Reviewed By: Emanuel Caros

If you've ever wondered what a Grand Theft Auto video game might look like as a live-action film,  Brooklyn's Finest would be it.

Set in Brooklyn, New York, the film follows a few days in the lives of three officers of the New York Police Department: a retiring veteran (Richard Gere), an undercover cop (Don Cheadle) and a cash-strapped narcotics detective (Ethan Hawke).  Each has their own specific storyline, which sort of intersect in the films common locale, the BK projects.  

Jam-packed with violence and cliche lines, the writers of Brooklyn's Finest seemingly spent very little time writing a story anybody actually cares about, and instead put all their efforts into penning lots of gun fights and disappointingly stereotypical characters.  There is the catholic cop, branded with a huge religious back tattoo and always clutching his rosary; and the gangsters all dress like they do in video games, where no tough guy is complete without a du-rag and FILA track jacket.

Antoine Fuqua, who hasn't wowed audiences since 2001's epic Training Day, puts together a stock police movie without any creative filmography,unfortunately matching the bland script.  

Don Cheadle's performance as the undercover cop, deep into the NYC drug world, makes best use of the corny script and delivers the sole bright spot in an otherwise forgetful movie.  

Similar to other recent police dramas like Harsh Times, S.W.A.T., and Street Kings, Brooklyn's Finest will entertain fans of the genre, and put most others to sleep.  Lacking any real depth, and chock full of painfully cheesy moments (i.e. Richard Gere's sex scene) the movie fails to live up to expectations brought on by such marquee names in acting.

5/10