Dark Blue

Dark Blue is set in L.A. during the Rodney King fallout, which is also the last time anyone heard from Kurt Russell—ba-dum-ba. The story centers on Detective Perry, a gun-happy, belligerent cop perpetually swigging from a bottle of whiskey who puts his job before his family—but not his leather jacket! And, while he doesn’t hold a half-spent cigarette to standard-bearer Martin Riggs, he does possess enough crazed irrationality and don’t-give-a-fuck attitude to sell the part. Though at times tiresome (if we see another Asian thug busted up in an Asian bar…), Dark Blue does offer enough suspense and intrigue to keep you hanging on. Just tune out the cheesy saxophone fillers and you’ll walk away thanking God that you weren’t of Caucasian hue in South Central L.A., circa April 1992. That, and that your cell phone isn’t the size of a Laserdisc player.