Street Kings

Keanu Reeves is a brutal bulldog of a Los Angeles cop who is set loose on high-profile cases by a glory-hound commander (Forest Whitaker), a ruthlessly ambitious player who devours the media attention and rides the success to promotion. With the pedigree carried by this drama of corruption and cover-ups in the Los Angeles police force –- Oscar winner Whitaker, author James Ellroy, director David Ayer ("Harsh Times") –- you'd expect a much more interesting and gripping cop drama than the clumsy film at hand. Reeves' impenetrable expressions give him an effective dead-eyed, soul-crushed quality, but Whitaker is pure theatrical overkill, and Chris Evans (as Whitaker's pet assistant DA) is an eager puppy playing tough with the big dogs. Ellroy gets story credit and prominent screenwriting billing, but the script is awkward, the plot strains credulity, and the direction is terminally overwrought and undercooked. Hugh Laurie co-stars. Available as a single disc or two-disc set, both packed with supplements: commentary by Ayer, deleted and alternate scenes, and plenty of featurettes (including one on Ellroy) and vignettes. The Blu-ray edition features the exclusive picture-in-picture "Under Surveillance: Inside the World of Street Kings" track, which pops up with factoids, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Both the two-disc and Blu-Ray editions feature a bonus digital copy that can be downloaded to PC, iPod or other compatible players.