Broken City Movie Review (by WWAM)

Broken City Review

Jay and Mike review Broken City, a political thriller in which Mark Wahlberg plays a former cop turned private investigator. Russell Crowe’s corrupt mayor hires him to investigate the mayor’s wife. The story sprawls across political intrigue, personal drama, and alcoholism, but the reviewers feel those threads never quite come together.

What Works

The reviewers praise the cast. Crowe is charmingly convincing as a crooked politician, Wahlberg’s familiar angry-detective persona suits the role, and Kyle Chandler makes a strong impression. They especially enjoy the scenes Wahlberg and Crowe share.

Their favorite oddball moment comes when Wahlberg’s character falls off the wagon and lashes out around town. Though meant to be grim, the scene drew laughter from the audience and played like accidental comedy.

What Doesn’t

Jay and Mike find the plot and editing muddled, with side stories introduced and then dropped. They also criticize the gloomy, blue-black look and dialogue that sometimes feels like clumsy CSI one-liners.

A line about a commissioner being “the handcuff guy” inspires a joke about Horatio Caine appearing in sunglasses to declare, “Justice is done.”

They also joke that Catherine Zeta-Jones is attractive but not especially necessary to the story.

Verdict

Broken City is watchable but average, lifted by its performances and a few good scenes.

• Jay: 6/10
• Mike: 5.5/10

The reviewers finish by imagining Wahlberg as the Punisher, with one insisting he would be perfect for the role.

Personalities Mentioned

Jay and Mike are the reviewers. They also discuss Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kyle Chandler.