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Movies / On DVD / American Gangster
American Gangster

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American Gangster (2007)

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Reviews Counted:13

Fresh:12

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7.3/10

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

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Reviews for American Gangster

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1 - 13 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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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]
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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
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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]
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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
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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
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A guaranteed shot of pure heart-pumping entertainment.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/06/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
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Washington's steely grip on his impersonation of Frank Lucas holds the film together.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/02/07
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
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An intelligent, well-made and seductive movie.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
11/02/07
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
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It takes nerve to call a film American Gangster -- But once you see this finely made and richly satisfying film, you understand it's the only title possible.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/02/07
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is an engrossing story, told smoothly and well, and Russell Crowe's contribution is enormous.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/02/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Greatness hovers just outside American Gangster, knocking, angling to be let in.

comment Comment
11/01/07
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
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The movie is smooth and smart enough to attract a significant audience beyond the considerable fan base of its stars, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment 2 Comments
10/24/07
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 13 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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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

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