American Gangster (2007) User Reviews

Detractors of this film were fooled by the trailer.

[andrewfreeley87 · 8/10 · 24 October 2007]

American Gangster has been really hated upon in many of the former posts I have read. Yet it seems like they are all saying the same thing, that Gangster didn't have enough action and was really drawn out. Anyone who has every seen a Ridley Scott film will know that his films are long! Blade Runner, A Good Year, Matchstick Men, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, G.I. Jane, Thelma and Louis, and Alien all ran for at least two hours or more, so big surprise there guys. In addition Scott didn't set out to film another scarface, he set out to tell a story not just about Frank Lucas but rather a tale of corruption and how pervasive it is. One user commented that this film had many side story lines that "bloated" the story. This is completely untrue as every "side story" is actually the overarching story about the fight against corruption in every facet of life, even Frank Lucas attempts several times to eradicate the corruption in his organization.

Over all this is a great film which really gets into every nook and cranny of an issue. Don't see this film if your just looking for cheap thrills, this is a thinking film about the pervasive dishonesty of our culture.

I gave this film 8 stars because i could find nothing solid that detracted from it, but rather a slew of minor details which gradually brought its score down. But I will put this film in my top films for the year, if only because I have been immensely unsatisfied with the bulk of releases this year.

"My Man"

[ElijahCSkuggs · 9/10 · 28 October 2007]

Ridley Scott's new flick American Gangster was a good one. Though Im not gonna be saying it's the best film of the year or anything like that. It was directed well, barely any dull scenes, great acting by an enormous cast and was really well-written. Unfortunately the story never seemed "new" to me. I was reminded of other drug-related/crime movies, like BLOW, CITY OF GOD, and evening TRAINING DAY....."My Man". Though it's in the leagues as being entertaining as the above mentioned movies, it really just never felt like I was watching a "new" story. But speaking of story, I never knew anything about Frank Lucas, and his story is fantastic. A black man who was more influential than his Mafian brethren? Tell me you're kidding. Nope, he was a force in Harlem back in the late 60s and early 70s and barely anyone knows about it. But for me this area of the film was the only stand out part. Sure there are other good scenes, done well, but nothing worth mentioning. Well, scratch that, naked women workin in a drug lab was an eye-opening scene.

Denzel Washington won the Oscar when he portrayed the crooked cop in Training Day who said "My Man" all the time. Well, in the American Gangster you got him saying this line again, and by God does he have it down. There are scenes when you know he's gonna say it, and he still pulls it off incredibly well. Denzel is one actor you really never have to worry about it in the acting department. You've got Russell "Mr. Oscar" Crowe playing the other lead, and like always, he always has the character down. He was great in this flick, the accent, the mannerisms, all of it. Though, his character's story was interesting in that he was in charge of the case to figure out who the big boy druglords were, his side story with his wife was for me the "dull" parts of the film. They were well-acted and all that, but mostly, it was just character development that isn't needed. Russell Crowe's good enough an actor to portray a struggling cop without a family problem. And also let me say Josh Brolin as the crooked cop was great. I didn't need a side-story of him doing tons of drugs and banging prostitutes....but ya know he was doing it.

American Gangster was a really good flick. It had amazing acting mixed with scenes that shed a new light on drug-trafficking....or should I say Old light. Though since there are so many other drug/crime cop films out there it seems a little been there done that. But don't let that sway you if you enjoy good movies and or crime films. And also, Frank Lucas is one hell of an interesting personality. My man. 8.5 outta 10

Surprisingly Coherent

[vidarium · 9/10 · 26 October 2007]

Watch American Gangster without preconceived ideas. While the film is long it never drags. You don't get the sense that you've seen this movie before. It's not Serpico. It's not The Wire. It's not The Sopranos. While much is going on, the story is easy to follow. There is action, but this isn't an "action movie".

Both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe act convincingly and give depth to their characters.

The film leaves you wanting to know more about about happened to the lead characters. You care about them that much. Now *that's* film making.

Ridley Rocks!

[dianewds · 10/10 · 2 November 2007]

Finally a good, accurate, gangster drug-trafficking film that makes you think. It's far from Polyanna and lets no-one group off; not gangsters of any race or ethnicity, not cops on the take, addicts, etc. And importantly, the story, based upon the true life story of Frank Lucas, does not profile a stereotypical black gangster gone wrong but instead shows an elegant, intellectual man who rises to the top of his game but then learns something new in the end. The film is a sure-shot into the Oscars but more importantly, for me, it's a film that is socially responsible and imparts a thoughtful message for any viewer,especially in light of current times.

Technically, it's got it all going on. Script,Camera, lighting,and not only par excellence from Crowe and Washington but the entire acting cast. The film uses fabulous close-ups and unbelievably good action shots. I disagree with any reviews that claim the movie is not packed with enough action or violence. How tiresome that would be! Instead, while including some of the best action/violent shots ever filmed, Mr. Ridley gives us a relevant and real-life look into the narcotics business top-to-bottom and across the board. I would far prefer to see a movie that has a dozen or so magnificently staged violent shots that dare to go deeper and translate both internal as well as external motivations as to depict real life. The film is not only entertaining; its portrayal is authentic to the real life grizzly and sometimes grayed world of crime/justice as well as didactic and amazingly...uplifting. What a nice surprise.

well-acted gritty characters

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 7 February 2015]

It's 1968 Harlem. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) is the right hand man to Robin Hood gangster Bumpy Johnson. When Bumpy dies, Frank tries to take over. He becomes a powerful gangster importing heroin directly from the South East Asian jungle source. Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) leads a group of corrupt cops reselling seized drugs back on the street. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is a rough and tumble honest cop who tracks down the source for the heroine which killed his partner. Meanwhile Lucas faces against mob boss Dominic Cattano (Armand Assante) and Trupo.

It's a vast interconnected crime drama with deep complex well-written characters played by some of the best actors around. It's gritty and dark with good flashes of the Ridley Scott style. It references the French Connection. It doesn't have quite the immediate realism of the documentary style movie. However, Scott is able to meticulously recreate it. Both Washington and Crowe are powerful in their separate sides of the story.

A cops and gangsters classic!

[superduperspit · 10/10 · 26 October 2007]

Starting off, this probably shouldn't be grouped in as a mob film. For one, Crowe's character is as much the lead as Denzel, this is a cops catching the criminal movie. But also, there's not much mob, it's Frank Lucas at the top and everyone else trying to attach to him, he's one man and that is made very clear.

American Gangster works on numerous levels. It's in part a portrait of late 60s-early 70s Harlem and America, full of drugs and desperation and weakness, where the strong rise above the rest and the cops are dirtier than the rats. As a crime thriller it's entertaining and at 2 hours 37 minutes, never loses interest. But, maybe most surprisingly, it's also a superb character drama and study. Literally every character who steps on screen is compelling, has depth to them, has their motivations, and is tossed into conflict. For example there's a scene early on where Crowe's character Richie and his partner are searching a parked car and find a very large amount of unmarked money in the trunk. Without giving away more, it and the following scenes lead to some surprising moral and character statements by Scott. Richie's morals vs everyone else the temptation of the streets is commonly laid on him throughout the film, and thanks to Crowe's great great performance, it adds a lot to the movie.

Denzel is brilliant here. Frank Lucas, with his collected yet fiery, always powerfully menacing performance is one of the better king bosses I can think of in recent memory. When he's not talking, just the way his face is set, he totally totally gets in this character. The academy would do right to easily give him a nomination this year. I also wanted to add that while the two leads don't get on screen till the last 20 minutes, they have a long extended scene that is pure dynamite and gold. They play off each other perfectly and it's well worth the build-up, and maybe are among the highlights of each performance.

Going through supporting actors, Josh Brolin gives one of the year's most surprising performances as an insufferable and despicable dirty cop. He's so slimy, money-grubbing, and yet intelligent and an equal, he's just cunning. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is decent in his one scene, though it's hampered by being mostly unneeded. Chiwetal Ejifor makes a believable side character though he's not given as much to do, and finally I think Ruby Dee could be a sleeper Best Supporting Actress contender for her role as Mama Lucas. Every other short and thankless role I didn't mention is acted superbly here as well, it's a sign of a great director that they're all so on their game.

Ridley Scott's direction, brilliant, what can you say. He creates New York and the rats living in it to the point with fantastic attention to detail, and most of the scenes in the film are shot and constructed simply perfectly. This includes the short but brutally effective opening scene, which stands as one of the more memorable openings I've seen in a while. Actually any time there's gunplay or action, even if there isn't that much overall, it's stunning. Particularly, at the end there's a police raid scene that stands as the "holyyyy crap" sequence of the film. Going from a hallway to a heroine preparing apartment, and without revealing anything more, it's incredible, simply incredible. Remember when people were going nuts over the tracking shot gimmick in Children of Men? I felt that way about this one. If there's a god, Ridley will finally pick up his directing Oscar this year, he deserves it for this and his wide career.

American Gangster is probably one of the best cop-based films I've seen, and up there with gangster ones. It does one of the best jobs of examining the rise and fall of a crime or drug boss right from the beginning, and dives right into on the other side what it means to be a cop and to strive for something, as well as just telling an awesome and magnificently directed gangster story.

One of the year's very finest films.

A True Gangster Epic

[jfcthejock · 8/10 · 25 October 2007]

Now i've heard some mixed reactions to this movie, and I must say I don't think that. American Gangster is a perfect gangster film. A rise and fall film, but it is done better than both Empire and Carlito's Way put together. Where Empire fails, American Gangster prevails where historical accuracy is needed as well as a good background story. It's violent and sometimes shocking, but being an avid gangster/crime fan i know that compared to others this is almost nothing.

A brilliant biopic of New York gangster Frank Lucasm the film also utilises Lucas's relationship with the Italian Mafia perfectly, giving you almost a two way view of the city's underworld. Denzel Washington excels at the part as Lucas, and Russell Crowe as the cop out to get him is almost blinding. Crowe does a great American accent, as well as portraying a cop out to just do his job but can't properly. It's a a film about Lucas's rise to fame in New York's Heroin business, and his fall due to both Crowe and police persistence.

Like with most gangster films, you are always put off by either the acting or the story. But here this is not the case, you have a true story that does not mask Lucas's violent life but rather portrays it as a life of both murder and violence. It does not glamorise his life in any way, it's a film that says criminals never get away with what they've done. Both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are perfect in the criminal and cop relationship.

I would say now do not listen to the negative reviews of this film, they do no justice for the film. I'd recommend this film to fans of crime flicks and those who just want a riveting film to watch.

A Solid Film

[alexkolokotronis · 7/10 · 18 February 2008]

Unfortunately from listening to everyone else I was expecting some sort of masterpiece. That is not what I believe what I got. Yet it was still a very good movie.

The acting performances were also good but not great. Denzel Washington gave a very good performance but not Oscar worthy, it felt like I have seen this before from him. Russell Crowe just was not given the room to actually act. I wish Crowe would have been given more of an opportunity to show off his talent. Josh Brolin gave the best performance as a corrupt police officer. He displayed perfectly the corrupt cop blackmailing both sides for the benefit of himself. I do not really understand the Oscar nomination for Ruby Dee playing Frank Lucas mother. She barley even had a cameo in this movie. It is kind of sad to see how far Cuba Gooding Jr. has fallen not having much of a role in this movie.

What really kept this movie up and kind of brought it down was its steady flow and writing. It did show you some interesting things such as going to Vietnam and having a very unique and surprising place to smuggle in the drugs. Yet as I mentioned before the performances were good but not great because of the writing. I attribute this to the writing. Some of the writing did not allow some of the actors to expand as much as they could have on their roles.

Also the directing was very good but not great. Ridley Scott did show some interesting scenes and had good camera shot. The cinematography was good as well. Yet because the performances were not to great that brings him down because his job to guide arguably two of the best actors today.

This movie was a bit over-hyped but I would still recommend it. This probably could have received more recognition from the Oscars though.

a big, intense American crime movie, led by stars and director in top form

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 4 November 2007]

American Gangster seems on the surface to be what has been dubbed by some critics as "the black Scarface." As Ridley Scott's new film details, this isn't really the case aside from the point of 'rose up from nothing became something through crime', which could be said about almost every gangster film including the Godfather. Here Scott and screenwriter Steve Zaillian, without calling attention to it ala Paul Haggis, have made a film about class issues underneath the typical gangster-movie form. Even more than the Departed, one sees as the film goes on an environment of paradox: Frank Lucas was a low-life, a killer, a ruthless thug, and at the same time found time to take his mother to church every Sunday and gave out turkeys to folks in the neighborhood while providing them enough dope to die off in the process.

In fact, Scarface has got nothing on Frank Lucas when it comes to moral complexity: here's a man who did rise up out of poverty, learned the stakes of gang life as a driver for the Harlem boss for fifteen years, and then after he died cut out the middle-man as an importer of the freshest product of heroin right out of Vietnam. Then through this there's a whole other level to American Gangster; Scott and Zaillian could have made it simply a saga of betrayals and investigation via Richie Roberts. But the side that one saw in Serpico is amplified here- it becomes all the more engrossing to see how the crooked cops and "honest" gangster Lucas were linked together, which also leads to an ending that amps up the interest. Lucas didn't get out like Henry Hill, but a good man all the same? Probably not (he ended up in jail again, as the film doesn't point out).

So there's a lot of story to explore, and Scott makes it one of the most invigorating, nostalgic (ironically speaking) New York crime films in years, as far as the storytelling goes. And like Heat, Scott gets a lot of mileage from his star power. Washington goes even deeper into the role of the villain than he did in Training Day- he plays him as classic family man, cold businessman, and charming man-of-the-community. He makes it so much his role that you can't imagine anyone else going down a Harlem street shooting a guy point blank in the head. And Crowe also adds some good subtlety to the piece, a flawed man with his family and someone who tries to keep his morality straight (the million dollars given in to the station) amidst total bully-crooks like Josh Brolin's "special" detective. By the time the two stars finally sit down for one scene, it's on par with De Niro and Pacino.

Why not a 10/10 or 4 stars? It is, despite a rightfully fleshed out narrative, with some unnecessary bits (Cuba Gooding Jr, what happened there?) on a two hour and forty minute picture. But Scott does make American Gangster gain momentum as it goes along and reaches a powerhouse climax that is first intense and bloody (it IS Scott after all), followed by a striking human angle. And it holds nothing on Scarface, at the end of it all, as far as being legitimately dramatic without the ham, as the actors and director click for most part on material that just needs to be told without any pretension- and with that dose of significance of real urban crime in the 1970s in NYC.

Professional But Derivative and Dull

[worphilms · 6/10 · 31 October 2007]

If you have seen Serpico, Scarface, and The French Connection, you don't need to see American Gangster. Ridley Scott's new biopic unfortunately shows how a group of stunningly talented craftsmen can create an uninspiring, lackluster, and by-the-numbers piece of cinema. Certainly there are good moments. There is a nice verbal face off between Crowe and Washington (ala HEAT) but its appeal lies more in the power of its stars than in the power of the story. Never is there a moment when I was unaware that I was watching Crowe and Denzel.

The film makes much of the fact that this is a true story about a powerful BLACK gangster whereas other mafia-ish crime stories usually feature Italians. While this may have been an interesting counterpoint, the point is only dealt with in showing that the distinction is irrelevant. Denzel can be just as powerful a crime lord as the rest. So where's the drama?

Crowe's character is yet another, in a long line of movie cops, who is a womanizer and bad father/husband, and yet the most honest cop on the force. This never changes throughout the piece. Where's the drama?

None of this is to say that Scott and company failed at presenting the authenticity of the world and it's characters. The production design is flawless, the characterizations seem to be right on the money, and the music recalls a hipper time. Authenticity, however, does not always translate into dynamic and exciting story telling.

There are no surprises, no real twists, and the inevitable fall of Washington's character and thus his organization, is anti-climactic.

Worth watching if its free.

excellent story, flawless performances

[AdiVrj · 8/10 · 29 October 2007]

American Gangster is one of the best movies i've recently seen and it is a pleasure to watch even if you are not a gangster movies fan. The story is more captivating than i expected i must say, following Frank Lucas(Denzel Washington) - the afro-American drug lord who raised above all, even the Italian mafia - and Richie Roberts(Russel Crowe), the honest cop in a city full of corruption, sort of Frank Serpico but with less guts.

Denzel Washington delivers a marvelous performance of a man calm and patient yet heart-stopping ferocious at some points, fearless and ambitious but likable as always. His performances are always incredible, he's a great actor, the greatest afro-American actor of all time i dare to say, it's simply a pleasure to watch him in any role.

Russel Crowe delivers a good performance, he's one of the actors that never disappoint in my opinion and i think there's a great chemistry between them (Washington and Crowe) even though few scenes bring them face to face. Richie Roberts is in danger for being one of the few cops that actually do their jobs and refuse to take bribe so i think there's a big resemblance between Richie Roberts and Frank Serpico (Al Pacino 1973).

Cuba Gooding Jr. could have gotten a bigger part, or more scenes because he's a very talented actor and he proved himself many times that he's more than capable of delivering excellent performances.

The drama is less than expected but the movie is very well paced and it never gets boring even if it lasts more than two hours. Everything fits perfectly and there is an excellent antithetical presentation of the wealthy life of Frank Lucas opposite to the lives that he's drugs ruin every day, every hour, every minute...

I strongly recommend to gangster movies fans, actually to those viewers who enjoy good movies because this movie is above average and you will enjoy every second of it.

A missed opportunity given the resources assembled

[mick-137 · 6/10 · 29 September 2008]

A well-crafted film with great performances, but which lingers on the unimportant details and then strangely rushes the crux of the story. It's a bit like a Grandpa Simpson anecdote. The early sections of the film amble along at the pace of a six-episode TV show, filling in enormous amounts of the characters' back stories, much of which is simply not relevant to the plot. By the time the two main characters lives finally begin to converge, there's no time left to explore how and why their relationship develops the way it does--which is the really interesting part of the story. This has the odd effect of making the denouement, even though it is based on fact, seem somewhat unlikely.

Drab, lacklustre and uninspired

[Descartes42 · 5/10 · 5 November 2007]

If it were a made for TV movie it would be passable, but as a star studded feature film it falls flat on its' face.

I got no feeling of the time (early 70's), the place (Harlem/New York/New Jersey/Vietnam etc) nor of the characters. You would find more character, depth and sense of place in any episode of Sopranos/Hill Street Blues/Homocide:LOTS. It could easily have been set in the 80's, 90's or even 2000 for all it was worth. There was scant regard to the richness of the environments or the period.

There was very little insight into Washington's character except for a few sparse flashbacks and intermittent lazy exposition and we're not expected to dislike him in any way. By the end everyone is happy and laughing and the moral we're offered is, corrupt cops are bad and get punished whilst Frank Lucas, a cold blooded killer, torturer, crime lord and major league heroin importer is a likable person with a bit of a temper occasionally who only has to serve a measly 15 years having had his sentence reduced from 70yrs aided by the Crowe's character turned defense lawyer!?!?! Most of the supporting characters lacked depth and the subplots didn't really add much to the overall story. As each one dies or just doesn't appear any longer, there is very little sense of loss. Most are just cardboard cutout characters.

There were so many missed opportunities to make this an engaging and enlightening story about an evil man, but Ridley Scott seems to have lost his punch. This is no 'Casino', in fact you would be better off re-watching 'New Jack City' than getting a sore arse sitting through this 2 hours and 45 minutes of two dimensional tedium.

IMDb voters need to get a grip and think more about rating films instead of giving every second rate film like this a 7 or higher rating.

Excellent crime-drama

[grantss · 9/10 · 23 December 2015]

Excellent crime-drama.

The story of Frank Lucas, the man who built a massive drug empire largely from scratch, and Richie Roberts, the outcast cop who took him down. Shows Lucas' rise to power, through ingenuity, business sense and plain ruthlessness and how he managed to fly under the police's (and many other people's) radar for so long. Also shows how the cops eventually pinpointed him as the drug kingpin they were after, their investigations and how they eventually got him.

Great storytelling from director Ridley Scott. He builds the details, and shows the history of the two protagonists, in parallel for a while. Then he builds the tension as everything comes together. In the end you have a great no-pretence, gritty, almost old-fashioned film noir gangster movie.

Great work by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in the lead roles. Good supporting cast too.

On the negative side, there are a few sub-plots and scenes which seem unnecessary (eg the Cuba Gooding angle). In addition, there are some turns of events that seem implausible, especially towards the end (eg Roberts as both cop and prosecutor). This doesn't take too much away from quality of the movie though.

Gripping Characters/Frightening Events

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 22 February 2011]

I guess this is a fictional retelling of actual events. The character of Frank (Denzel Washington) is the story of a man, who because of his own issues with the abuse of being a black man with few prospects, driven to become "great." Unfortunately, his greatness is tied up in exporting pure heroin from Vietnam and selling it. He is a murderer, a liar, and every way a criminal. He is charming on the outside and deadly on the inside. There is no way that a thinking person could admire him. If his vendetta and his business were directed only at bad guys, we might think that it is OK. But he kills indiscriminately, many dying as innocent victims. Russell Crowe's prosecutor is determined and insightful. He is himself a loner (a role Crowe does well at in many films), but he must butt heads all the way along. He has committed a "crime." He has found and returned thousands of dollars in drug money found on a case. He is seen as a bit of an idiot and hence not on of "the guys." Everything plays out well. Two masterful actors doing what they do best. I think my most memorable scene is the one where they come upon the poppy fields in Vietnam where this stuff is being cooked and dried. It would be like going to SonyCorp or some big Asian business; but this is a factory used to make one of the most destructive substances. See this because it is a fascinating story and it is masterfully done.

Keeps The Viewer Involved And Interested....Well Done.

[AudioFileZ · 9/10 · 26 October 2007]

The story about Frank Lucas is one that proves fact is more interesting than fiction. The fact that such a character really did exist yet I do not remember it certainly intrigues me. I guess I was just too young at the time it broke. Now approaching my later forties finds me longing to research it further after seeing this movie.

I get the feeling Ridley Scott was amazed a person such as Frank Lucas was actually able to do what he did and live to tell about it. I certainly share that amazement. The care in which he tells the story serves it well. Though it's basically a gangster movie it's not particularly graphic in violence except in a few scenes. Even Denzel's and Russel's portrayals of the two central characters are not quite as dark as the usual more stereotypical gangster/cop persona...Still there is a sense of doom and danger ever present as the viewer knows neither law enforcement, government, or mafia will let this man's drug empire go on.

To sum it up I believe this is an excellent telling of a true crime story. It's intriguing, entertaining, and certainly serves as a cautionary reminder to remain vigilant in combating drugs.

The Black Godfather

[Abyss47 · 9/10 · 15 December 2013]

When I first saw the film, I didn't find it all that engaging, but by the time I got around to seeing the extended cut, I warmed up to it. It's a terrific crime film that accomplishes damn near everything it set out to do, and with an amazing cast of performers along with a stellar lead performance and riveting direction from director Ridley Scott (in top form here), it's one of the essential American crime movies of the past decade, drawing influence upon genre classics - such as Superfly, Goodfellas, and Black Caeser, while effortlessly carving its own identity. If you're not big on crime films, most of your enjoyment from this will be based on how much you like the cast and how familiar you are with their work, but one can't deny how well made and polished the film is.

OK, not great.

[kefahuchi · 6/10 · 27 October 2007]

Well thank god Denzel pulls a solid performance out of the bag because without it this film would fall apart.

The story/plot is really too broken up and episodic to fit Ridley Scott's direction. Characters come and go without any real feel for how they develop the story or flesh out the main characters; if you want an example watch out for Frank's baseball playing nephew. It just makes no sense. Then have a think about how Scorcese or De Palma would have handled these characters.

I'm not knocking Scott and the two leads do their job pretty well. It just needed to be a much narrower story. Then all those little touches and neat sequences (Washington's immaculate outfits or Crowe following the $20k bait) would nail the story in your mind's eye.

Blue Magic Heroin and Frank Lucas

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 29 June 2008]

In 1968, the loyal driver, bouncer and collector Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) witnesses the death of his boss and mentor Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III) and finds that Harlem lost its leadership. Frank decides to import heroin direct from the source in Bangkok, establishing a logistic of transportation using the US military airplanes from Vietnam to USA. The quality of his product associated to the trade mark "Blue Magic" and the lower prices bring Frank Lucas to the position of number one distributor of heroin in USA. Meanwhile, in the Essex County, the incorruptible detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) that is studying for the Bar Examination is invited to join and head a Federal Investigation Force of Narcotics, seeking the leaders of the dealers in North America.

"American Gangster" is a gangster movie based on the story of the powerful drug dealer Frank Lucas in times of Vietnam War, showing the absolute corruption in the police and the saga of an obstinate honest detective. The direction of Ridley Scott gives an adequate pace to the plot, supported by a magnificent cast leaded by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. In spite of being a good film, the IMDb User Rating Top 250: #210 is overrated. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Gangster" ("The Gangster")

Great performances, predictable drama

[fertilecelluloid · 7/10 · 21 January 2008]

Strong performances from Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington add some sheen to this film's flatness and predictability. The rise and fall of Washington's Harlem drug kingpin is fascinating to watch, but there is a reek of familiarity that leaves a sour taste. Scott, who is a good director, makes his visual most of the material and controls the deliberate pace, but he can't give the drama the extra bite it requires to be truly engaging. More stylistically akin to Lumet's "Prince of the City" than a "Scarface" or "Goodfellas", it is a character study, a look at corruption and the delicate nature of relationships forged in an amoral milieu. Crowe, who plays a stubbornly honest cop on Washington's trail, is low key and convincing; Washington, who also turns in a low key performance, is excellent. Good but not great.

Two Great Actors Elevate This Scarface-Like Story

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 7 March 2008]

The best thing this movie had going for it - which is no surprise - is the acting duo of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. How many bad movies do you see with either of those guys starring in them? Not many, and neither actor disappoints here. Both play fascinating guys, Washington, a big gangster ("Frank Lucas") and Crowe, an honest cop ("Richie Roberts")

This movie reminded me a lot of the '83 "Scarface" film in which Tony Montana (Al Pacino) rises from the bottom up to be a big drug lord, only to have things crumble big-time. We see a similar tale here with "Lucas," except that his fall is sudden in this story, unlike Pacino's character.

Director Ridley Scott and photographer Harris Savides also give us a slick- looking film, very pretty spots and stylishly-directed.

The story wasn't quite as good as the people who photographed it and acted in it. It's still a good one in that it entertains. I was never bored despite the two- and-a-half-hour length of it. I was a bit confused in the first 25 minutes but things straightened out after that.

The supporting cast in here is very deep with a lot of familiar faces, going all the way back to 83-year-old Ruby Dee. A new, young face - Lamari Nadal - is a real beauty. She plays Frank's wife, who is a lot nicer character than the one Michelle Peiffer played in "Scarface."

A key to whether you enjoy this or not - if you haven't seen it - might be your expectations. Know in advance there is not a ton of action in this tough crime movie and don't listen to all the hype that this is "the best film of the year." Just expect a decent movie with good acting and instead of a lot of blood and guts, and you should enjoy it. That's how I looked at it, and it worked for me. It was entertaining enough for me that I'd watch it again.

Unoriginal Boring Disappointment

[MovieMan1975 · 7/10 · 5 November 2007]

American Gangster may be the most boring, unoriginal, flaccid film that Ridley Scott has yet to make.

Coming from the man who created Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and Blade Runner, it boggles my mind as to why this film was not infused whatsoever with his signature style, pacing, and panache.

This film tries so hard to be a sweeping epic crime saga, but in the end, cannot hold a candle to any Martin Scorsese work, for instance.

American Gangster is dull. Its also boring, pointless, flat, limp, and completely cliché ridden.

A combination of Serpico, Dead Presidents, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas, Carlito's Way, and what have you... this film ends up being a mishmash, using mostly the boring parts of the aforementioned films.

None of the characters of very engrossing, with Denzel Washington's character coming across as inauthentic and about as deep as a puddle of water in the Gobi.

Interestingly enough, the film has no major glaring flaws, a testament to Ridley Scott's experience and craft. The script is acceptable, but lacking any style or idiosyncrasy and lacking any real depth. The story has no message, no meat - its just a random story; even having it based on real events gave it no gravitas. The acting is also acceptable, but lacking any bravado. Crowe is his likable credible self, showing flashes of energy - but unfortunately his character is nothing but a poor man's Frank Serpico. Denzel somehow totally misses the mark. His character is seriously underwritten, and Denzel gives us one note for almost 3 hours - and that is mostly of his now trademark "self-righteous African American". Despite being the "bad guy" in the film, Denzel does not give us a true villain. If the moral ground of this character is supposed to be grayed, giving us an anti-hero, its not. At least not sufficiently to give Denzel proper ammo to work with. What we get is a murderer and drug dealer, who is not such a bad guy because he buys a white man's mansion for his mother. Somebody please hold the bucket whilst I puke in it.... The rest of the supporting cast is also serviceable, but like the leads, lacks any true punch. One exception is Josh Brolin, who gives the one memorable turn as a crooked cop. The look of the film is interesting - a kind of grayish beige-ish wash out... as if you are looking at "cleaned up" 70's footage. However, like everything else in the film, the camerwork lacks the ballet and balls of Ballhaus or Richardson, for instance. Considering how Ridley Scott has taken the visuals of most his films to the limits, its a major disappointment that he decided to make the aesthetics of this film to be one dimensional.

The generic title of this film should have been a red-flag that American Gangster was going to be a flat, cliché-d, overlong flaccid crime "epic", with no interesting visuals, a boring pointless story, and characters devoid of any interest.

Just Average...

[thisistrue · 5/10 · 12 November 2007]

I love Denzel and Russell. They have made great movies.

This was not one of them. It doesn't deserve an 8 but it doesn't deserve a 2 either.

I'm sure it has been said already but there were too many unnecessary parts in this movie. Who cares about Richie Roberts (Crowe) custody battle? There were too many scenes concerning his divorce and custody battle. They did nothing in terms of character development except to further pound in into our heads that he is a good man.

I didn't mind the 2 1/2 hour tag but the time could've been used better. One minute Denzel is just a driver and the next he is calling his connect in Vietnam buying heroin. I understand that the movie wanted to be different but it could've fleshed out Frank Lucas's rise to power.

And boy did I feel cheated toward the end, throughout most of the film, Frank Lucas is a reserved man even going out of his way to rough up a few of his friends/family members who draw attention to themselves yet his Puerto Rican wife buys him a chinchilla coat with a matching hat and all of a sudden he is breaking his own rule? I think the wrong things were left on the cutting room floor so to speak some scenes I could have definitely done without while others seemed to be missing from the movie.

It's not a MUST SEE but it's not a waste of time.

Gritty suspense

[keithcarv · 8/10 · 8 February 2020]

Scott managed to weave two stories together into an epic crime drama. Washington rules the screen with each scene he's in and Crowe is solid, if not spectacular. Other than those two, this film is much more about the story that it is the characters. Still, this film is highly entertaining if not a bit lengthy.

The Black Godfather (Classic Denzel)

[t-travis · 8/10 · 24 October 2007]

Where to start?

This is a plot driven movie, so if you're expecting a shoot-em' up Arnold hack job, one, you should seriously consider changing your taste in movies, and two, a mindless shoot-em'-up would be near heresy considering the acting pedigree of Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe.

Denzel offers the stoic, eloquent, controlled fury Denzel is famous for. Thankfully most of the movie revolves around him. Crowe's role is rather small by Russel Crowe standards.

We follow Denzel's character, Frank Lucas, as he begins to establish his heroin empire in Harlem, meanwhile Crowe's character, is mainly concerned with him piecing together Lucas' ingenious smuggling ring as he heads up the newly formed drug enforcement police. Denzel's shockingly vengeful character is built throughout the movie, while Crowe's is sparse, as it should be.

There is an interesting side story battle between Denzel and a particularly corrupt cop, who himself has a very interesting end.

The movie stays true to the actual story, and the period, as unbelievable as it is At first you find yourself rooting for the bad guy, however Scott carefully details the effect Lucas' organization is having on the community, which then lends you to appreciate the job of the police.

The end of the movie wraps up nicely with a summary of all the main characters' endings, and some very interesting facts about the original 70's era drug enforcement cops. The most interesting being that three-quarters where convicted on corruption charges!

Another Denzel classic!!!