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In "Street Kings", a police thriller directed by David Ayer, Keanu Reeves plays Tom Ludlow, a veteran LAPD Vice Detective. Ludlow sets out on a quest to find the killers of his former partner, Detective Terrance Washington (Terry Crews). Forest Whitaker plays Captain Wander, Ludlow's supervisor, whose duties include keeping him within the confines of the law and out of the clutches of Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie). Ludlow teams up with a young Robbery Homicide Detective (Chris Evans) to track Washington's killers through the diverse communities of Los Angeles. Their determination pays off when the two Detectives track down Washington's murderers and confront them in an attempt to bring them to justice.

If you think this is another one of those cliche-filled cop movies... you're absolutely right. There's the 'Jack Bauer Syndrome', where Keanu Reeves emerges from a beating looking as fresh as a daisy and without a scratch on him. Even when he gets shot, the wound never seems to bother him too much.

Then there's the "I still love my wife even though she's dead and cheated on me" cliche, the fact that the hero always has enough ammo and his bullets never run out, the speech given at the end of the film that makes everything that happened alright and justified... oh, and what about the buddy subplot whereby the two people who hate each other the most in the beginning end up finding a lot in common with each other and decide to be best buddies at the end?

In "Street Kings", Tom Ludlow (Reeves) is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. Although this is supposed to be a big part of the story, it only gets a teeny tiny mention here and there to help the story flow along, otherwise it is pretty much forgotten. When evidence implicates Ludlow in the death of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Haven't I seen this in some other Reeves cop film before? However, none of this takes away from the sheer suspense and action that "Street Kings" delivers. It is truly a thriller that delivers the same urgency we saw in Reeves' earlier films like "Speed". The film's average plot was made better due to the exceptionally inspired all-star cast: besides Reeves, who was in his element, Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker is simply dazzling, playing a crooked cop trying to sabotage his own team. British actor Hugh Laurie (best known for portraying a cynical doctor on TV's "House") proves himself a versatile and gifted performer, playing the blunt and straightforward LAPD Internal Affairs investigator who checks up on Detective Ludlow. Rapper Common also makes an appearance as an undercover cop turned bad.

One member of the cast that seemed a little out of place was actor Terry Crews, who made a name for himself as a comedic actor back in 2004 with "White Chicks" and continued the trend in films like "Norbit", "Who's Your Caddy?" and "Balls Of Fury". This time, he plays a straight cop who tries to come clean at his peril, which just didn't seem right for Crews: he doesn't yet appear comfortable enough to play a serious role, which made his character two-dimensional. Also, those who remember him from "White Chicks" will have trouble believing his anger towards his former partner for being an alleged racist - this only ends up looking like self-parody.

On the other hand, the cinematography was marvellous, capturing the gritty essence of downtown L.A. where gang-bangers and murderers rule the streets. The camerawork and stunts in the film will keep you on the edge of your seats and leave you guessing what would happen next as you wait breathlessly for the answers. They even employed a colour motif to give the audience clues as to who the baddies really are.

Although it wasn't a "short" movie, it never leaves you feeling bored or restless. In fact, at the end I was hoping there would be a bit more of it left, even though it wasn't a cliffhanger ending. If you enjoyed "Speed", you will enjoy this, and fans of cop movies everywhere will not be disappointed by "Street Kings".