American Gangster (2007)

All Critics (209) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (174) | Rotten (43) | DVD (22)

Ridley Scott's gangster flick aims high and mostly measures up.

October 18, 2008 Full Review

Bob Mondello

NPR.org

Top Critic

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.

November 14, 2007 Full Review

Jonathan Crocker

Time Out

Top Critic

How much truth we get in the movie version is hard to say...nobody much cares if it's gospel, as long as it's riveting. Here, alas, it is not.

November 6, 2007 Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards

Film.com

Top Critic

For all its grit, style and atmosphere, Gangster never sweeps you away. It has neither the lurid bravado of De Palma's "Scarface" nor the intimate grasp of the criminal lifestyle you find in Scorsese or Coppola.

November 5, 2007 Full Review | Comments (2)

David Ansen

Newsweek

Top Critic

Washington's steely grip on his impersonation of Frank Lucas holds the film together.

November 2, 2007 Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

Top Critic

Ridley Scott's listless Big Statement is a wheezy, hot air-inflated dud.

November 2, 2007 Full Review | Comments (4)

Geoff Pevere

Toronto Star

Top Critic

Though it's certainly admirable to aim high, it's like Frank Lucas himself says: "Either you're somebody, or you ain't nobody." Unfortunately for American Gangster, it ends up somewhere between the two.

November 3, 2012 Full Review

Ali Gray

TheShiznit.co.uk

It's 157 minutes long, but immerses its audience with its twists and intricacies as it plays out and considers the logistics and consequences of crime and police corruption, with a plethora of show-stealing performances from the cast.

July 14, 2011 Full Review

Alex Fletcher

Digital Spy

American Gangster an epic, true crime drama, that although not entirely original in its premise is excellent in its execution.

July 7, 2010 Full Review

Matthew Pejkovic

Matt's Movie Reviews

Flattened by Scott's cardboard evocation of New York in the '70s, Zaillian's shallow criticism of corrupting power, and weirdly bloodless performances

August 27, 2009 Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

File this one under "American Oscar Wanna-Be."

April 23, 2009 Full Review

Peter Keough

Boston Phoenix

When American Gangster was announced, with actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott, it seemed like a can't miss project. It missed.

February 2, 2009 Full Review | Comments (2)

Tony Macklin

Fayetteville Free Weekly

Violent, drug-fueled drama isn't for kids.

July 9, 2008 Full Review | Comment (1)

Cynthia Fuchs

Common Sense Media

Washington may have not wanted to glorify the Harlem drug dealer, but with his superb acting skills he has created one of the coolest gangsters since Tony Montana.

May 20, 2008 Full Review

Adam Tobias

Watertown Daily Times

Telling a true story doesn't excuse a filmmaker from making his movie stand out from the many others that have traversed similar ground.

May 1, 2008 Full Review | Comment (1)

Alonso Duralde

MSNBC

It feels familiar, even Washington's performance of real-life Frank Lucas feels like something we've seen before.

March 4, 2008 Full Review

Jeff Bayer

The Scorecard Review

It isn't that American Gangster is an empirically bad film or is even unenjoyable. But don't be surprised if, when you walk out of the theater, you forget the film ever existed.

February 28, 2008 Full Review

Brandon Fibbs

Colorado Springs Gazette

With the exceptional extras piled on, the unrated-extended DVD let's you judge drug lord Lucas for yourself.

February 22, 2008 Full Review

Victoria Alexander

FilmsInReview.com

Inflated talk of American Gangster as a modern masterpiece--or even an Oscar-worthy picture--ignores the fact that there's not a single memorable setpiece in the film.

February 19, 2008 | Comments (2)

Peter Canavese

Groucho Reviews

Steven Zallian (Gangs of New York) tackles the screenplay, which is based on an article by Mark Jacobson, and creates a captivating story with an otherwise basic premise.

February 18, 2008 Full Review

Michael Ferraro

Bronsonfive

• 1. Frank Lucas: There's your 20 percent.
  – Submitted by Eli T (54 days ago)
• 1. Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson: This is the problem. This is what's wrong with America. It's gotten so big, you just can't find your way. The grocery store on the corner is now a supermarket. The candy store is a McDonald's. And this place, a super-fucking discount store. Where's the pride of ownership, huh? Where's the personal service? You see what I mean? Shit. I mean, what right do they have, of cutting out the suppliers, pushing out all the middlemen, buying direct from the manufacturer? Sony this, Toshiba that. All them Chinks putting Americans out of work. That's the way it is now. You can't find the heart of anything to stick the knife.
  – Submitted by Patrick D (13 months ago)
• 1. Chinese General: Quitting when you are ahead is not the same as quitting.
  – Submitted by Nandu J (15 months ago)
• 1. Frank Lucas: Even a fool gets to be young once.
  – Submitted by Alexandar T (21 months ago)
• 1. Richie Roberts: It was the right thing to do.
  – Submitted by Félix C (2 years ago)
• 1. Frank Lucas: You're either somebody or you're nobody.
  – Submitted by Alex O (2 years ago)

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