer would reflect a little on his lifeworlds and actors, which he rehashed again and again according to the same patterns in “Harsh Times”, “End Of Watch”, “Sabotage” or “The Tax Collector”, then he would be the king when it comes to masculine death wish on the big screen.
So much for the film!
So, however, it remains primarily hard genre works for adults. Street Kings” has earned its FSK-18 rating, because when bullets smash into bodies, the action is correspondingly bloody. In terms of content, the whole thing may not be particularly original or clever – and the mack behaviour can also quickly become enervating. But if you like hard (and stupid!) oldschool action, you should risk a look.
