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Parents' Guide to

Righteous Kill

By Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Old pros battle brutal vigilante, muddled story.

Movie R 2008 100 minutes
Righteous Kill Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

Extreme Gratuitous Nudity and Violence

This is not for children or teens. This movie is loaded with unecessary gratuitous nudity and violence. Couldn't watch the whole thing and needed a shower. You've been warned.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

An overly complex plot, characters who behave illogically, and the hackneyed theme of payback for crimes unpunished spoil the long-awaited pairing of iconic movie stars DeNiro and Pacino. But for some part of RIGHTEOUS KILL, it's worth the effort. Pacino delivers some genuinely funny dialogue, and his performance is winning and relaxed. He's far less intense than he's been in his last few outings. And strong performances from John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg help cover the looming plot holes that eventually can't be ignored.

Unfortunately, as written, DeNiro's character doesn't give the actor an opportunity to plumb the depths he usually finds in his roles. And, overall, Righteous Kill is a violent movie that doesn't live up to audience expectations.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: September 12, 2008
  • On DVD or streaming: January 5, 2009
  • Cast: Al Pacino , Carla Gugino , Robert De Niro
  • Director: John Avnet
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Overture Films
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Run time: 100 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and brief drug use.
  • Last updated: June 1, 2023

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