Line Of Duty is a really dopey movie, even by the standards of this particular kind of action throwback. The new film from writer, Jeremy Dryscale, and director, Steven C. Miller, is very much a throwback to the kind of stripped down action thrillers you’d see in the early 90s. Our hero is a cop with a tragic past who is thrust into a situation he never could have anticipated, forcing him to work with some colorful characters while tracking down the bad guy, and saving a kidnapped girl. It’s about a standard a setup as you would imagine, and while I can’t say the film is the smartest in utilizing these tropes, it still manages to be entertaining enough.
The cop in this case is Officer Frank Penny (Aaron Eckhart). It’s a perfectly peaceful day in the city until he steps into a chase already in progress. He manages to corner the suspect into an alley, but is forced to shoot when the man pulls out a gun. Things go from bad to worse when it’s revealed that the man was the only lead that Chief Volk (Giancarlo Esposito) had in finding his kidnapped daughter. Now, it turns out his daughter is hidden somewhere, in a box that is slowly being filled with water, and they have to find her before time runs out.
Because of his screw up, Penny has been relieved of his duty for the time being, but he isn’t the kind of guy to let things go so easily. He is driven to do what he can to help, even if it means disobeying commands to step down. In his attempt to find the daughter, he ends up being joined by Ava (Courtney Eaton), a young internet livestreamer/reporter who insists on tagging along so the people can see what’s going on.
There’s not a lot that Line Of Duty does fresh or interesting to distinguish itself from other throwback actioners, instead doubling down on the familiar archetypes and tropes. There is plenty of humorous banter that happens between Frank and Ava. Much of it isn’t particularly clever, mostly just condescending remarks that they make to one another, for example they even have a whole bit about Frank hating the fact that he has to drive Ava’s eco-friendly car to get somewhere. It’s very basic, but I think it speaks to the actors that they’re able to sell some of these lines.
Because of the already flimsy quality to the story, it has to constantly twist situations in contrived ways to keep Ava involved when she really shouldn’t be around. There isn’t much to justify her presence, and whenever she brings a certain…”wokeness” to the proceedings, it feels incredibly clumsy. It feels clumsy because the film seems afraid to get into politics despite skirting around relevant issues. Frank is revealed to have a past that involves killing a kid by accident, Ava keeps tabs with her friend early on while following Frank, wanting to know if him initially killing the running suspect is another example of a cop being trigger happy. And without giving too much away, the villain’s motivation involves the idea of cops not caring about certain types of people, referring to someone he lost, who was seen as “white trash.”
Basically, the film wants to touch on some relevant issues on police brutality, but it stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the racial component that has largely informed the entire discourse on these subjects. Race is never discussed, even though there are black characters scattered throughout. Hell, before Frank chases down the suspect, he was hanging out talking sports with a little black kid, which…is certainly a choice. I’m not saying the film even has to be “about race,” but it feels odd to beat around the bush on these kind of topics without addressing the fact that the black community is an essential part of dissecting the touchy relations between the police and the public.
All that having been said, there is some enjoyment to be had in Line Of Duty. Most of it is due to the performances, which makes the most out of iffy material. Eckhart is a very likable lead, and he can deliver the hell out of a one-liner. Eaton has a good presence that manages to make a baffling character at least somewhat compelling. Esposito does a lot with little screentime, selling the desperation of the situation. Ben McKenzie makes for a great villain, creating a presence that is both somewhat hammy, and also deeply sinister. Miller is a rock solid action director, utilizing some cool stunt work, and he’s able to keep things going at a good pace, so even the not-so-great moments don’t linger for too long. It’s nothing particularly great, but it’s a mostly effective race-against-the-clock thriller that can make a perfectly serviceable viewing for action junkies who are looking for a junky, old school cop flick.