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Empire

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Empire (2002)

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Reviews Counted:99

Fresh:21

Rotten:78

Average Rating:4.4/10

Consensus: In terms of the gangster genre, Empire's story is yet another tired retread.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and some sexuality

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Dec 6, 2002 Wide

Box Office: $17,504,595

Synopsis: EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets... EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets of the South Bronx. With an eye for money and a head for business, Victor dreams of one day achieving the wealth and success of a legitimate businessman. When Victor discovers that his girlfriend Carmen (Delilah Cruz) is pregnant, he jumps at the chance to give up the dangerous drug trade and joins forces with two new friends, Jack (Peter Sarsgaard)--a flashy Wall Street Investment banker, and his girlfriend Trish (Denise Richards). Jack offers Victor a new way of life and promises him access to "sure thing" investments. Eager to go legit, Victor quickly embraces Jack's standards of living. He gives up the streets of the Bronx for Jack's slick Soho loft and moves into the fast-talking, money-driven world of Wall Street. However, Carmen misses the warmth and familiarity of her roots in the South Bronx and Victor is torn between his own ambition and his desire to please her. Ultimately, he realizes too late that Jack and Trish are not all who they seem to be, and his best-laid plans begin to falter as he is forced to accept the magnitude of their betrayal. [More]

Starring: John Leguizamo, Denise Richards, Peter Sarsgaard, Ruben Blades

Starring: John Leguizamo, Denise Richards, Peter Sarsgaard, Ruben Blades, Isabella Rossellini, Sonia Braga, Treach, Fat Joe, Nestor Serrano, Delilah Cotto

Director: Frank Reyes

Director: Frank Reyes
Screenwriter: Frank Reyes
Producer: Daniel Bigel, Michael Mailer
Composer: Ruben Blades
Studio: Arenas Entertainment

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Release:

Mar 18, 2003

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Reviews for Empire

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Even if you haven't seen any of the tell-all television spots, every beat of this crime drama will look and sound familiar.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/31/09
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
02/17/07
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You can take the homey out of the hood, but you can’t take the hood out of the homey.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
02/16/04
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

The leads make it watchable (plus it's always a hoot to see Denise Richards onscreen in any form)...

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/13/04
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

None of this finds an emotional connection, and instead we watch it predictably unfold.

Full Review Source: Mark Reviews Movies | comment Comment
08/03/03
Mark Dujsik
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies

The film’s hodgepodge plot stumbles down the prototypical path of a gangster’s fall from grace with a bit of Boiler Room thrown in for good measure.

Full Review Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) | comment Comment
06/26/03
Nick Rogers
Nick Rogers
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

. . .this movie has a glossy coat of action movie excess while remaining heartless at its core.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
06/12/03
Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown
FilmStew.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Jim Shelby
Jim Shelby
Palo Alto Weekly
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BlackFilm.com | comment Comment
05/13/03
Wilson Morales
Wilson Morales
BlackFilm.com

Depois de capturar a imaginaçăo do espectador com um início envolvente e promissor, a história se perde de forma irremediável, desperdiçando o imenso potencial de seus dois primeiros atos.

Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena | comment Comment
05/07/03
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
04/27/03
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/05/03
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

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Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
02/17/03
Leigh Johnson
Leigh Johnson
Hollywood.com

Moody, stylish tale of heroin dealer John Leguizamo facing the white-collar world is a well-shot debut from Franc Reyes.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
02/11/03
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
02/09/03
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

Reyes has obviously seen Goodfellas 50 or 60 times.

Full Review Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram | comment Comment
01/02/03
Scott Von Doviak
Scott Von Doviak
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Yes, we're walking those mean streets again. Good thing we're taking a few unanticipated turns.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
12/23/02
Geoff Pevere
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unfortunately, Empire is nothing more than an exhausting retread of the same cliched urban cautionary tale that waxes about rebellion and redemption.

Full Review Source: Movie Eye | comment Comment
12/16/02
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye
 
 
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Latest News for Empire

June 22, 2005: "Empire" Director to Remake Fritz Lang Film
Reuters beings some remake news: Director Franc Reyes (2002's "Empire") has been tapped by Fox & Regency to helm a remake of Fritz Lang's 1956 thriller... More...

December 13, 2002: What “Empire” lacks in depth it makes up for with its heart. Opens in new window
More...

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