Customer Reviews

American Gangster [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(72)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

This viewer rented the DVD form of AMERICAN GANGSTER, having passed it by in the theatrical run, thinking that it was yet another 'crime and corruption in New York' genre film. It was surprising to discover that this very long film (just under three hours in the Unrated version) is completely riveting and in a way far different than the usual gangster film: this story, based on real people as outlined in an article by Mark Jacobson (transformed for the screen by Steven Zaillian), and while it has its share of grisly killings, it seems more concerned with the issues of integrity in the face of police corruption as embodied in the character of Richie Roberts, the etiology of the heroin use escalation following the Vietnam War, and the presence of a 'Black Mafia' lead by one Frank Lucas. It is delivered with compelling gusto and intelligence by director Ridley Scott and has some of the best acting of the year. In other words, this is not a film to be lightly dismissed as a Hollywood retread, but instead it is a tense drama with many very fine points.

Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) follows the footsteps of his idol Bumpy (Clarence Williams III) who 'ran' the Harlem streets, and when Bumpy dies, Lucas inherits his mantle. Lucas is wise, cunning, a gentleman, a powerhouse of ideas, and quickly finds a way to bring the best uncut heroin from the Far East to the streets of New York at a price that undercuts the other mobsters' product. To establish his control he enlists his family, including his brother Huey (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and rapidly becomes the kingpin of the streets.

Simultaneously within the NYPD we meet Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) whose personal life is a mess but who, with his partner Lou (Ted Levine) discovers corruption in the NYPD and more particularly the Drug Enforcement sector of the police: Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) works with the existing drug lords, grabs their drugs and money and then recycles both to his benefit. During a particular drug bust, Richie and Lou discover a stash of nearly a million dollars and turn the money into the police - a deed that makes the duo seem foolish and lose the respect of their fellow cops but establishes Roberts as a man who is committed to being a good detective.

From these two separate studies the film weaves the development of each character and the interaction between Roberts and Lucas we know will take place. The end result may be known to those who followed the story as it developed in the 1970s, but for those for whom this true story is new information, the resolution of the film is fast-paced, thrilling, illuminating, and just plain fine cinema. Both Washington and Crowe are in peak form, as are those in the many small roles (Ruby Dee, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Carla Gugino, Cuba Gooding etc). This is more of a drama than an action film and while many may feel the final moments of the movie are weak, they do reveal the true ending of the story and say a lot about the narrow line between crime and criminal investigation. This is one of Ridley Scott's most successful films and one that will be around for many years as a model for the medium. Grady Harp, February 08

American Gangster 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition

In American Gangster Ridley Scott has created the perfect storm of an American movie masterpiece. An amazing group of actors, headlined by Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe, produces a very convincing period piece of 1970s New Jersey and New York and the crime culture that existed there. It's hard to feel anything but shame watchig this movie. This movie is both believable and tragic, and it startles me that neither Crowe nor Washington received nominations for two incredible performances.

The Story and the Script

The story is supposed to be based on the real life exploits of Frank Lucas. Movies like this usually exaggerate. The fact that this movie is so believable makes it all the more tragic. There are no black and white characters and we are left to choose between murdering drug pushers and crooked cops.

The writing and the story structure are both excellent. The plot is developed slowly and masterfully. While there is less shooting and action than one would expect from such a tale, the movie is filled with drama and suspense.

Cinematography

They have managed to create a period piece here that is beautiful, gritty, real and romanticized. The framing of the actors and the skylines are beautiful. Much of the scenery and shots are darkly lit. This is most often used in the scenes with the police in their shadowy research rooms, clearly to juxtapose them against the Lucas empire, almost always shown in the light.

The first disk in the unrated edition is in a beautiful widescreen. Don't know why they list this as full-screen, perhaps because there is a full screen version available on the other side. The

Acting and Direction

I don't know whether it's award winning acting or directing that makes the end result so good, but I would be willing to guess that it's both. Denzel is steady and appears to be taking on a similar persona in his recent films. Crowe is more fantastic than even his normal performance, portraying the troubled police investigator caught between a crime ridden New York / New Jersey and the even more criminal Special Investigative Unit.

All the acting is great, and this movie could easily have won for best ensemble cast. Josh Brolin is solid in a limited though well executed part. The directing is textbook mastery.

Bottom line, this movie should have gotten nominated for best actor, best supporting actor, best direction and best picture. It probably should have one a few of those categories. Michael Clayton, Eastern Promises? Give me a break.

The nominations for art direction and for Ruby Dee as best supporting actress in a very limited role were not enough compared to the strength of this movie.

Features and Extras

The unrated extended edition has an entire disk of special features. The making-of extra is not just a featurette, it's a feature-length documentary. You get an in-depth look into every aspect of the film's creation.

There are also three in depth "case-files" on film research, script adaptation and police techniques.

The deleted scenes include an alternate opening sequence. Finally, the theatrical trailer includes writer and director feature commentary. A very nice set of extras indeed.

Conclusion

This is absolutely a masterful , one of the best this year. This DVD needs to be added to your collection.

Enjoy!

Great acting, OK directing and terrible writing. Washington, Ejiofor and Crowe and great as usual, Scott seems to be bored and the writing might just be mediocre if it wasn't claimed to be "based on a true story." Among the bizarre claims is that Frank Lucas' collaboration "lead to the conviction of three-quarters of the NY DEA." Reality: zero convictions. He only testified against fellow dealers. Also his relationship with Bumpy Johnson has been falsified. Johnson's widow calls Lucas a liar and the movie false. These are just two of about a half dozen major distortions. Gangster movies are apparently going back to Godfather style fantasy rather than to realism.

There's little new in director Ridley Scott's "American Gangster." However, the emphasis on characterization over violent action is refreshing. Denzel Washington gives a compelling performance as real-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, with Russell Crowe equally impressive as New Jersey detective Richie Roberts - the man determined to bring down Lucas' heroin empire. An excellent supporting cast features standout portrayals by Josh Brolin and Oscar-nominated Ruby Dee. Regardless of the predictable outcome, Scott manages to keep the pot boiling for 157 minutes. "American Gangster" does not rank with the classic crime epics, but remains a solid achievement.

Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
VC-1 BD-50 / Advanced Profile 3 / U-Control (Advanced Profile 2)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Disc size: 48,70 GB

DTS-HD Master Audio English 4010 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 3934kbps (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 1536kbps)
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
DTS Express English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps

Subtitles: English SDH / French / Spanish

Theatrical cut
Running time: 2:36:57
Movie size: 31,11 GB
Average video bit rate: 18.59 Mbps
Number of chapters: 20

Extended cut
Running time: 2:55:45
Movie size: 35,02 GB
Average video bit rate: 18.72 Mbps
Number of chapters: 20

#Audio Commentary
#Deleted Scenes (SD - 12 minutes)
#Documentary: Fallen Empire: Making American Gangster (SD - 80 minutes)
#Featurette: The Real Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts (SD - 5 minutes)
#TV Specials (SD - 42 minutes)
#Music Videos (SD)
#U-Control - Bonus View
#MyScenes

'American Gangster' is the story of Frank Lucas (Washington), the Harlem druglord who began as a driver and bodyguard for the notorious Bumpy Johnson, and ended up controlling a multi-million dollar heroin empire in his peak. Most of the film takes place during the Vietnam War, and without giving too much away, this circumstance plays a major role in Lucas' success. In fact, some may be shocked by the nefarious actions revealed by this aspect of the film. And of course, what's a good gangster flick without the righteous yet down on his luck cop, played here by Crowe, serving as the determined antagonist to Lucas' dreams of grandeur? There are also plenty of crooked cops to go around, and this plays an important role in the story as well.

It is a very well-crafted film, and Washington and Crowe put on remarkable performances as usual, but unfortunately the film doesn't really offer anything new. At bottom, it is just another glamorized rendition of a ruthless criminal figure (who maintains a veneer of respectability) who has claimed his piece of the American pie through crime and brutality. Take Goodfellas, throw it into a pot with New Jack City, add a dash of Serpico, and voila; you have American Gangster. Also, the film is apparently only semi-true, as many liberties have been taken with the story. All in all, a well made film that gangster/cop film buffs will enjoy, but those looking for something deeper will probably not find much here to write home about. 3.5 stars.

This was a decent bio-pic that I for the most part really enjoyed. While it has it's problems, it is worth a watch.

The performances are good, but not outstanding. Washington gave his now standard hard-nosed straight shooter performance we have seen from him many times. While I like him, it would be nice to see some range. Crow also stayed with his normal performance, which has never had range. He managed to take a conflicted character and make him fairly run-of-the-mill. Both men held their role together and didn't negetively affect the movie, but also didn't shine. The only performance I really had a problem with was Brolin. I am of mixed opinions whether the dumbed down, one shade crocked cop was his doing, or the writing. I actually liked Cuba Gooding Jr. in his role. He took an obnoxious character and ran with it, playing it to the hilt. I also really liked Ric Young's performance. He and Washington really played off each other, and you could sense the characters general affection for each other.

The writing itself is passable, but again, doesn't shine. The Brolin sub-plot is down right boring, the crocked ex-partner is un-interesting, and most everything not directly connected to Washington's character feels like a different movie.

What makes this movie more then just a three start run of the mill bio-pic is the story of Bumpy Johnson. The man was interesting, and it is what carries everything. Also, the rise of the Harlem drug trade and the dynamics of the gang control of the area is also fascinating.

As a straight up film, this movie is run of the mill. If you are interested in bio-pics or crime drama, pick this up, otherwise watch it when you have a chance, but don't go out of your way.

American Gangster arrived on my doorstep back at the very beginning of March. So here I am approximately 3 months later finally writing my silly little review about it. Why? Why did it take me 3 months to get to a movie that was by some so highly praised?

Why did I view movies like Rambo which was good, Cloverfield which was good, and Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem which was bad the day they arrived at my house from Amazon, only to wait 90 days to watch American Gangster? NO, not because I'm adolescent minded! It's the time....Almost 3 hours for the Unrated/Extended Edition of American Gangster required some time-dedication.

Look, Ridley Scott is a great director, but sometimes I think Hollywood can get a little self-indulgent with the time they take to tell a story. I mean too many movies these days are well over 2 hours. There better be something really compelling to get people to sit for 3 hours, and as I suspected, Amercan Gangster was good, but it didn't need to be 3 hours long.

The story in American Gangster was simple enough: it depicted the life a Frank Lucas played by the always fun to watch Denzel Washington from his rise to power to his inevitable fall. And I say "depicted" as opposed to "documented" because there are disputes as to whether Lucas was actually "the boss" of the Blue Magic empire or if it was really Zach Walker (according to gangster Bumpy Johnson's widow) or if it was really gangster Nicky Barnes (according to some NY area Bronx locals). Walker didn't even get a mention in American Gangster and Barnes (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) had only a brief appearance.

The action in American Gangster was few and far between, but the story was very well told. However, most of the movie was forgettable. I already remember less about American Gangster than I do about Rambo or Cloverfield. As for Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem?....Let's just say that it would be nice if Ridley Scott got back into the Alien franchise and revived what the last two Alien/Predator directors killed.

Another great movie that will stand out for years to come, so be sure to add it to your DVD library. Inspired by true events, Denzel does an excellent job of actually making the audience feel some 'sympathy' for a murdering gangster! Not an easy task for an actor, or the screenwriters. We are given the story of a working man who only wanted a better life for his entire family, and he does his best to provide the best for them and his wife. However, he was a killer. It is only through the most superb writing and acting that a story like this can evoke the deeply mixed emotions brought to the surface. I believe most viewers will experience the same mixed emotions I did.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

American Gangster. Emphasis on "American." This is a Horatio Alger story, Harlem-style -- the rise and fall of a drug lord who bests the competition with old-fashioned MBA tactics: a product twice as good at half the price.

The entrepreneur is Frank Lucas, played by wolfishly lean-and-hungry Denzel Washington. His product is "Blue Magic," heroin smuggled to the States from Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War years. In the august American tradition, Lucas manifests his destiny with a little get-up-and-go, innovative marketing/distribution tactics, name-branding, and ends by establishing a business monolith on the streets of New York.

"American Gangster" would make an interesting (if near unwatchable) double-feature with "There Will Be Blood." Both are gruesome, indicting explorations of the American Dream skewed, twisted, and transformed into the American Nightmare. Both examine the Darwinian nature ("red in tooth and claw") of American capitalism -- kill or be killed, survival-of-the-fittest, last man standing. Both feature repulsive yet hypnotic antiheroes whose ambition is matched by their amorality. Both movies are long, violent, and bludgeoning.

Unfortunately, "Gangster" lacks "Blood's" obsessive focus on its main character. Washington is magnetic as the cool but volatile Lucas, while his costar Russell Crowe gets stuck with the perfunctory part of dogged detective on Lucas' trail, the one good cop in a corrupt city. This parallel storyline adds unnecessary poundage to an already flabby script, especially the sub-subplot involving divorce proceedings with the requisitely long-suffering wife. (Perhaps Denzel is getting revenge. Remember a movie from years back called "Virtuosity"? Probably not, but if you do it's only because a young, relatively unknown Aussie named Russell Crowe stole the movie blind from its supposed star, Denzel. Now it's Denzel's turn to slow-burn as the bad guy.)

The viewer has to wade through a whole lot of muck to arrive at the big showdown between Russell and Denzel (I mean, Richie Roberts and Frank Lucas). It's almost worth the wait. Their scenes together have a wit and energy the rest of movie lacks. There's even a suggestion of redemption in the Lucas character who, when Richie asks him if he'd like a drink, answers with a grin, "Holy water." It's too little, too late. The whole movie could have used a sprinkling.