Still Entertaining... Aside from the Dialogue

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2017)

All in all, I actually enjoyed the film for what it was: it thrilling. Not to say it was a thriller, but there are points in which are incredibly intense and entertaining, and I'd say a watch is worth it for that.
Obviously, the film has some major flaws: just by reading the script, one could say that the film is a little full of itself. Maybe a lot.
The film begins with Don Cheadle talking off like it's poetry night, when in actually he's a detective in LA. A normal dude, right? "All this meddlin' glass..."
That's to say that in the least, the dialogue takes itself too seriously, trying too hard to make a point. The stronger points of the film are when the characters aren't saying anything.
The actions and the subject of racism in the film work to the extent of it's viewer's capability of taking these in stride. When I first watch the movie, I went in totally cold - it was more than a decade it was made and I had no idea what it was about.
The first couple of minutes, I got it. Racism is bad. Job done - but they keep dragging it out when I think it handled the subject best when it was just the characters living their lives with their worries, discomforts, and obstacles. This film is incredibly contrived.
Yet, I can't help but recommend it for some viewers, at least those who can stand/look past the cheesy dialogue and heavy-handed message - there are parts worth watching for, at least for when I saw it. I love the soundtrack, the actors are great, and the action is actually pretty good, too.
I don't recommend referring to any trailers. Most of the ones I've seen only give too much away. Go into this as cold as possible.