“Broken City” is something that hasn’t been attempted in a while by a studio feature, a classical private eye story in the Raymond Chandler tradition.

One character even comments on the tale’s old-fashioned origins when he says, “Private eyes? Do private eyes still exist?”

Although the script is set in present-day New York City, director Allen Hughes and writer Brian Tucker don’t bring anything fresh or contemporary to the formula. They just take clichés and put them in modern dress.