The Movie
Direct-to-video sequels have apparently become a lucrative market for the big studios, even when the first movie in a series failed to set the world on fire. The good cop/bad cop Street Kings franchise began with Keanu Reeves, Forrest Whittaker and an impressive supporting cast in 2008, and has returned with new "heroes," new stars and a new locale for Street Kings 2: Motor City.
Three years after a drug bust gone wrong, a respected undercover cop's (Ray Liotta) former partner is gunned down by a mysterious assailant. A rookie homicide detective (Shawn Hatosy) is assigned to the case, and almost immediately doesn't like what he finds: a trail of violence and corruption protected by a brotherhood of dirty cops.
There aren't too many interesting ways to summarize the events of Street Kings 2 because this is yet another rote police procedural in a genre that has been tread and retread for decades. The characters are clichés at best, vacuous at worst, and the plot lacks any real twists. Ironically set in Detroit, Motor City seems old, obsolete, and in desperate need of a bailout.
The Picture
What this disc does have going for it is an exceptional 16:9 video master that makes the most of the stylized cinematography. The sharp lines of the cityscapes are always crisp, and the deep, nuanced blacks are a boon to both the police uniforms as well as the frequent nighttime setting. Color is used boldly with a distinctive palette on display, and fine details in the clothing and elsewhere really pop.
The Sound
The front soundstage within the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is quite wide and full, with clear dialogue. Surround usage however is remarkably sparse, called upon for a bit of atmospheric music perhaps, but even the multiple shootouts lack the directionality we should expect from a modern multichannel soundtrack, and a would-be thriller to boot. This half-hearted effort is a far cry from the strong video.
The Extras
The supplements kick off with a pair of deleted scenes running two-and-a-half minutes, neither particularly memorable. There are also "Deconstructions" of three murder scenes from the movie (twelve minutes total), explaining how each was approached and filmed.
"Creating a Convincing Cop Story" (four minutes) explores the writing and the quest for authenticity, "An Explosive Opening" (five minutes) reveals the formulation of the intense beginning sequence, and "Motor City Setting" (four-and-a-half minutes) discusses shooting in Detroit and how the location influenced the story. All of these are presented in HD.
The Blu-ray-exclusive "Weapons Check Personality Profile" invites us to answer questions via the remote control in order to figure out what type of gun we are. (I'm a 9mm semi-automatic, by the way.) Disc Two is a DVD copy with of the movie with all of the extras except the Weapons Check.
Final Thoughts
I'd chip in for the gold watch if it meant coaxing the dubious Street Kings brand into retirement. It's a mostly-acceptable Blu-ray of an utterly lackluster movie, and clearly time to turn in the badge before it's tarnished further.
Product Details
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