DVD Review: Badge Of Honor

By Liam Freeman

Wallowing in the seedy underbelly of the police force, Badge Of Honor focuses on two narcotics detectives who wrongfully shoot an unarmed kid in a brutal drugs raid, triggering an intense investigation with an internal affairs agent.

Directed by Agustin Alberdi, whose previous efforts include the likes of Falling Awake and Carlito’s Angels, this detective thriller is vicious from start to finish.

The film itself comes across as very savage at times, with scenes that have people being clubbed, shot, beaten and broken that really adds to the grit of the situation at hand.

With David Miles (Lochlyn Munro) and Mike Gallo (Jesse Bradford) being where the main story lies, it is interesting to see how the story developed into something that was both interesting to watch and entertaining. Eventually the story gradually spans out to encompass the other characters as it goes along, with other roles going to the likes of Martin Sheen, Mena Suvari and Natasha Henstridge.

I do think that the film itself could have done with an injection into the back story of these cops a bit more as their friendship did seem very confusing at times – was one using the other for his own means or was he torn between both helping them and himself- because at times it did seem quite difficult to grasp.

There were also a few moments that were overdone a bit, various people appear to be suffering with the Boromir complex by having to take ridiculous amounts of bullets before they die, but apart from that it all seemed very good.

Overall I think that the film is well worth taking a look at, it’s harsh at times but it’s got a style to it that reminds me a lot of Vice City and to me that’s a good thing.