By Ryan Gowland
"There are some wars you fight and there are some wars you walk away from - this is the fighting kind." Such as the ominous words spoken by Russell Crowe in the opening seconds of the first trailer for the upcoming thriller "Broken City."
Directed by Allen Hughes (who has directed "Book of Eli" and "Menace II Society" with his twin brother Albert but is going solo this time), "Broken City" follows ex-cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg), who seeks redemption after being double-crossed and framed by the city's mayor (Crowe). Initially asked to find the man sleeping with the Mayor's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), but uncovers a much more sinister truth.
This is the first time Wahlberg and Crowe have appeared together on the big screen, and will get help from the fine supporting cast that Hughes has put together, including Kyle Chandler ("Super 8"), Jeffrey Wright ("Source Code") and Barry Pepper ("True Grit"). From the looks of the trailer, it looks like Wahlberg is going to be bringing the proverbial war to Crowe, or perhaps that's just the impression given by the popular trailer track of Kanye West's "Power" which takes over the second half.
Official synopsis:
In a broken city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) seeks redemption--and revenge--after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure, the mayor (Russell Crowe). Billy's relentless pursuit of justice, matched only by his streetwise toughness, makes him an unstoppable force--and the mayor's worst nightmare.
"Broken City" opens in theaters on January 18, 2013.
