Product Details

• Actors: Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna, Don Cheadle, Angus Macfadyen, William Petersen
• Directors: Rob Cohen
• Writers: Kario Salem
• Producers: Creighton Bellinger, Fred C. Caruso, Neal H. Moritz, Stokely Chaffin, Tom Horn
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Home Box Office (HBO)
• VHS Release Date: September 14, 1999
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0783114176
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,847 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

Hey, chicky baby--it's a cuckoo thing, ya dig? You, too, will find yourself speaking Rat Pack lingo after watching this made-for-HBO biopic about that brief and shining moment when Camelot met Hoboken-on-the-Pacific. The film does a good job of capturing the heady, anything-goes feel of the late-1950s, early-1960s era when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and their running buddies ruled Hollywood, Las Vegas, and, it seemed, the world. The story centers on Sinatra's relationship with John F. Kennedy (William F. Petersen) before and after he was elected president. It's not particularly flattering to either man, as Sinatra pimps Kennedy into a relationship with Judith Campbell, at the same time she was the favorite consort of mob boss Sam Giancana. Ray Liotta is a forceful Sinatra (though it's not much of an impression); Joe Mantegna has the look and the sound of the surprisingly sober Dean Martin; and Don Cheadle does a great job as the racially conflicted Sammy Davis Jr. Not great cinema but it's never less than engrossing. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed but Fun, November 24, 2003

By 

Amazon Jon "AJ" (Connecticut, United Staates) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rat Pack (DVD)

OK, so there are several problems with this 1998, sensationalist tale of Sinatra, his cronies, JFK and the mob. But, flawed as it may be, there is enough here to make it worth watching.
The major issue is the fact that Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, JFK, RFK, etc., etc. were so visible on screen back in the day and their images are forever preserved in peoples minds and memories forever. So when one sees a film like this, and they see contemporary actors playing historical figures of just a few decades ago, it doesn't always sit well with the viewer. Right off the bat, the cards were stacked against this film. Hell, in that respect it would be easier to make a film about Helen of Troy than Ol' Blue Eyes (We don't know for sure what she looked like, but we know she was attractive enough to launcha thousand ships).
The other issue was that Sinatra himself and his people tried desperately to a put a stop to this film. This is rather odd. Though he's hardly portrayed in the most positive light, he comes across much better here than he did in the 1992 miniseries which was authorized by Sinatra and produced by his daughter. Odd. At least here, Sinatra is seen as being someone who would do anything and everything for his friends.
Really, the plot focuses on Frank and the boys having the time of their lives as they quickly come together, film "Oceans Eleven," help elect Kennedy, and live large. Though their peak lasts only so long, it sure looked like a lot of fun.
Ray Liotta does a great job as the Chairman of the Board. He perfecty captures Sinatra's erratic behavior, volatile personality and borderline manic-depressive personality. He may seem, to some, like an odd choice, but check him out. You will be impressed.
Joe Mantegna tries his best to capture the essence of Dean Martin- an impossible task. While he looks and talks the part quite well, he never seems fully at ease in the role. Still, one must applaud his effort. Not even those closest to Dino knew him that well, so it can't be easy for any actor to truly get inside this enigmatic character.
Don Cheadle is quite good as Davis. Davis' voice and gestures have been so mocked over the years that it would be easy to play this character as a total caricature, but Cheadle brings tremendous heart to this role.
Speaking of caricatures, check out the Kennedy brothers! They may look the parts, but the actors are far from convincing (especially their awful faux-Boston accents).
Perhaps the real find here is Angus MacFayden as Peter Lawford. Not does he only bare a striking resemblance to him, but MacFayden seems to embody this troubled and tragic figure perfectly (Lawford was Sinatra's liason to JFK). His final confrontation with Liotta, at the very end of the film, is explosive and well worth the wait.
Critics may have reached their vedict prematurely on this film, claiming it to be a travesty and a poor depiction of somebody who is regarded as Hollywood royalty. At the end of the day, though, it is just a film and an entertaining one at that. It won't erase your memories of these pop-culture icons, but it will sure make you look at them from a different persepctive.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie - Even If A Little Hard To Follow, March 8, 2003

By 

TOL (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rat Pack (DVD)

As with most HBO productions, this movie is excellent. The story covers the lives of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and John F. Kennedy through the late 50's and early 60's. Although the focus is on these main characters,we also get the likes of Joey Bishop, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Ava Gardner, and Sam Giancana - all portrayed wonderfully by a very talented cast.

As for the acting:

-Ray Liotta is, as always, a fantastic actor who captured the character, if not the mannerisms, of Frank Sinatra. Liotta's speaking voice is too high-pitched to make a believable transition from the many musical numbers which are performed. But he does capture the essence of Frank's on-screen persona.
-Don Cheadle is dead-on as Sammy Davis Jr. He got the moves, the speech, and the quirks all down to a science. He is clearly the most believable character.
-Joe Mantegna was, for me, the biggest disappointment of the movie. Don't get me wrong, he mastered the whole nonchalant, "not a care in the world" personality that made Dino famous. But his voice had too much of a "Barney Rubble" quality for my liking. I found it to be too distracting.
-Honorable mentions should also go out to Angus MacFadyen for his terrific portrayal of Peter Lawford, both in looks and demeanor, and also to William Petersen for his right-on imitation of JFK.

As for the plot:

The movie spins a very controversial tale. Whether it is true or not, the following is clearly implied by the script:

-Frank Sinatra is tied very closely to the mob and, as a result, was treated like a King by his peers. He also wanted desparately to be liked by JFK.
-Peter Lawford was a sad, sniveling coward in front of Frank. He comes off as being afraid of his own shadow.
-Dean Martin was a loner who kept his distance from women, politics, and organized crime. But certainly not from booze.
-Sammy Davis was fighting his own inner battle over the racist jokes that were poked at him throughout the Rat Pack gigs.
-JFK was elected as a direct result of Frank's connections with the mob. He is portrayed as a fast living playboy who loved to sleep around.

How much of this is true? I really can't say. But, one thing is for sure: This movie delivers some pretty powerful messages through its story which, to some fans of the Rat Pack, may border on being "more than we needed to know".

In Conclusion:

This is a well-made movie with many subplots and many underlying implications. In some ways, this makes the movie a little hard to follow at times. Especially when you are expecting to see a movie about entertainers - not politicians. And in the end, that's what you get the most of - politics. So, in summary, the movie is very well acted and very well written, but may be a little heavy for the average Rat Pack fan.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Litttle Off-Center, But Brilliant Nonetheless, May 14, 2000

By 

"loungelizard7" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rat Pack [VHS] (VHS Tape)

No matter how you slice it, "The Rat Pack" is a good movie. Great performances, a very well-written script that captured the subjects beautifully, a swinging soundtrack and stylish visuals all combine to make this a fantastic film..

A better Sinatra could have been found out there, surely. Ray Liotta is a great actor in his own right, but just wasn't the right choice for this part. However, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin and Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr. (both were nominated for Emmys) were spot-on. Mantegna was wonderfully elusive as the deadpan, enigmatic, very sober Dino, and Cheadle stole the show as the immensely conflicted Sammy. I very much enjoyed Angus MacFadyen as long-suffering Peter Lawford and, even though he appeared only one or two times, Bobby Slayton as Joey Bishop. Good performances also came from William Petersen as JFK, Megan Dodds as May Britt, and Dan O'Herlihy as the scheming Joe Kennedy. And it doesn't hurt that the makeup (Emmy-nominated also) was great--take a look at the briefly-shown old Sinatra at the beginning!

The movie tries way too hard to cover several years in a couple of hours. It completely skips any backstory (including the Pack's formation), leaves out lots of things and people, and ends far too early, cutting out the many interesting developments in the years to come; also, many key players included are downscaled, like Bishop, Monroe, and mobster Sam Giancana. Also, incredible dramatic license is taken in places, ranging from the not-so-important (like the fact that the Pack always had their hotel rooms on the same floor, and "One For My Baby" was recorded years before the end) to the major (Peter informed Frank that Kennedy wasn't coming over the phone from D.C., and Dino and Sammy weren't there, either). But, somehow, it all still works.

Plot defects aside, there are some moments of sheer brilliance; the gang's music was used in striking ways to enhance what was onscreen. Sammy's first scene, with him singing, dnacing, and playing the drums AND the trumpet, really showed the immense body of talent he possessed (arguably more than any other Pack member) and the one-man showstopper he was. The group's carousing was caught nicely with the Summit re-enactment, and the after-parties in the great segment with "Ain't That A Kick in the Head" playing while the camera enters each member's hotel room. (Dean really would settle in with a comic book and a Western on TV!) The scene with Frank sailing with JFK at Hyannis Port, when Frankie was on top of the world, had "I've Got the World on a String" playing under it (it also played over the credits). Sammy singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" to the Ku Klux Klan; the juxtaposition of the lyrics and the situation--suddenly the words aren't about love anymore, but strong hate! This is a number that will leave you reeling. The final segment, with Frank singing "One For My Baby" as we see what becomes of the Pack and all their cohorts and remember their glory days, before Frank disappears in a cloud of smoke a la his "retirement" concert in '71, is as beautiful as it is stunning. I got chills when I saw the scene with Sammy, dressed in black satin pajamas, watching racist television reports about himself in an entirely white room. And Frank's introduction, singing "Live Till I Die," is beyond words. The lyrics sum up his life so well it's scary: "Those blues I lay low/I'll make them stay low/They'll never trail over my head/I'll be a devil till I'm an angel...Gonna dance gonna fly/I'll take my chance riding high/Before my numbers up I'm gonna fill my cup..."

It may miss here and there, but all in all, "The Rat Pack" is an motion picture experience that should not be missed.