Movies

‘The Alto Knights’ Review: Double De Niros, Double the Fun?

BBG News

In a sweet shop, two infamous criminals from New York City’s underworld gather to discuss their disputes. Their bond dates back for decades; both men climbed the criminal ladder side by side. However, one of them, impulsive Vito Genovese, had to escape the nation due to a murder accusation, allowing the other, tactful Frank Costello, to temporarily take charge of their group. Upon returning, Genovese seeks recompense for the business prospects he lost during his absence. Yet, no matter how Costello attempts to placate Genovese, it’s never sufficient.

In a sweet shop, they come together to resolve their issue. They greet each other warmly. They reminisce about the past. Their connection is so profound, it’s almost as if they were blood brothers. However, in the upcoming film “The Alto Knights,” featuring Costello and Genevese, portrayed by Robert De Niro wearing two distinct wigs and accents, they appear more like twins.

As a movie critic, I find myself puzzled by the casting choice in “The Alto Knights.” While it’s common to have an actor play siblings, clones, or even a father and son at similar ages, here we have Robert De Niro portraying two distinct characters who are not related. This unexpected decision, instead of enriching the film, seems more like a marketing gimmick. After all, it gives audiences the unique opportunity to witness Robert De Niro in a battle of wits against… you guessed it, Robert De Niro himself. However, this dual role doesn’t seem to significantly contribute to the storyline, making me question its purpose beyond serving as a promotional hook for Warner Bros.

Despite the puzzling decision to have De Niro play two roles, it’s undeniable that their shared scenes appear authentic from a technical standpoint. When they are apart, which is most of the film, De Niro delivers competently in both parts, though the script seems to overlook the inner workings of Costello and Genovese’s minds. By the 1940s, when the story resumes, both characters have solidified their positions within the Mafia hierarchy: Costello as the refined negotiator with political ties, and Genovese as the simmering instigator seeking retribution for a series of injustices. If placed in different circumstances, Joe Pesci might have played Genovese opposite De Niro’s Costello, and in many ways, De Niro seems to emulate Pesci’s rapid-fire delivery as Genovese.

From its commencement in 1957, the narrative of The Alto Knights frequently jumps back in time. However, it’s immediately clear and straightforward how the two characters, Genovese and Costello, feel towards each other: Genovese harbors envy for Costello’s wealth and social standing, and disapproves of his attempts to appear as a legitimate businessman. On the other hand, Costello recognizes that Genovese’s reckless actions could bring down his empire, yet his loyalty to their friendship and adherence to the Mafia’s strict principles prevent him from taking action against Genovese. This resentment between the two continues after the fateful candy shop encounter, escalating to a failed assassination attempt that sets the stage for The Alto Knights.

Presenting Robert De Niro as both notorious criminals encourages viewers to discern similarities between them. Upon close examination of Costello and Genovese, certain parallels can be observed. Both were married, and their interactions with their spouses highlight their contrasting personalities and emotional issues. Costello is deeply attached to Bobbie (Debra Messing), spending the majority of his evenings at home with her watching TV together. In stark contrast, Genovese becomes fixated on Anna’s (Kathrine Narducci) ex-husband after marriage, and eventually resorts to murder in a fit of jealousy when the ex repeatedly visits their favorite restaurant.

Although the continuous tension between the two characters named De Niros remains subdued, simmering slowly rather than boiling over. Following an intense opening scene, the subsequent hour and ten minutes of The Alto Knights primarily consists of backstory narrated by Costello as an old man. This narrative strategy, along with others throughout the film, seems unusual, as it results in more than half of the movie being mostly expository, delving into a conflict whose outcome is almost predictable from the beginning. By the time the story returns to the late 1950s, the struggle between Costello and Genovese has essentially ended, with their feud reaching an underwhelming climax in a questionable sequence that may not accurately represent historical events.

Ultimately, the movie “The Alto Knights” doesn’t reveal much about these two characters that isn’t already known from their Wikipedia pages, and it does so slowly without much visual excitement. Notable figures from the gangster film genre, such as Robert De Niro, Nicholas Pileggi, producer Irwin Winkler, and director Barry Levinson, were involved in this production. Despite their past achievements in this genre, they fail to offer fresh insights in this film. Moreover, there’s no compelling reason to believe that casting De Niro in dual roles was anything more than a mere gimmick.

RATING: 4/10

The 10 Worst Movies of the Last Ten Years (2015-2024)

10. The Happytime Murders (2018)

In Brian Henson’s adult-oriented puppet comedy, “The Happytime Murders,” there’s plenty of explicit humor that appeals to the immature crowd. The creators behind this film essentially thought, “Why not make a risqué comedy with lots of sex jokes using puppets?” And that seems to be all there is to it. So if you ever find yourself in a pub quiz and the question arises, “Which movie features Melissa McCarthy biting a puppet’s penis?”, the answer would be “The Happytime Murders.” Similarly, if they ask for the film where Joel McHale imitates the classic “vagina close-up” scene from “Basic Instinct” with a puppet, once again, the answer is “The Happytime Murders.” The only person who manages to shine in this movie is Maya Rudolph. She delivers a rice pilaf joke that’s so brilliant, she deserves every bit of praise for it!

9. The Book of Henry (2017)

Colin Trevorrow’s film following “Jurassic World” is the enigmatic flop, “The Book of Henry”. This movie uniquely blends elements of magical realism with themes of child abuse. It can also be seen as a reinterpretation of the story of Christ, featuring a powerful, divine figure who sacrifices himself so that his troubled mother can murder a man and adopt her mistreated stepdaughter. Simultaneously, it serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of indifference, using an unlikely method to convey this message: a deceased child prodigy teaching his mother how to transform into a skilled assassin from beyond the grave. Remarkably, this extraordinary plot twist is handled with unwavering sincerity in this film. (Rest assured, these events truly occur within “The Book of Henry”.)

8. Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

In “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” Warner Bros. portrayed itself as a heartless entity controlled by an antagonistic algorithm in the movie, which can be seen as a remarkable self-deprecating move in filmmaking. However, the overall movie lacked both strength and humor, making the original “Space Jam” appear more sophisticated, even compared to “2001: A Space Odyssey.” LeBron James is not a poor actor, but he’s no better in the lead role than Michael Jordan was in the first film. Unfortunately, almost everything else about “A New Legacy” was an overall disappointment from start to finish. It seems that the movie doesn’t grasp the charm of the Looney Tunes, particularly Bugs Bunny, who is portrayed as a whiny and melancholic character in this new version. My suggestion: Instead, watch some classic “Looney Tunes Cartoons” on Max. Even a random short has at least five times more laughs than this entire two-hour feature, and the animation quality is superior too.

7. Dirty Grandpa (2016)

In a simpler and more conversational manner,

The movie “Dirty Grandpa” shares a similar comedic approach with “The Happytime Murders”: If someone who appears sweet or innocent (like grandpas) uses inappropriate language, it’s automatically considered funny. If hearing Robert De Niro utter words like “smegma” makes you chuckle, then this movie is for you. However, if you enjoy humor that includes actual jokes and isn’t constantly offensive, you might be disappointed. On the bright side, the title really does reflect the content of the film.

6. Marmaduke (2022)

If there is an animated film as unattractive and visually unappealing as Marmaduke, I have never seen it. I hope I never do. The movie seems like it was produced under dubious circumstances, or perhaps as a condition for keeping rights to a project alive.

However, despite the atrocious animation quality, Marmaduke boasts an impressive voice cast, including J.K. Simmons, David Koechner, and Pete Davidson. It’s hard to believe they didn’t read the script, weren’t shown images of the characters they would be voicing, or were each offered a private island in exchange for their services. How did this happen? Marmaduke is an appalling mess. I wouldn’t even give it to the kids on my old school bus who used to tease me by creating songs about my boogers — which, incidentally, was more imaginative than this Marmaduke.

5. Madame Web (2024)

In a similar vein to many Marvel movies before the Marvel Studios era, the film “Madame Web” appears somewhat self-conscious about its comic book origins. This sentiment seems to extend to Dakota Johnson, who portrays the title character, even though her character is rarely referred to by the title in the movie. Johnson’s character is Cassie Webb, not Madame Web. In fact, no one in the film addresses her as “Madame Web.” Additionally, she rarely dons a superhero costume on screen. The overall feeling is that everyone involved in the production seems somewhat uncomfortable with their roles. (Given the circumstances, this reaction might be understandable.)

On the other hand, the movie feels absurd, peculiar, and sometimes difficult to follow, making “The Amazing Spider-Man” seem like a masterpiece by comparison. Watching it alongside Kevin Feige would undoubtedly make for an entertaining experience.

4. The Emoji Movie (2017)

Imagine contemplating a thought-provoking film delving into the intricacies of smartphone culture, possibly even incorporating emojis, but such a production would necessitate a script brimming with sharp wit and biting commentary, far more so than what was presented in the movie The Emoji Movie. Despite its somewhat optimistic undertones advocating acceptance of diversity, this cinematic misstep is exactly what one would anticipate from the film division of a tech company whose prosperity hinges on the sale of millions of smartphones annually: A subtly advertorial piece that implies that owning a cell phone can boost your popularity and make you more desirable to girls. Yuck.

A good movie about smartphone culture or emojis could be made, but it would need a lot more humor and critical commentary than The Emoji Movie. Despite some positive messages about embracing differences, the film is basically an advertisement for a tech company that sells millions of smartphones. It suggests using a cell phone will make you popular with girls. Not a fan.

3. Artemis Fowl (2020)

Initially, during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic around 65 years ago, Disney postponed all its 2020 blockbusters, except for “Artemis Fowl,” which they released directly on Disney+. In retrospect, this was a warning sign. This movie adaptation of the well-known young adult book series packs material from about ten books into just 90 minutes, leading to a confusing and almost unbearable viewing experience. (If you can decipher how Josh Gad’s character shifted from burglarizing Artemis Fowl’s home to partnering with him to thwart another character without any dialogue between the two, you are more intelligent than I.) It takes a unique level of bad streaming content to make you feel cheated even when you haven’t paid anything beyond your existing subscription fee, but “Artemis Fowl” managed it.

2. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

This low-budget horror film, loosely inspired by the timeless A.A. Milne book (now in the public domain, enabling productions like this one to emerge), fails miserably as a slasher or a satire of children’s literature. Interestingly, it only succeeds, albeit perversely, in making an argument against the idea of a public domain. In other words, if strong copyright protection keeps trash like this off the market and away from unsuspecting audiences… perhaps it isn’t all that bad? The film “Blood and Honey” is an unforgivable heap of rubbish.

1. Dolittle (2020)

In a nutshell, the movie “Dolittle” is reminiscent of the chaotic result when a back-alley doctor botches a face reconstruction in Tim Burton’s “Batman,” leaving the character with an unrecognizable mess. Originally intended to be more serious, “Dolittle” has morphed into a disjointed movie, as if pieced together from leftover scenes and re-takes of what once was a completely different project. It’s filled with crude humor, such as poop jokes, fart jokes, and even itchy-butt jokes, alongside talking animals, questionable CGI, and an over-the-top performance by Robert Downey Jr., which makes Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) seem like a wallflower in comparison.

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2025-03-19 19:25

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