American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
by Ridley Scott
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Denzel Washington, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Russell CroweDirector: Ridley Scott
Brand: WASHINGTON,DENZEL
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); 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
Movie Reviews of American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
Movie Review: "They look at me like it's Christmas, and I'm Santa Claus."
Summary: 5 Stars
This is yet another ultimate movie from Ridley Scott, Denzel Washington, and Russell Crowe. This is not just a gangster flick, but, like The Godfather & Heat, is also a psychological drama. It tells the story of Frank Lucas, an African-American man who becomes a #1 drug importer in 60's Harlem. Richie Roberts is the cop who's willing to bring Lucas and his tainted business down. Seems like a simple story, but the film itself is far more complex. There is more story than action (not to say it is bad, but it really stands out with other awe-inspiring motion pictures). Ridley Scott simply knows how to make a great film, and this is one of his greatest. The performances here are also memorable. Washington, Crowe, Brolin, Gooding Jr., Nadal, Dee, Common, and T.I. give their roles their all, and they do it almost flawlessly. I'm surprised Washington wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. And the costumes and sets are just ravishing! It really feels like you're back in the late 60's, where you're anticipating the most intense boxing night in history.
It's not as great as other gangster/cop flicks, but it's great on its own level. Grade: A
Summary of American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
Academy Award? 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)Ridley Scott puts on his "sweeping saga" gameface again, this time not for the sci-fi vistas of Blade Runner or the ancient world of Gladiator but for an urban epic. American Gangster gives the story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a real-life Harlem crime lord who built an empire on Southeast Asian heroin in the 1970s. Running parallel to Lucas's somewhat standard story is the investigation led by a persistent New Jersey cop, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). Roberts is a more interesting character than Lucas--too honest for his own good, unlucky in his personal life--and this kind of character, easily patronized by others, fits Crowe like a polyester shirt. Scott's tendency to hit his points square on the noggin is much in evidence here, including the typecasting of the supporting roles and the predictable Serpico atmosphere of the whole thing. (And speaking of supporting actors, the film needs more Chiwetel Ejiofor, whose role as a Lucas sidekick feels cut down.) It succeeds as a kind of chewy entertainment, fueled by the presence of two big stars working their muscles. Both Washington and Crowe look pretty brawny here. --Robert Horton
Beyond American Gangster on DVD
 Great Crime and Gangster Films |  More from Denzel Washington |  More from Russell Crowe |
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