Naomie Harris stars in Black and Blue |
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Black and Blue is a fast-paced action thriller about a rookie cop (Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam. After realizing that the murder was committed by corrupt cops, she teams up with the one person from her community who is willing to help her (Tyrese Gibson) as she tries to escape both the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage. Directed by Deon Taylor.
Starring: Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo, Mike Colter, Reid Scott, and Beau Knapp
What's Good: Harris is pretty terrific, even if her character is a bit wet behind the ears (early on.) She's believable, resilient and resourceful, (thankfully) without superhero powers, and very likable. In addition, Gibson is refreshingly low-key, and the film is well shot (and under two hours long.)
What's Not: It's a poor man's Training Day, with an abundance of clichés and stereotypes that made this critic's eyes roll on more than one occasion. P.S. The body cam footage gets annoying/distracting real fast.
Budget: $12 million
Runtime: 108 minutes (Just about perfect.)
Target Audience: Fans of Training Day.
Bottom Line: Worth watching for Harris alone; but be warned, it's full of clichés and some noticeable holes in Peter A. Dowling's screenplay.
Grade: C+