RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / American Gangster
American Gangster

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

American Gangster (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
79 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:202

Fresh:159

Rotten:43

Average Rating:6.9/10

Consensus: American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders.

Rated: 18 [See Full Rating] for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality.

Runtime: 2 hrs 38 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:16-11-2007

Synopsis: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Brian Grazer and Ridley Scott team to tell the true juggernaut success story of a cult figure from the streets of 1970s Harlem in American Gangster. Nobody used... Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Brian Grazer and Ridley Scott team to tell the true juggernaut success story of a cult figure from the streets of 1970s Harlem in American Gangster. Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas (OscarŽ winner Washington), the quiet driver to one of the inner city's leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure to build his own empire and create his own version of the American Dream. Through ingenuity and a strict business ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade, flooding the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes not only one of the city's mainline corrupters, but part of its circle of legit civic superstars. Richie Roberts (OscarŽ winner Crowe) is an outcast cop close enough to the streets to feel a shift of control in the drug underworld. Roberts believes someone is climbing the rungs above the known Mafia families and starts to suspect that a black power player has come from nowhere to dominate the scene. Both Lucas and Roberts share a rigorous ethical code that sets them apart from their own colleagues, making them lone figures on opposite sides of the law. The destinies of these two men will become intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only one of them can come out on top. Washington (Training Day) and Crowe (Gladiator) lead a spectacular cast of accomplished and rising stars--Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, RZA, Common and T.I.--in this blistering tale of a true American entrepreneur directed by OscarŽ nominee Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and produced by Academy AwardŽ winner Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind) and Scott from a screenplay by Academy AwardŽ winner Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List). -- © Universal Pictures [More]

Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Chjwetel Ejiofor

Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Carla Gugino, Ted Levine, John Hawkes, RZA, Ruby Dee, Cuba Gooding, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, Common, T.I.

Director: Ridley Scott

Director: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Steve Zallian
Producer: Brian Grazer, Ridley Scott
Composer: Marc Streitenfeld
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 35

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for American Gangster

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

An intricately woven account of drug trafficking and police corruption in Harlem in the early 1970s.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
11/16/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
thelondonpaper

Ridley Scott's American Gangster offers both belated history-lesson and demented hero-worship, and seems to be intended as a kind of gift to black America. One hopes that black America will have nothing to do with it.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
11/16/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Two and a half hours without a wasted frame.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
11/16/07
Sun Online

Scott is something of a romantic at heart. His film is nowhere near as jaded or as hard-bitten as the '70s films such as The French Connection or Serpico that it hopes to echo.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
11/16/07
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Here's a startlingly original true-life story told in an oddly unoriginal way. And that attempt at instant classic status in the title doesn't quite convince. It's got no more dark grandeur than American Idol.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment 1 Comment
11/16/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sharp, observant and true to the period, the film-making is, on the whole, less determined to show its virtuosity than in Scott's other work.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
11/15/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

Length does not add substance to the drama, even where reality adds weight to the argument.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
11/15/07
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

A film that deserves attention, if not your full respect.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/15/07
James Mottram
James Mottram
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A cocksure upstart that has swaggered onto the scene, confident that it can take its place at the table with the big boys.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
11/15/07
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

American Gangster tells a fascinating story with impeccable production design and two powerhouse performances, but Ridley Scott is no Scorsese and the film never really comes together.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
11/15/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

An entertaining romp through familiar cop-and-crim cat-and-mousery, bolstered by strong star turns from Washington and Crowe. Still, it has neither the intelligence nor the grip to jump from the merely good to the truly great.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
11/14/07
Ian Freer
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Scott’s best film since Gladiator is a classy cops ’n robbers thriller where the latter outclasses the former. Crowe tries to redress the imbalance with a committed performance, but you can tell he knows it’s Washington’s movie.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
11/14/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film

Like much of his oeuvre, Scott’s scaled-up movie is bigger than life – and lesser for it. But while never digging deeply or darkly enough to match its own grand vision of itself, slick technique drives the story forward with pace and style.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
11/14/07
Jonathan Crocker
Jonathan Crocker
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Almost makes up for GI Jane.

Full Review Source: Little White Lies | comment Comment
11/14/07
Mike Brett
Mike Brett
Little White Lies

A guaranteed shot of pure heart-pumping entertainment.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/06/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Long but never boring, it's an expertly crafted slice of mainstream entertainment telling two concurrent stories.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
11/03/07
Mike Goodridge
Mike Goodridge
Screen International

Impeccable production design and searing performances. But the tale unfolds in a superficial way that makes it impossible to care about what might happen.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
11/03/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Flattened by Scott's cardboard evocation of New York in the '70s, Zaillian's shallow criticism of corrupting power, and weirdly bloodless performances

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/27/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

When American Gangster was announced, with actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott, it seemed like a can't miss project. It missed.

Full Review Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly | comment 1 Comment
02/02/09
Tony Macklin
Tony Macklin
Fayetteville Free Weekly
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
all

Latest News for American Gangster

August 16, 2008: ByAnyMediaNecessary.com: The equal opportunity bone crunching pits real life black druglord kingpin Lucas (a grinning, scary Denzel) and Crowe's womanizing, eager beaver Jewish NYPD crime buster in an ethnically diverse, cat and mouse go at it. Opens in new window
More...

August 16, 2008: ByAnyMediaNecessary.com: The equal opportunity bone crunching pits real life black druglord kingpin Lucas (a grinning, scary Denzel) and Crowe's womanizing, eager beaver Jewish NYPD crime buster in an ethnically diverse, cat and mouse go at it. Opens in new window
More...

July 07, 2008: American Gangster Sequel Coming? Opens in new window
Is Universal filming American Gangster 2 in Puerto Rico? More...

May 06, 2008: 2008 MTV Movie Award Nominations Announced
It's almost time to hand out some golden popcorn -- the nominations for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards have been announced! More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
67% 67% The Merry Gentleman

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
142
  • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
26
  • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
19
  • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
3
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
119
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
36
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
8
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
102
  • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
11
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
69
  • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
54
  • Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
43
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
34
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
32
  • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
26
  • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
11
  • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
  • Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
51
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • American Gangster at Rotten Tomatoes
  • American Gangster at IGN
  • American Gangster at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.