Set in New York, Manhattan. The city comes alive when cops and criminals clash in the middle of the night. In "21 Bridges", detective Andre Davis (Boseman) becomes the center of all the commotions when he was assigned by Captain Matt McKenna (JK Simmons), with Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller), to take down two small-time criminals, Michael Trujillo (Stephan James) and Ray Jackson (Taylor Kitsch), who killed seven police officers in a drug heist. Equipped with a strict moral compass, Davis has roughly 4 hours to catch the criminals before it's too late.
This cat-and-mouse film sees the late Chadwick Boseman, who is known for his superhero movie "Black Panther", really proving himself as a compelling and brilliant actor. Amidst his fight against cancer, the beloved actor brought out everything in his arsenal to breathe life into this fast-paced action movie.
"21 Bridges" is commendable in its bravery in touching the different issues faced by society. The movie is laser-focus in giving out a commentary on how the justice system becomes so distorted and one-sided, it only favors those who are strong and powerful. It also paints a striking picture of corruption, betrayal, and prejudice that is both chilling and angering.
With that said, "21 Bridges" succeed, to some degree, in delivering a thoughtful and timely critique. But even so, the movie is pretty generic with its storytelling. It offered nothing new that the viewers didn't know about. It's predictable and, sometimes, dull.
Kirk's "21 Bridges" is nowhere near Ryan Coogler's groundbreaking superhero film as it falls victim to mediocrity. It's commendable for being relevant but, there is already a plethora of cop/crime movies that talk about drugs and corruption.
Despite all of that, "21 Bridges" is the perfect film to say farewell to the great Chadwick Boseman as he exhibits in this movie the values of a true king. One that is empathetic, determined, and just. The movie is not really a blockbuster caliber flick, but it's not a bad movie overall.
2.5/5
