MANILA, Philippines?The gloomy and grimy crime-action flick ?Street Kings? has its moments, but it?s not exactly a mystery-steeped thriller. Cop dramas are often made exciting by complex issues, such as abuse of power and flawed protagonists?when they?re seamlessly meshed into the story.

?Street Kings? has that pained and painfully clichéd cop on the verge of self-destruction, but we?ve heard the story before, in more memorable and better-crafted films.

It succeeds, however, in creating an easily recognizable, sordid urban underworld constantly smeared with heartlessness and treachery. Directed by David Ayer, written by James Ellroy (?LA Confidential?) and Kurt Wimmer (?Thomas Crown Affair?), the film exudes an atmosphere of corruption and danger from the outset. Graphic depictions of violence in the first few minutes signal in the serious, brooding tone of the film, unveiling a bloodthirsty Keanu Reeves character that we haven?t seen before.

Hell-bent cop

Reeves plays a booze-guzzling, hell-bent LAPD detective who recently lost his adulterous wife. Tom Ludlow disregards rules and manufactures evidence to solve crimes and eliminate the really elusive bad guys, and he doesn?t mind getting his hands dirty. His recklessness and serious attitude malfunctions are condoned by his supervisor, Captain Wander (Forest Whitaker), who grudgingly but dependably tidies up his mess.

But not long after, Ludlow is implicated in the death of a fellow cop (Terry Crews), whose horrific murder he witnessed. He begins tracking down the killers of his former partner but is met by more puzzles and some dead ends. Help unexpectedly comes in the form of young homicide detective Paul Diskant (Chris Evans), whose focus and persistence proves crucial.

?Street Kings? could?ve been a really serious movie, but it?s hard to be immersed in that world partly because of Reeves. He wears the same expression throughout the film? frozen in a stoic look, relaxing only to scowl. It?s distracting.

Awkward material

The film isn?t without notable performances, though. Evans is good, as usual. He embodies controlled enthusiasm and idealism as the foil to the remorseless, trigger-happy detective. Whitaker and Hugh Laurie are likewise believable as rival captains with not-so-spotless track records.

?Street Kings? is technically polished enough to showcase tension and trauma properly. However, a lot of awkwardness is derived from the material. A few things are foreshadowed in the first couple of minutes, so you see things coming, and can?t help wincing when the anticipation becomes justified.

Shock tactics aren?t bad, but ?Street Kings? depends too much on them. It doesn?t dip into the psyche of several characters that warranted exploration. It?s bloody, too, a tad disturbing, but lacking in necessary depth.