TopaZ in CA:

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with American Gangster. Fine performances from Washington and Crowe (despite the dodgiest New Jersey accent ever), serviceable screenplay, and a legendary director at the helm. But something got lost along the way: passion. It is very workman-like and mechanical, plodding from one set piece to the next, never reaching greatness until the brief, yet exhilarating climax. The only actor who injects vibrance into every moment is Josh Brolin, who is absolutely riveting in every scene -- it makes everyone else involved in the film appear to be on autopilot by comparison. 4 stars overall because it's still a very good film, but I guarantee if you could only take one DVD to a desert island, American Gangster or the similarly-themed Scarface, 100% of you would pick the latter.

Southern Belle 1:

Denzel Washington carries this film. He is all charm, class, and charisma, even as he engages in despicable activity. Overall, though, the movie was boring in parts and long in others. Once again (is it just me?) there are so many characters and sometimes they all look alike. In this one we have all of Lucas' family, including lots of brother and some cousins. Then we have all of the police crew associated with Russell Crowe's character. We have assorted other cops, and as though all that's not enough, we have the people in an Italian Mafia family, Crowe's ex-wife and son, the son's godfather, and both spouse's lawyers. Really - enough is enough! And I was surprised that I didn't like Russell Crowe much in this movie. I don't know why - I just found his character, or the way he played him, boring. But I liked the movie because of Denzel Washington, because it was a true story, and because the events were pretty incredible.

TheSyfyFreak:

Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas, a real life gangster, who established himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan after death of his boss and mentor Bumpy Johnson. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he shipping it back to the USA via military service planes. As a result, his product is superior to what is currently available on the street and his prices are lower. Russell Crowe is Richie Roberts, who heads up a joint narcotics task force with the Federal government. He is going to bring down Lucas come hell or high water. This is a good gangster movie. 10-23-08

4dae2b8fc6:

I really liked this movie,It was a bit long but a very good movie.Both Denzel and Russell provide great performances. The cinematography was a little dark,and somtimes hard to see in some scenes. I saw both versions of the movie and feel the extended version was a more satisfying ending to it. This is a movie for those who love a good story and gangster movies.

Skorpean:

How can you go wrong with Denzel as a ruthless, but gentlemanly gangster and Crowe as a smart and determined do-gooder law-man? The story is the strength here with the action added in the right amounts at the right times. Really good cast and the 2+1/2 hours goes by fast. If you like either or both of these actors, I recommend this movie strongly. 7/08

Photo Heathen:

Listen, what do you honestly expect from Ridley Scott, Denzel, and Crowe? Well, that's what you get. Strong directing and strong performances. That of course leads to a strong film, but it's not flawless. Perhaps the problem is that we've seen this same story many times before. It's always a compelling story, but no matter how well it's put together, in the end it's still something you've seen before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does prevent this movie from being one of the classics of the genre. Watch it and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Chuckie13:

A decent movie, but it did not live up to the hype and accolades it had received. The movie was well acted, but Denzel did keep making a facial gesture that bothered me for some reason (like if he had just put something foul tasting in his mouth). Parts of the movie just seemed to drag on and took me out of the movie.

ffi 11102:

I was let down by this movie. I went in looking forward to seeing the next gangster movie that would still be talked about 20 years from now, and I left thinking about how good The Departed and Goodfellas are. The story didn't pull me in until about two thirds through the movie, and by then you all ready know what is going to happen. The lead characters were bland, I never felt like I knew who they were. Wait for this on DVD if you haven't seen this all ready.

Firewater:

What can I say about AMERICAN GANGSTER that giving it five stars doesn't? An excellent movie, and not too long, even at over two-and-a-half hours. There are no "filler" scenes. Russell Crowe turns in another fine "good guy" performance, but it is Denzel Washington who shines in this movie to me. I think I'm starting to prefer him as the "bad guy." I use the quotes because Crowe isn't all good and Washington isn't all bad, although he certainly is badass. This is a period piece, covering the early seventies. There's some great music, Nixon, Viet Nam, rampant heroin use. Looking at recent movies I've watched, I think I've become addicted to drug movies. The script by Steve Zallian is a masterpiece, and director Ridley Scott is my new hero. Must watch his entire catalogue now.

LH 969269:

Good movie, I liked how it got you invested in the characters, I knew the ending,or part of it, and with that when it happened I still felt bad for the people it happened too, its hard to write it to not give away plot, but the "second" ending was contrived and happy, it should have just ended with the first ending...excellent movie either way though

Supercords:

Solid film all around. Packed with top of the line actors. Plus you have Ridley behind the camera, so everyone looks great. The big budget enables a very authentic setting and art direction. Not one of my favorite mob/gangster movies, but a good one. Rating: B

Coarse Gold:

I am surprised that this movie by master director Ridley Scott working with two of the strongest and most charismatic actors around (Denzel Washingotn and Russell Crowe) did not garner more Oscar nominations. The two leads play true larger-than-life men whose lives intersected in Harlem during the early 70s. Frank Lucas (Washington) is a strong African-American driven to find success exceeding that of the Caucasians topping his field. He is an amoral man but with a strong sense of justice, vigilante-style. Richie Roberts (Crowe) is Lucas' antithesis; basically a deferential white man committed to work wthin the law enforcement system, with an unbreakable moral compass, and determined to uncover Lucas' illegal activity. The film works well as a period piece depicting the early 70s Harlem scene with accurate music, locations, and costumes, as well as documenting the activities which led to the uncovering of the largest police scandal in American history. Scott deserves kudos for proving that a movie based on a true story can be more engrossing than the standard fictonal mobster lore. I withheld the fifth star only because the movie began with a few choppy and disjointed scenes. Stick with it.

DR 778840:

When I'm drawn into a world and immersed in characters its always a plus. Scott, Crowe, and Washington do just that in AG. Part of me wishes they had added a bit more dramatic license to events to heighten the suspense of the thing, but the film is a top notch example of cinema done right.

Forrest (Gump):

Ridley Scott does another great job here, creating a film which tells more about ethics, honor, and morality where another less capable director might have pulled together a typical gangster story. Crowe does very well here as the detective working to bust the real-life gangster perfectly played by Denzel. I loved this film and was pleasantly surprised to see that this was NOT the typical shoot'm up gangser film I have grown tired of seeing lately. Much deeper film and much better than I thought. Much deserved of five stars.

BunnyKing:

Excellent acting, intelligent story and over all very enjoyable film. I highly recommend this film because it is both entertaining and informative. I especially enjoyed Washington's performance both before and after prison. Highly recommended film!

BlueVoid:

A solid gangster movie from top to bottom. Ridley Scott has made a movie with very few flaws, that's well directed and acted. That being said, while it is a very good movie, it isn't quite at the top level of crime cinema. The movie lacks any really gripping moments, and tends to drag, which is a shame since the movie is nearly 3 hours long. Also the atmosphere is lacking. The film is supposed to be set in the early seventies, but none of that comes through, it could have just as well been modern day and I wouldn't have known the difference. All in all I'd recommend the film, but can't quite put it up there as a must see.

RedSun21:

Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas, a big time New York gangster, and Russell Crowe is the cop trying to take him down. While the story itself is good, Washington only shows the menace that put him on top sporadically. Crowe is barely there as the cop. Ho Hum.

csb 347495:

A deep and impressive film about more than just a drug lord. This movie tackles many more issues than just the good guy/bad guy routine of drug movies. I love the conviction of Russel Crowe's character and the dedication he has for honesty.

EV MacGyver:

It sure is long... almost too long, but it is a must see. Denzel Washington gives one of his best performances and Russell Crowe is at his finest. Nothing could have been cut, it got a tad slow but it is one of the best I have seen in a while.

Frank W:

Brilliant acting by Crowe and Washington, coupled with Scott's near flawless direction make American Gangster one of the best organized crime dramas to come along in quite some time. It doesn't quite have the heft and prestige of The Godfather, but then again, time may tell?

Samas:

Just what I was looking for when I watched it. A well acted and epic crime drama. I never saw the theatrical cut, so I can't confirm my suspicions, but I think the extended cut was lame. I think this because the only part of the movie I didn't care for was at the very end with what seemed to be a perfunctory and unneeded scene. If it hadn't been part of the movie, I wouldn't have thought "Man, that movie really just needed something at the end." The only thing I didn't like about it when I watched the extended version was this last scene; since I enjoyed the rest of the movie I suspect it was all that was added since it had no bearing on the film proper. The rest of it is excellent as you would expect from a Ridley Scott drama starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Folks, there aren't too many great combos like that that can stick (before you ask, yes, this movie is better than Virtuosity).

BigPerm:

Was this suppose to be a good movie? And why did they try to make it look like winter when it was clearly summer out. Note to DP, a dead give away that its not winter, leaves on trees, also the warm sun light.

AtTheBeach:

Running a crime syndicate is like running a growing business. The owner has to know what he is doing, understand money and finances, ensure a continuing source of goods to meet a growing demand, and understand the competition and how to beat it. Of course, organized crime has a few downsides usually involving murder, intrigue and possibly lawyers and judges--again often like much of our business environment although generally without the murder part being part of the business scene. (This movie is based on a true story.) Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe make this movie work. The story is engaging and seeing the multiple sides of Washington's character are engrossing. Is he just a good guy who buys his Mom a house and takes her to church? A good family man who gives a job to his relatives? Or is he a cold-blooded murderer? Russell Crowe is the good guy of the movie but ends up being very unpopular and left by his family. His obsession with police work makes him less balanced than the gangster character played by Denzel Washington. Who is the winner and the loser in this scenario? Ultimately the good guy wins but at a tremendous cost. A great movie played to perfection by the cast in the tradition of The Godfather and The Untouchables.

dsims:

Solid from beginning to end, but it's too predictable and doesn't take any chances. Denzel's character needed more backstory and, IMO, Russell is not a good fit for a Jersey cop. The happy ending feels like a segue into Lethal Weapon 5... not what I want in a gangster movie.

JH EDH:

This movie is a mess, which is disappointing as I usually like Ridley Scott films. It played like Hollywood was trying to condense all 13 hrs of the Wire Season 1 into a 3 hr movie. Throw in a teaspoon of Blow, a dash of the Godfather, half a pound of the French Connection, even a bit of Apocalypse Now in the Asia scenes. Just an amalgam of cliches. Stick with Season 1 of the Wire if you want to experience the cat and mouse between drug dealers and the cops chasing them.

KO 778475:

Put me in the "wanted to love it but was disappointed" camp. I can't quite put my finger on why this wasn't a great movie. Perhaps it was because I felt that I'd seen all of this before in some other gangster/drug dealer movie (The Godfather, New Jack City), such as the straight-arrow cop with the mess home life, etc. And then (spoiler alert!) there was the matter of the ending when the honest cop (now a ridiculously outfitted lawyer) befriends the chastened drug dealer. It felt like watching a Tommy and Jerry cartoon in which the characters (now speaking) are no longer mortal enemies but bestest buddies. What gives? Did this really happen? I don't know anything about the real Lucas, but I'm guessing that the Russell Crowe character is a composite. But here's what really stuck in my craw. To remind us that the US is mired in an unwinnable war in Vietnam (and the connection between Vietnam and Lucas's drug dealing) there are constant pans to television news programs, which in itself is fine. So we see Nixon in a scene dated January 23, 1973. Twenty minutes earlier in the film Lucas is asking his nephew why he didn't show up for a tryout he had arranged with "Billy Martin and the New York Yankees." Billy Martin didn't become the Yankees' manager until 1975. And then no more than 5 minutes after the Nixon shot (Jan. 1973) we're seeing the fall of Saigon, which occurred in April 1975. Continuity editor, please? I know it seems like small stuff, but that's kind of shoddy. And it is a telling example of why this film is merely OK, and far from great.

demonduck:

Structured around a fairly potent comparison and contrast between the story arcs of its two phenomenal leads, American Gangster distinguishes itself from its bretheren in the genre by finding some compelling subtlties in its characters. While both characters are directed so as to showcase their unique approaches to their chosen vocation, it is understood that their personalities and morals are identical. This makes for some pretty enjoyable critical reflection on the film's symmetry. However, this sprawling 160 min movie does not have the epic chops to justify its length. It's storyline will likely bore those that are not delighting in everything else that is brilliant about the film. At least with Micheal Corleone we saw some profond shifts in character and some profound meditations on the nature of power. American Gangster's story arc is relatively basic fare in the genre and continually relies on the hope that its audience is going to appreciate the business of the drug trade over the human relationship that are mixed up within it. Scott seems far more interested in the business and neglects the importance of its supporting characters.

cyi 23604:

American Gangster movie is just another gangster movie. It's not horrible by any means, it's got good acting but the movie as a whole was just underwhelming. The script felt really weak and for such a simple story the movie is too long. The ending does pull the film up somewhat and that's the main reason that I didn't give it a two but really you should just go watch The Departed.

lastliberal:

Well, he should have run from Russell Crowe. So, he makes a deal and gets off with 15 years. What about all those people he killed, Richie? I was anxious to see this film as I am a Denzel Washington fan, but I have to say that it does not live up to the hype. I would watch The Godfather or Goodfellas again before I watch this film a second time. Yes, Denzel was good, but he really didn't have a lot to work with as far as a story. The real story was Richie's efforts to bring down the corrupt cops. That's been done so many times, that you just think of New York cops as corrupt. A best supporting actress award nomination for Ruby Dee? Give me a break. She had one scene of note. She's a great actress, but not in this movie, folks. Me, I'm looking for Thieves and Liars so I can see some more of Lymari Nadal.