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Empire

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Empire (2002)

22%
25%
59%
N/A
N/A
N/A
22 %
Reviews Counted: 97 Fresh: 21  Rotten:76 Average Rating: 4.4/10
 
Consensus: In terms of the gangster genre, Empire's story is yet another tired retread.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 90 mins

Synopsis: EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets of the South Bronx. With an eye for money and a head for business, Victor dreams of one day... EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets of the South Bronx. With an eye for money and a head for business, Victor dreams of one day achieving the wealth and success of a legitimate businessman. When Victor discovers that his girlfriend Carmen (Delilah Cruz) is pregnant, he jumps at the chance to give up the dangerous drug trade and joins forces with two new friends, Jack (Peter Sarsgaard)--a flashy Wall Street Investment banker, and his girlfriend Trish (Denise Richards). Jack offers Victor a new way of life and promises him access to "sure thing" investments. Eager to go legit, Victor quickly embraces Jack's standards of living. He gives up the streets of the Bronx for Jack's slick Soho loft and moves into the fast-talking, money-driven world of Wall Street. However, Carmen misses the warmth and familiarity of her roots in the South Bronx and Victor is torn between his own ambition and his desire to please her. Ultimately, he realizes too late that Jack and Trish are not all who they seem to be, and his best-laid plans begin to falter as he is forced to accept the magnitude of their betrayal. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: John Leguizamo, Denise Richards, Peter Sarsgaard, Ruben Blades, Isabella Rossellini

Director: Frank Reyes
Screenwriter: Frank Reyes
Producer: Daniel Bigel, Michael Mailer
Composer: Ruben Blades

DVD Info

Release:

Jun 3, 2004

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35:1

Interactive Features:

  • Scene Access
  • Interactive Menus

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
02/17/07
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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3/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Ratings Image
N/A

You can take the homey out of the hood, but you can’t take the hood out of the homey.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/16/04
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly
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3/5

The leads make it watchable (plus it's always a hoot to see Denise Richards onscreen in any form)...

Full Review | comment Comment
02/13/04
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com
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2/4

None of this finds an emotional connection, and instead we watch it predictably unfold.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/03/03
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies
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2/4

The film’s hodgepodge plot stumbles down the prototypical path of a gangster’s fall from grace with a bit of Boiler Room thrown in for good measure.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/26/03
Nick Rogers
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
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N/A

. . .this movie has a glossy coat of action movie excess while remaining heartless at its core.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/12/03
Charlie Brown
FilmStew.com
Ratings Image
2/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
05/20/03
Jim Shelby
Palo Alto Weekly
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
05/13/03
Wilson Morales
BlackFilm.com
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3/5

Depois de capturar a imaginação do espectador com um início envolvente e promissor, a história se perde de forma irremediável, desperdiçando o imenso potencial de seus dois primeiros atos.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/07/03
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
04/27/03
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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3/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
04/05/03
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews
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3/5

Moody, stylish tale of heroin dealer John Leguizamo facing the white-collar world is a well-shot debut from Franc Reyes.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/11/03
James Rocchi
Netflix
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1/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
02/09/03
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
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N/A

Reyes has obviously seen Goodfellas 50 or 60 times.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/02/03
Scott Von Doviak
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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3/5

Yes, we're walking those mean streets again. Good thing we're taking a few unanticipated turns.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/23/02
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
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2/4

Unfortunately, Empire is nothing more than an exhausting retread of the same cliched urban cautionary tale that waxes about rebellion and redemption.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/16/02
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye
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1.5/4

The film ends up being derivative of every drug-themed, drug-centered movie we've ever seen, and goes down the same dark unforgiving and predictable path as all the others did.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/02
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com
Ratings Image
2/5

There isn't a redeeming character to be found in Empire which makes it awfully hard to enjoy.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/02
Gerry Shamray
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/02
Orlando Weekly
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Related Forums

empire sucked ! The worst part is the producers knew they created garbage
by: Rockwell 4/28/03


GONY, 25th Hour, Empire, Catch Me
by: Fidelio 1/4/03


This movie looks great but....
by: Ivy Killa 12/8/02


The reason most people will go to see this movie...
by: RalphDClark 12/5/02
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Pictures

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News

"Empire" Director to Remake Fritz Lang Film
posted by Scott Weinberg June 22, 2005
Reuters beings some remake news: Director Franc Reyes (2002's "Empire") has been tapped by Fox &...

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• Empire at Rotten Tomatoes
• Empire at AskMen
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