Review of "American Gangster"


Anyone interested in massive amounts of gun play?
Neither was I. That is why I became a big fan of "American Gangster."
Now, I like a good ole fashion gang movie with a massive shootout, which this one had, but I also personally like gangster movies that have some brains, and not the type spewed all over the walls.

The basic storyline is that Frank Lucas' (Denzel Washgington) gang mentor, boss, and friend has passed from old age. Now Harlem has gone into chaos, and Lucas wants to restore order, like any good gangster/business man does. Anyway, it is 1968, and the conflict in Vietnam is ongoing, and Lucas gets the idea to ship in pure heroine, not the watered down version the other gangs are selling, and eliminate the other businesses in the area. Meanwhile, Richie Robert (Russell Crowe), the cop with a good moral code in a corrupted department, is assigned to a special unit to take down the major crime lords in the area.

What follows is a smart, witty take on the gangster film by Ridley Scott that still has enough of stereotypical, old school gangster lifestyle to wet the fanatics whistle, without becoming a mindless shoot em up; God knows we've had enough of those movies this year.

The acting in this film is very good. Washington again is very good at what he does, and Crowe does well playing the detective role. Supporting roles by Cuba Gooding Jr., Common, and Tip Harris also add color to an already strong cast. The directing is also very strong, as Ridley Scott shows that he still has a talent for his craft. My only complaint with the movie is its pace; it can get a little slow in some areas, but overall, it wasn't too big a problem.

Not trying to give anything away, but it does have the typical moment where everything in the gang leaders world that he worked a seeming lifetime to achieve is destroyed in minutes, but just a hint, Lucas doesn't lose in this movie.


There is also a strong underlying tone in the film about the American Dream, and achieving it on your own by working hard, being your own boss, and not taking crap from anyone.

I must stress that if you have children, DO NOT BRING THEM TO THIS MOVIE!!!
It has very strong and racial language, violence, drug use, nudity, and other things you associate with a gangster flick. It is rated R for a reason, so just leave the kids at home.

If you like gang movies like The Departed, Goodfellas, and the Godfather series, then you will probably like this one as well.
I give it 4 stars out of 5.
I can't give it 5 because the pace does slow down a little in some places, making you want to check your watch, something a movie shouldn't do.



Links
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808745378/info,
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800071079/info,
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1802821120/info.

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