Customer Reviews

Public Enemies (Two-Disc Special Edition)

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(43)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Great movie - no problem there. However, besides the three or four main people, the acting was terrible.

Yes, movies can take some liberties on the truth, however SO MANY facts were just not correct (i.e. The movie has Baby Face Nelson dying AT Little Bohemia). The ORIGINAL story is so compelling, why even need to "add in" and "take away" from the truth?

I expected a lot more, love Johnny Depp he must of had to do this with his contract. This is not like the untouchable's or soprano's, somewhat lost my interest

I am an avid supporter of Mann's work so I had no expectations with PE of there being a crystal clear Blu (the cameras he uses) or articulate/perfect sound mixes that allow you to crank it up and still hear dialogue during action scenes. So in fairly rating the BD that detraction list all comes true here, but I still enjoyed the incredible attention to prop detail and filming locations - both of which get covered adequately in the special features.

The picture quality is standard to good as those cameras create the night blur/drag (similar to Miami Vice) but some of the outdoor scenes are clear enough to even see the lens/shutter change (reference the outdoor shot of the jail as Dillinger is driving/escaping - you can actually watch the camera operator change the filter from dull to sharp). The sound is mixed differently throughout depending on the location so some scenes are clear if the camera is pointing right at the speaker, but most do not allow you to have the volume set higher as the gun play is over-amped and/or loud scenes drown the dialogue (airplane, cars, guns, etc.). I still loved watching the performances and I already had read how historically inaccurate the story was but the other details made it a good film to watch - especially since they filmed in so many of the actual locations that the events occurred. Supplements are enjoyable and include:

* 20:32 minute making-of. Mann centers the interviews and flow of the documentary and includes some thorough depictions of how some scenes were made and character preparation.
* 8:44 minute Last Outlaw. Gives a brief history of how these guys were considered to be the last outlaws and covers the actual last moments of Dillinger's life.
* 9:48 minute Locations. Shows all of the work put into filming at the three main historical locations of the story (Bohemian Lodge, the theater and the prison). Shows what can be done if you have enough money to do it right.
* 9:39 minute Criminal Technology. Describes how/why Dillinger had the cars and guns that outperformed the police. Also shows how the FBI started to use more technology to fight these criminals. Some history about Winstead and his role in the shooting (references using outside law help to end Dillinger).
* Commentary with Mann. I always enjoy listening to his theory on attention to detail and what it takes for him to make a film - granted not for everyone.
* DBox - did not use it.
* U-Control. Allows for using the PiP function and incorporating time lines while you watch.
* BD Live. Did the Gangster Movie Challenge, it scrolls through multiple choice options of different movie trivia; had not watched American Gangster recently so I sucked and gave up but you should be able to get all of the PE questions. It does keep track and your score can be compared against other users.

The menu is the standard Universal left-feeding live background action menu (good scenes, good music) but there are more options this time around to help facilitate BD Live stuff (two different icons for that) and learning about how to use everything on the BD (another icon for that). Plus a live feed (similar to a news feed) stays on the upper right quadrant of the menu screen that gives updates on BD live events and other movie stuff.

Overall, a good product for fans of the film and those with a network connection.

Public Enemies, directed by Michael Mann, and starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and Christian Bale as G-man Melvin Purvis, is a sturdy and basic film without venturing too far into the showy or flashy realms. The acting is adequate but not inspired. The dialogue is not bad, but not very memorable, either. Gun fights and car chases go on far too long. Although mostly entertaining, the running time at 2 hours, 20 minutes is about half an hour too long - we know that Dillinger will get shot outside a Chicago movie theater, so there's little suspense in the last half hour. Okay, but never quite breaks through to the "really good" category.

This movie seemed promising. I love the Golden Era history. Dillinger was a character I honestly had interest in. Heck, I even enjoy Johnny Depp as an actor. This movie however missed on all fronts.

The primary downfall of this movie was the directing. There is not one interesting shot in the movie. I kept falling asleep because each time the film cuts to a different angle it is the same medium shot as all of the rest. There are no real close ups, or far ways... just standard medium shots through out.

The acting overall is sub par. It seems like this movie was made over the course of a few weeks. There is even a scene which has a modern day jeep in the background. No one really seemed to put any effort into this movie.

One thing I can't understand are the great reviews for this movie. I was actually excited to see it, but was soooooooo let down that I had to turn it off before I even finished it. I don't normally take naps in the middle of the day, but this movie sure put me in the mood.

I had heard of John Dillinger vaguely before renting this movie, and mainly, the only reason I gave it a shot was because of Johnny Depp, who acts in the main role as the infamous criminal. I consider him to be one of the most brilliant actors of our generation, and I usually love his movies. But I wasn't struck with an enjoyment when watching "Public Enemies". I was actually disappointed.

The biggest reason I didn't enjoy this movie was because of the way it was filmed. Most movies have a much crisper quality about them, but the film used to portray John's story is grainy and strange to watch. It's almost like watching someone film a movie with a video recorder from Best Buy; some people might like this unique approach to filming, but I think it takes away from the power of a movie.

Coming in a close second is the fact that this movie is remarkably plot-less. The story is a little confusing, and the flat story-line, as well as dialog that didn't spring life into the tale, was disappointing. For most of the film, I sat, bored, and usually skipped to better scenes. There is little action, and the climax is hardly engaging.

However, with my negative opinions aside, there are a few things that make this movie decent, and worth a watch. Johnny Depp is still an excellent actor, portraying the life of the dead criminal as well as he could. Christian Bale also makes a strong opponent to Johnny's character; though it's hard to see anyone but Batman when I see Christian, it was enjoyable to watch him. Finally, the love between Johnny's character, Dillinger, and the girl he finds, Billie, is very touching. Based on a real criminal and a real relationship, they create a very tortured, but honest connection, and that alone made this movie a bit better.

So if you're reading this, and trying to decide if you should bother watching "Public Enemies", I insist you watch it just to get your own opinion. It's not an Oscar-worthy movie, but still somehow... strong, and worth a rent.

At his best, Michael Mann can craft stylishly-made thrillers and compelling dramas (The Insider, Collateral and his early TV work), but when he lapses into his more self-indulgent, portentous mode, movies like Public Enemies result. By the end of this film, I was really surprised at how conventional and tired Mann's sensibility was. Another movie romanticizing (albeit in grave, heavy-handed style) the lives of Dillinger and co.? It's like he took one of those 30s gangster flicks, gussied it up with moody atmosphere, packed it with an all-star cast, and yet drained it of energy and flair and excitement--to accomplish what? There's no new perspective on these lives, no kind of modern, edgier take on Dillinger, or any kind of freshness in the execution. It's the same romanticized vision of these anti-heroes we've seen time and again (and Mann's already done before). The whole movie feels stale and plodding for its 2 1/2 hour duration. I also dislike Mann's recent use of digital video to shoot his films--this one has a dull, flat look that just adds to the lugubrious feel. Mann still knows how to stage the action scenes, and he gets good performances out of his actors, but the pop sensibility, the fun slickness of style, and the excitement of Mann's earlier work has disappeared without any compensatory maturing of themes or film-making craft. A disappointment.

I adore Johnny Depp's acting style and eagerly awaited the release of Public Enemies. Dillinger's history has always fascinated me and the opportunity to see Depp play this iconic gangster was a thrill I couldn't wait to see. Granted, the movie had great costuming, music, and appeared to be historically accurate. The acting is what led to my bad review. Depp was stellar, as always, but I felt the other actors were a bit stiff and unbelievable in their portrayals. The movie did hold a lot of promise, reaching but never quite touching that realm that would have made it stellar.

Most of this film works incredibly well. The period piece feel is completely effective, and Johnny Depp is compelling and watchable as Dillinger. I felt Christian Bale's performance was well judged, as he played a man who was a bit of a weasel but it's not how we're used to seeing Bale.

For the rest of the cast, Stephen Graham stands out. The violence and setpieces are well done, some of the best I've seen.

The flaws are in some aspects of the narrative, which flags in places, and that some confusion on minor points can arise. But overall this is good cinema and well worth seeing.

Sherlock Holmes and the Flying Zombie Death Monkeys

I started viewing the John Dillinger dramatization with the understanding that movies about larger than life, iconic characters are nearly always heavily rife with exaggeration and a fair amount of creative license, but "Public Enemies" really went overboard.

Johnny Depp was perfectly cast in the role of Dillinger, in that he does over the top very well, and the role called for that kind of acting.

There was the obligatory contrived love story arc that brought "Pearl Harbor" to mind. I think a lot of the story of Dillinger's life was sacrificed for the benefit of an awkward, underdeveloped love interest that was only present to fit into a formulaic design to construct the movie.

A really nice part of the film was the cinematography. The mix of wide angle shots and shaky first person shooting immersed me in the action scenes.

One of the more innovative scenes used an effect of transitioning to antique video camera type quality in the presence of period news crews. Another great scene started at Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters and turned into Dillinger watching a newsreel of the headquarters seamlessly.

Any time a movie is done in a historical setting, I usually try to suspend disbelief and not really worry about historical accuracy. I understand that for a movie designed to make money, historical accuracy will always be thrown out in favor of making the movie more marketable and appealing. However there are usually blatant historical inaccuracies that can trigger me to go on a hunt to look for all the problems with the film.

For "Public Enemies," this blatant disregard for fact happened when Dillinger accompanied a girlfriend to the Chicago Police headquarters while she was getting a waitressing license. I was able to suspend disbelief that America's most wanted criminal would willingly go into a police station at the center of the investigation to bring him to custody. I was also willing to believe that someone might need a waitressing license to work at a restaurant in 1930's Chicago.

What positively killed the movie for me was when Depp, as Dillinger, approached a group of detectives crowded around a radio listening to a baseball game. Dillinger casually asked the score.

"Cubs 3-2 top of the 7th," the detective answers just as casually. As the camera zooms in on the radio, the radio announcer reports, "Leading off for the Yankees..." at which point, the scene ends.

This was supposedly the day Dillinger died, July 22, 1934. Are the majority of viewers so ignorant as to believe the Cubs were playing the Yankees at Wrigley Field in July, 1934?

This is not just a little mix-up, I could understand if the people who put the scene together didn't research for two minutes to find out the Cubs lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 on July 22, 1934. The two minutes was no exaggeration, by the way, that's how long it took me to dig up that little nugget.

The primary sin here is that the movie introduces interleague play 63 years early. The Cubs and Yankees didn't play against each other once in 1934, and the only occasion they would have had to do so would have been the World Series, which doesn't take place in July.

For me, this historical inaccuracy made the rest, which I'd stomached fairly well to that point, pretty much unbearable. I think what truly bothered me about the interleague play gaffe was that it was not creative license, but sheer unbridled laziness.

For instance, the film portrayed Baby Face Nelson being gunned down at the famous shootout in Little Bohemia, in a really well done scene. The main problem with this of course is that Nelson didn't actually die until 4 months after Dillinger. At first, I assumed it was just a plot ripple designed to make Special Agent Melvin Purvis a bit more interesting as a character, but after seeing the baseball scene, I think it could just be another mistake in the film.

"Public Enemies" was just okay as a work of pure fiction. It was enjoyable, but not thoroughly re-watchable. I give it a 5.5 out of 10.