American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Denzel Washington, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Russell CroweBrand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 174 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-19
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Widescreen; Dolby; Dubbed; Subtitled; NTSC
Movie Reviews of American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
Movie Review: Dark, gritty and raw; this gangster hits his mark...
Summary: 5 Stars
As a huge fan of Russell Crowe (I don't even know if the word `huge' can really relay how much I do absolutely love this man) I obviously had to see `American Gangster'. It was just a huge plus to have greats like Denzel Washington and the under-seen Josh Brolin (what a breakout year for him this was) included in the cast. I mentioned this movie a bit when reviewing the stunning `Zodiac' and while their similarities are few I can see why some would link the two together. They both utilize lengthened scenes to enhance a moody atmosphere, `Zodiac' leaning towards the creepy unsettling feeling of never catching the bad guy (whom they never catch) but `American Gangster' uses these scenes and apparent slowed pace and long running time to accomplish something else, fuller characters. I think that's probably the one thing that I loved most about `American Gangster' is that by the time the credits began to role I felt as if I knew everyone, even those with few scenes, those with limited speaking lines; I still felt as though I knew them inside and out.
Many have noted that `American Gangster' brings nothing `new' to the table; that it adds nothing to the crime genre but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. `American Gangster' may, in the sense of plot formula, add nothing new but it does take that `same old same' and add layers of class. `American Gangster' feels so genuine; it feels so realistic, gritty and raw that you feel as though you are walking the streets with drug kingpin Frank Lucas. The wardrobe (I feel weird calling them costumes), the music, the buildings; even the way the actors walk all bring to life the time in which the film takes place. Everything is spot on authentic and genuinely engaging.
I feel a need to defend this film because so many have attacked it for the buzz and accolades that it has garnered. Many feel pressured to compare this to last year's megastar `The Departed' and this serves as a disservice to `American Gangster' because it substitutes to glitter and Hollywood glam of `The Departed' for grit. `American Gangster' feels like an older film. This is a positive in my book but some have turned this into a negative. The other problem many have with `American Gangster' is that it didn't prove to be `Training Day Part II' as many had hoped it would be. Denzel Washington does not reenact his Oscar Winning role here but is much more subtle and reserved. I have my reservations about his performance which I will get to in a minute but in my defense of this I will say that Frank Lucas is not Alonzo and it's unfair to expect him to be. Neither of these complaints carries much weight with me for they take nothing away from the film in general.
`American Gangster', as many are probably privy to already, follows drug lord Frank Lucas' rise to infamy in the Harlem underworld. It also tracks his pursuit by Detective Richie Roberts. It almost plays as two films, two companion pieces. We have Frank Lucas building his drug empire, amassing great wealth and prestige and then we have Richie Roberts falling out among his peers and losing his family life but retaining his conscience as he works to incarcerate Lucas. Lucas and Roberts have their own sets of demons but they share some enemies, namely the crooked cops that permeate the area.
The cast is extensive and for the most part marvelous. Josh Brolin sizzles as crooked Detective Trupo. I've been a fan of Brolin's for a while and I am so happy that this year he was given the opportunity to embrace his acting talents and take off so-to-speak. Ejiofor also delivers a great performance as Lucas' brother Huey. He's sorely underused but what he contributes is memorable. In fact his few scenes had me wishing he would have been cast as Frank instead of Washington, but I'll get to that in a minute. RZA, Common and T.I. take a break from rapping to act and all do well. Cameo performances like that from Cuba Gooding Jr. and the sensational Ruby Dee are also captivating. I was wondering what happened to Cuba and I was glad to see him embrace his few moments of screen time to give us a memorable cameo, but it was Ruby Dee who delivered one of the most powerful performances in the film. I don't even think you can call what she did acting. The way she let her hands grab her knees in excitement or the way she trembled in frustration you felt her emotions so purely, so naturally.
But this movie of course has two bigger stars battling it out for your attention; Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Well, to be completely honest, and I say this with no bias, Russell Crowe is the champ here. Denzel just doesn't grasp who this man is. Yes, Lucas was a man that believed in a low key profile, a man who stayed purposely out of the limelight so as not to attract the kind of attention you don't want but Denzel takes this too an extreme he didn't need to take it. He never let his charisma shine. In some of his final scenes alongside Crowe (in the interrogation room for instance) we get a glimpse of the sarcastic and confident side of Lucas and it made me angry that Washington waited until the very end to show us what he could have done all along. He has his moments (mostly with regard to his brothers) where he dominates his character and delivers beautiful scenes but for the most part he was kind of boring. Crowe on the other hand masterfully got inside Richie to flesh out his demons and his admirable qualities and always did so with charm and in a manor that drew you to him. You wanted to watch him. Crowe had such a knockout year with this and `3:10 to Yuma' under his belt that it makes his Oscar snub so undeniably heartbreaking. Crowe's ability to lose himself inside his characters is one of the many things I love about him.
In the end I feel that `American Gangster' is a very strong film, a film that stands on its own merits and delivers beautifully. Is it the best film out this year? No, but it's far from the worst. In fact it's a very solid film that manages to engage it's audience and deliver thrills, chills and that feeling of satisfaction we receive when we watch something that truly entertains. This feeling is all thanks to the marvelous Ridley Scott who just adds yet another mastered genre to his resume. Scott is probably one of our greatest American Directors working today. He's taken genre after genre (unlike some who never leave their comfort zone) and delivered consistently solid work. From swords and sandals epics to war films to sci-fi horror films to cross country dramas to the gangster film Scott has stamped his signature mark on modern cinema with flair and perfection. Please, someone, give him his Oscar.
Summary of American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
Academy AwardŽ winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe team with director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) for an epic story as powerful as it is true. Armed with ruthless, street-wise tactics and a strict sense of honor, crime boss Frank Lucas (Washington) rules Harlem's chaotic drug underworld. When outcast cop Richie Roberts (Crowe) sets out to bring down Lucas's multi-million dollar empire, it plunges both men into a legendary confrontation. American Gangster is "a brutal and brilliant film" (Pete Hammond, Maxim)Similar DVD Movies
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