Two men end up in a shootout after trying to steal drugs, killing multiple police officers in the process. Now, the two cop killers are on run within Manhattan, trying to escape the city and the police who seek revenge. Leading the manhunt is NYPD detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman). In order to capture the two men, the leading detective orders all 21 Bridges in and out of Manhattan to be closed to prevent the two criminals from leaving and escaping their crimes. The bridges can only stay closed until early in the morning. Joining the detective on the hunt is officer Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller). These two officers must work together to capture the criminals before dawn and the clock is ticking.
I enjoyed the character setup for Andre Davis. We gained a good insight into his childhood and the tragic event which changed him forever. The film’s setup is positive as we witness criminals breaking and entering after drugs, leading them from one problem into the next. Based on the introduction there is a sense of urgency to catch the criminals and take revenge for murdered police officers.
Andre is easily the best character within the entire film and the performance by Chadwick Boseman is great. I was personally satisfied with his role here and it’s great to see the actor take on something different to what audiences have previously seen.
But the second act’s plot was unexpected and for me disappointing. There are several conspiracies that begin to surface, and the plot becomes something else or perhaps an attempt to be something bigger. It is this change in story and pace which changes my opinion of the entire film. Mostly, because as a plot this has been done before in film. The sense of urgency at the start of the film also fades away. Countless times we see our leading detective getting a call and suddenly going to a new destination and so on and so on. Our leading hero at times feels like he is behind the game or arriving at a location where he’s too late or just checking out another crime scene.
Plot twists are predictable here and the information from these so-called twists are practically given straight to the audience way too early in the film. The third act does carry a solid ending but by this point, the damage to the plot has already been done for me.
Both audio and visuals are enjoyable throughout the film and I have no complaints. Considering most of the film is set at night, it’s shot rather well, and every sound effect of gunfire was fantastic on Blu-ray. The film’s motion picture soundtrack was a little unique but not distracting.
Overall, I find some enjoyment in this film, but I have mixed feelings about some of the film’s elements too. A strong 1st act changes dramatically due to conspiracies and plot twists in the 2nd act, all of which are very predictable. Leading actor Chadwick Boseman does provide a nice performance and action scenes are enjoyable for the most part. Overall, I just wanted this film to be something more gripping, suspenseful and far less predictable.
5.8/10
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