Dark Blue poster & wallpaper

Brendan Gleeson, Dana Lee, Dash Mihok

A robbery homicide investigation triggers a series of events that will cause a corrupt LAPD officer to question his tactics.

Flixster Users

51% liked it

2,870 ratings

Critics

57% liked it

127 critics

R, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Ron Shelton

Release Date: February 21, 2003

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003

Get It:

Stats: 339 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Kurt Russell Michael Michele Michael Michele Michael Michele Dark Blue Dark Blue Dark Blue Dark Blue Dark Blue
Upload a Photo |

View All Dark Blue Photos (9)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (339)

  • RiderOfTheStorms
    September 2, 2008
    RiderOfTheStorms
    Kurt russell is da shit
  • FangsFirst
    October 28, 2007
    FangsFirst
    I've got an awful lot of law enforcement related DVDs in my collection, and an awful lot of them deal with race or corruption. There are some exceptions (Bullitt, for instance) but I'd say that probably covers the majority that focus on cops in some way or other. I own chu...( read more)nks of some of the biggest and best law enforcement television shows (Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues) with a definite bias toward street cops and detectives over things like CSI groups. I'm not a fan of either approach to cops, the belief that they are infallible or the belief that they are inevitably fallible. I prefer films that suggest both elements are present, or don't get into it, but as I already said, most of the ones I own do address it.

    I'd say it's no real secret that this film is about corrupt cops. Kurt Russell is Eldon Perry, a veteran cop training rookie Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman) in the ways he knows from his long-time police family, which are less than orthodox and also less than legal. He works primarily through Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson), head of their Special Investigations Squad (SIS) and friend to Perry's father. We open the film to footage of the Rodney King beating, establishing the tone, location and time for the film as the early 90s, in a time of extreme tension in Los Angeles. We see Perry anxious and pacing in a hotel room as the verdicts are about to come in. We then begin trading back and forth between scenes of Keough being interviewed by a shooting board to determine the legality of a shooting he participated in and the violent robbery of a Korean man's convenience store by Darryl Orchard (Kurupt) and Gary Sidwell (Dash Mihok), involving the theft of a wall safe and the cold-blooded murder of multiple bystanders.

    Keough is naturally found to be within policy for the shooting (otherwise, what would he be doing through the rest of the movie?) and Perry congratulates him in a back office with the company of Van Meter and James Barcomb (Jonathan Banks, who you've probably seen before in any number of bit parts from Airplane! to Gremlins to Beverly Hills Cop, as well as plenty of television guest spots) who clearly feel the shooting--no matter what the circumstances--was the right thing to be done. Before too long, we see Van Meter visit Orchard and Sidwell (!) and demand the money they stole. Now, of course, we know that Van Meter is not acting in any interest but his own (Gleeson is altogether too good at roles like this, though he at least also has roles like Frank in 28 Days Later, though here he has restrained his natural Irish accent until he's left with just strong sibilants and pronounced d's and t's), and see a slightly different slant on things.

    SIS, specifically Perry and Keough, are assigned the convenience store robbery--dubbed the "Jack of Hearts" killings--and Van Meter works to steer them away from his henchmen, but Perry is convinced he knows who the culprits are, especially after discovering through a guy on the street ("Maniac" played by the great Master P) that Henry Kim, owner of the store, has a less simple and clean background than he thought, and that the only surviving witness has identified the perpetrators as one white man and one black man.

    From here we start to spiral into three intersecting stories--that of Perry and Keough's investigation, Van Meter's attempts to direct them, and the final one, as yet unmentioned: Ving Rhames is an up-and-coming assistant Chief of Police and he smells corruption in the department. As yet he has been able to do little to stop it and is disheartened but persistent. Working for him is Michael Michele (who Homicide fans may remember as Detective Sheppard--funny, because I thought "Who is that? I remember her as a cop or something before, and she is good at the part...") who is currently involved with Keough.

    It felt, to me, like an amalgamation of Colors and Narc, though the team of Speedman and Russell is not near so strong as Duvall and Penn or Liotta and Patric. I wasn't disappointed with either (disappointed with Russell?! How could that happen?! Well, ok, Big Trouble in Little China disappointed me, but oh well) but it was still not up to that level. But it was a good story, with an EXTREMELY tense final half hour (and a very impressive shootout that had me thoroughly tense, a rarity these days, and an outcome that I actually was surprised at the quality of performance in) and an interesting mix of the real events surrounding the King trial and riots. The riots do look and feel pretty real and intense, which was good to see, as that is something that can easily fall apart.

    Lastly, the score: it's similar, in some ways, to the very cold, bleak electronic score of Narc, though not quite as forlornly, depressingly beautiful (and the songs are the likes of NWA and Eazy-E, rather than Tricky and the Baby Namboos doing the heartbreakingly beautiful "Provoked"). It's very fitting and a good thing to have, and the gangsta rap chosen is well-chosen and well-placed. Not a disappointment at all, in my opinion, and not overly biased for or against cops as anything but humans like the rest of us. Even Perry ends up described by events as more misguided than evil, though he does show racist tendencies.
  • allan913
    October 26, 2007
    allan913
    A gripping, riveting and electrifying police thriller. An endlessly compelling and dazzeling film. Kurt Russel gives the performance of his career. If the film dosent mean much to you his performance is worth watching.
  • ladyp1964
    April 10, 2007
    ladyp1964
    Great story, great theme, great acting, great film!
  • DrZeek
    March 16, 2007
    DrZeek
    Det. Sgt. Eldon Perry Jr.: [to Maniac] You really think this bullet gives a shit how tough you are, big guy?

    This is a very decent cop movie made better by the fact that it stars Snake fucking Plisken and Marsellus Wallace.

    Kurt Russell is very good as a cop who bends the rules...( read more) all the time and knows it. He is a dirty cop, but does so to protect and serve and feel better about his job as well.

    Ving Rhames steps in campaigning to fuck up everyone's plans and does so with authority.

    There are enough good moments to make this movie work as well as some real life drama intertwined with this movie the help things play out.

    The ending is also pretty neat.

    Maniac: I mean he got game.
    Det. Sgt. Eldon Perry Jr.: Game? Mr. Kim? What's he play, Golf? Speak fucking English!
  • adiliosantos
    November 6, 2009
    adiliosantos
    Dark, ugly blue, but a beautifull film.
  • TheAfterHours
    July 26, 2009
    TheAfterHours
    I absolutely loved it!! Kurt Russell once again proves himself as a fine actor. The story was top notch, and the director portrayed the plot in a realistic fashion. Great action sequences as well. I highly recommend this!
  • frbll2005
    April 6, 2009
    frbll2005
    was really hyped over this movie for a long time but i could never get into it after i started trying to watch it. corrupt cop movie that came out after training day, of course it wouldn't get a lot of good reviews
  • cinnamontree
    March 23, 2009
    cinnamontree
    Hard boiled cops and gruesome Los Angeles. Nothing special but it came on tv so I thought I'd watch it when I saw the name of James Ellroy.
  • VTBS
    February 15, 2009
    VTBS
    This was mostly alright but the racial stereotypes were appalling. I'd be interested in seeing a version of Elmore Leonard's original idea where the story took place during the Watt's riots although retelling it during the LA Riots of 94 was an acceptable substitute.

View All Dark Blue Reviews

Critic Reviews

February 24, 2003
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com

Kurt Russell brings forth a stunning, powerful performance which should once and for all remind... he deserves to be at the top of the A-list for his generation. full review

February 23, 2003
Nick Schager, Filmcritic.com

Shelton, working from a script by David Ayer, is eager to use each and every cliché at his disposal. full review

February 21, 2003
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

A flawed film, but occasionally a haunting one. full review

February 21, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

While Dark Blue may not be easy to watch, it's exceptionally well made. full review

February 21, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Dark Blue is a film of wounding power. It stays with you. full review

February 21, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Dark Blue is not a great movie, but it has moments that go off the meter and find visceral impact. full review

February 21, 2003
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Its intelligence is undermined by a hyperbolic, overwrought noir style that wavers awkwardly between NYPD Blue jitters and grand opera. full review

February 20, 2003
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

The script is overloaded with exposition and incident, and for long passages it shows all the verve and imagination of an episode of Hunter. full review

View more Dark Blue reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Dark Blue" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger Dark Blue Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Reservoir Dogs
    Reservoir Dogs (100%)
  • The Departed
    The Departed (50%)
  • Lethal Weapon
    Lethal Weapon (100%)
  • L.A. Confidential
    L.A. Confidential (56%)

More Movies like Dark Blue

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings

Dark Blue Trivia

  • The Fox And The Hound Dark Blue The Mean Season The Thing The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Escape From L.A. Who am I?  Answer »
  • which actress is a dark angel and loves dancing by the name of honey she also loves swimming into the blue and enjoys a good storm  Answer »
  • IN 2001 THE MOST EXPENSIVE CZECH MOVIE EVER MADE WAS RELEASED BY THE SVERAK PRODUCERS. WHAT WAS THAT FILM?   Answer »
  • name this star. i played in flipper, into the blue, fantastic four and dark angel who am i?  Answer »
More Dark Blue Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Dark Blue. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Dark Blue to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?