I am not too sure how to treat this movie - at its core, it is an action movie about cops and bad guys; but it could also be seen as a commentary on police brutality and police corruption. In the words of Capt. Wander (Forest Whitaker), "We are all bad" - and the movie is basically about how much. And because we are all bad, it does not matter how bad guys are taken down - and the question is posed from the very beginning. In the opening scene where the lead character "L.A.'s deadliest white boy", Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) rescues two girls from a child prostitution ring, and in the process kills all the thugs involved, and frames it as a defensive encounter. Should protocol have been followed? Should the suspects have been apprehended and brought to trial instead of being killed off?
This is a non-stop action thriller, and although it is quite predictable (particularly because of the trailer), it is still a very enjoyable movie. Forest Whitaker's acting is particularly impressive - and Keanu even manages some emotional expressions! But like in the Matrix, Keanu is particularly suited for this role, because it needed a cold, calculating person without expressing too many emotions.
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