Michael Jai White and Quinton Jackson grew up together. Now White is a police hostage negotiator and Jackson is a bank robber with hostages. He gets White as his negotiator and makes some tough demands... and revenge on White.

It's a not particularly distinguished example of the 'negotiator' movie, intended as star turns for the leads, shot in a foreboding light, with overly dramatic music that clearly is intended to let the audience know that the stakes are high. Unfortunately, the constant level reduces everything to the same level, and there's little rhythm to the story telling. There are lots of closeups and tight, claustrophobic shots that make this dull in its unceasing panic.

Maybe I should have taken heed of the relative low rating that the 2017 action thriller "Cops and Robbers" had snagged here on IMDb before I sat down to watch it. But I figured an action movie with Michael Jai White and Tom Berenger couldn't be all that bad.

But it was. Boy, was this movie from writer and director Scott Windhauser a swing and a miss.

Not only was the storyline generic and predictable, but it also felt incredibly clumsy and amateurish. I mean, some of the actors and actresses didn't even seem to believe in the project, and it was showing in their performances on the screen. The whole movie permeated with a very low budget feel, and it wasn't working in favor of the movie as a whole.

The character gallery in Scott Windhauser's "Cops and Robbers" was for the lack of better works far from interesting. I didn't care one bit about the characters in the movie as they milled about stumbling to and from.

As for the effects in the movie, well again we are well within the amateur range here; especially the weapons and when said weapons were fired. That was just laughably bad.

This is definitely not a movie that I will be returning to a second time. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend you waste your time, money and effort on.

My rating of "Cops and Robbers" lands on a three out of ten stars.

Jesse (Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) and Mike (Michael Jai White) are brothers. Mike is a hostage negotiator and Jesse is an ex-convict, convicted for shooting his father. Now Jesse is in a bank with hostages while Mike is outside. It appears Jesse has the upper hand as Mike gives into his demands.

The film opens with the ending. And then comes the twist which saved an otherwise boring film. I was not overwhelmed with the story line. The acting was okay, considering.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.