Pride and Glory Review

Let’s call it Pride and Boring because I fell asleep during a daytime showing of this film. I like all the actors in it and they give good performances but this took way to much time. It’s like watching a 2 hour NYPD Blue episode. Wrap it up. I got crappy food to eat on the road. Yes I saw this in Grand Rapids, MI so afterwards Doug Benson and myself walked across the mall parking lot and had a wonderful plate of corporate food at the TGI Fridays. Get the spinach artichoke dip, it never misses. Sure I was a little tired from doing a show the night before at Dr. Grins and then morning radio. Nothing like the crazy hijinks of a DJ on 4 hours sleep. So this film isn’t the sole culprit for my falling asleep, but c’mon it’s a cop drama. Move it along. The film starts with 4 cops getting killed and the whole department wants blood. Norton is assigned to the task force begrudgingly by his father (Jon Voight). Immediately Norton isn’t sure about how the shooting went down. I bet his “gut” told him so. Ferrill is somehow involved, but we just don’t know. Only Norton and some character actor who plays his brother will sort it all out. Hooray. Edward Norton is a very good actor who brings a lot to the table. He doesn’t typically make films just for money. Which is why I went to see this, but it just misses the mark. It felt like someone just took all the plot points of a standard corrupt cop film and had good actors running through a flow chart. Colin Farrell is good but sometimes he is trying to be “Mr. Intense Actor guy” too much. P&G he walks the line, a thin blue line because he’s in it too deep! We gotta protect the department! No we have to do what’s right, Dad! Sorry I just had my cop script software running while writing this. Jon Voight is the police official father who is forcing his sons to protect one of their own, rather than follow the law. He does a good job, but the script and directing didn’t work. Norton’s character was supposed to be painted in this corner, but I kept thinking that it wasn’t that tough of a decision. They needed more for me to justify paying to see this rather than watch Sipowicz roust skells on cable. I wouldn’t say this is a bad movie, just missed the mark. If you are in some town with little to do and need to sleep off the night before then go see Pride and Glory. Or just stay in your room and watch “Law and Order” on TNT. They play it all day long. PALM STRIKE!