Righteous Kill” is a cop film, led by two of the greatest actors of our time. Turk (Robert De Niro) and Rooster (Al Pacino) are detectives in the NYPD Homicide Division with over 30 years of experience. But before they retire, something they are both reluctant to do, they want to solve one last big case.

A serial killer is running loose in New York City, targeting criminals who have managed to escape justice in the judicial system and shooting them at point-blank range and then leaving a four-line poem. Turk and Rooster want to give this mystery killer a medal, but their job is to catch him and put him away. They work with Det. Simon Perez (John Leguizamo) and Det. Ted Riley (Donnie Wahlberg), two other cops that Turk doesn’t exactly to try to figure out who this killer is.

Compared with some movies of the past season, “Righteous Kill’s” plot is somewhat bare, but the acting from De Niro and Pacino more than make up for it. De Niro’s character is your classic tough-guy cop, with a hard-as-nails personality and take-no-crap attitude. Pacino’s character is a bit more laidback and reserved, yet still as intense as his partner.

The supporting cast is by no means poor quality either. Carla Gugino plays Karen Corelli, Turk’s girlfriend and crime scene investigator. She manages to keep up with the standard set by De Niro and Pacino, providing the audience with another point of view. Leguizamo and Wahlberg play the younger, less experienced cops well, but are understandably overshadowed by De Niro and Pacino. Overall, De Niro and Pacino carry the movie with their charisma and sheer acting ability with the help of the supporting actors.

The movie has a few action scenes, but its strength lies in its psychological drama. It succeeds in staying believable throughout the film, never becoming too farfetched, but still keeps the audience wanting more. All of this, topped off with a fair share of comic relief found in the banter between Turk and Rooster, are the ingredients for a good movie.

“Righteous Kill” is by no means a classic; it isn’t one of those movies that one would watch more than one time. But it is entertaining and that’s all a good movie needs to be.