Kill the Irishman Reviews

Excellent movie about Danny Green and the Cleveland Mafia during the seventies. Lots of action will keep you interested all 1hr and 46 minutes. 4 1/2 Stars 3-1-13

This is a fun little romp based on the rousing true story of Danny Greene- an Irish hood who waged a turf war with the Mafia all throughout the 1970s in Cleveland, and basically caused the downfall of the mob's activities in that region.

Now, Greene was no saint, but he was a noble guy who had a great sense of personal pride and ethics. He went from low level trouble maker to union boss, to hood, to Mafia enemy #1 in just a few short years. And his story is both really fascinating, and a lot of fun. Heck, he survived so many assassination attempts that part of the movie actually becomes rather comical.

To bring this story to life, writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh (The Punisher (2004 version)) assembled one heck of a lineup including another person involved with the Punisher (Punisher War Zone), Ray Stevenson in the lead as Greene. Filling out the roles as various mob figures, union guys, and cops are Vincent D'onofrio, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Bob Gunton, and tons of THAT GUYS! like Robert Davi and a bunch of others. Oh yeah, and Linda Cardellini as Greene's wife.

This is quite a set up and notabel cast, and, thankfully their efforts don't go to waste. The period details are great, the story is really interesting and enjoyable, and the performances are all pretty solid for the most part. Yes, the movie does somewhat come off as a Scorsese rehash, but I never felt like the film was a total ripoff, but rather just an homage. Of course, given the impact of MS, it's really pretty hard to not make a film like this without garnering such accusations.

All in all, this is a worthwhile film that fans of the cast or the subject matter should definitely check out. I had no idea that the events in the movie actually did happen, but man, it's some wild stuff that definitely has me wanting to learn more about the actual exploits of the so-called "Man the Mafia couldn't kill".

Well this was a surprise and a find that has gone unnoticed somehow, based on a true story and with a good cast this is an excellent mafia film that deserves to be up there with the greats.

I was really impressed with Stevenson's performance here as Danny Greene, not only does he look like the real Greene but he seems to have nailed his persona pretty well too from what I have read up about Greene. The whole film also looks really good too really capturing the 70's nicely, especially the gritty dirty blue collar areas of Cleveland which really make you glad you didn't live there at the time.

The film isn't exact with history as you can guess, it starts just before Greene becomes President of the ILA for dock workers, it appears to be quite close to reality but of course it may have been made a little more glossy. The way in which the film shows him becoming the president is a bit dubious methinks. As said the casting is decent and proves the films worth, you can hardly go wrong with Chris Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Robert Davi, Paul Sorvino and Val Kilmer, the only downside to the cast and film is the inclusion of Vinnie Jones trying his hardest to pull of a serious acting role plus an Irish accent, he doesn't succeed.

Nice direction, reasonable soundtrack and is actually filled with little footage segments from actual news reports of the time which work nicely. More of a 'Goodfellas' type film within the genre so you can tell what I'm angling towards, watch for some real footage of Greene at the very end.

Based on the true story of Danny Greene the man the mob couldn't kill

More than what I expected! I really enjoyed this film, it caught me off guard it was really good. Pretty good acting and story. Decent cast. If you like mafia films then this one is for you. Interspersed with the actors' scenes were actual clips of film footage from local newscasts of the day, which added authenticity and a touchstone to the amazing story that unfolded in Cleveland some 30-40 years ago.

The true story of Danny Greene, an impoverished but charismatic young Irish-American who rises to power as president of longshoreman's local and is charged with corruption but evades serious jail time by becoming an FBI informant. With fearless nerve he joins forces with a Mafia gangster to rise to power in Cleveland's underworld, gaining the reputation of a Robin Hood figure and a man with nine lives as he escapes countless assassination attempts.

Cast: Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Linda Cardellini, Tony Darrow, Robert Davi, Fionnula Flanagan, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, Paul Sorvino, Mike Starr

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Summary: This true crime tale from director Jonathan Hensleigh charts the bloody rise and fall of Irish mobster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson), who faced down the Mafia to claim control of organized crime in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1970s. Based on Rick Porrello's book, Hensleigh's hard-hitting film also features Christopher Walken as well-connected nightclub owner Shondor Birns and Val Kilmer as the cop who befriends Greene against his better judgement.

My Thoughts: "I found the story of Danny Greene to be very interesting. I thought the cast was excellent and all fit the character's very well. Especially Ray Stevenson as Danny Greene. The film is more realistic then most mob films, because of the fact it's based on a real person and actual events. Danny Greene was a bad-ass in every shape and form. He was likable and compassionate which made you root for him. A plus for me was that the film had the actual news footage in the movie. That made it even more realistic to see these things that actually happened. It really was one of the most interesting mob stories I have seen and I hope more see it."

The best gangster movie since Goodfellas. An instant classic. It's a tough, lean, mean and ass-kicking good time. A stylish, cool and explosive film. A smart, slick, wickedly funny and action-packed crime flick. An exhilarating and riveting knockout. This movie packs pure punch and totally delivers, the only way the Irish can. A hard-boiled crime drama that's filled with great star power as well as great humor and style. It's one of best movies of 2011. I truly loved it. A fantastic all-star cast. Ray Stevenson is incredible, he gives an explosive, magnetic and unforgettable movie star performance. Vincent D'Onofrio is excellent. Val Kilmer is terrific. Christopher Walken is brilliant. This is Director, Jonathan Hensleigh's masterpiece. A bold, frequently enjoyable and tremendously entertaining movie.

"If any of these maggots from the so-called mafia want to come after me, I'm not a hard man to find."

The true story of Danny Greene, a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland during the 1970's.

REVIEW
This is the true story of Danny Greene (Stevenson), the man the mob couldn't kill. After an encounter with loan shark Shondor Birns (Walken) ends badly, a $25,000 price is put on his head. The mafia tries everything they can think of, but Danny will not go down without a fight. Being a huge fan of mafia movies, I was really looking forward to this one. While the movie is very good and entertaining, I was a little disappointed. The movie seemed to never keep up a steady pace. Some parts moved very quick and were fun to watch, then the next scene slowed it way down and didn't seem to have any impact. The cast however, makes this movie. There are too many stars to list here but there are about ten known actors that really make this movie as good as it is. If the cast was not what it was this would have been a really bad B movie, but as it stands it is a very entertaining movie to watch. On a side note Val Kilmer is not embarrassing to watch in this (unlike his last 4 or 5 movies). Overall a very good movie, but a tad disappointing.

this film improved significantly in my mind in the days after i saw it. inconsistent acting and dialogue usually dont make for a 4 star film, but the film was authentic and gritty, and had a way of sticking with me and peaking my imagination in a way that is rare in films. a great mobster film.

Ray Stevenson, who will always be known to me as Titus Pullo in Rome, shows that he's more than capable of carrying a whole film on his shoulders. With a plot reminiscent of, and obviously inspired by Goodfellas, this is a competently made crime saga with quite the excellent cast. It can't be accused of being very original, but as a fan of these type of stories, I was intrigued nonetheless. Sort of like a light and much shorter version of said epic by Scorsese. Not as flawless and exciting, but a good watch for sure.

Whoa, 1976 must have been an exploding year for Cleveland!!!

As Detective Joe Manditski(Val Kilmer) recalls, Danny Greene(Ray Stevenson) never backed down from a fight in his life, even as a kid. As an adult, he finds one when working on the dockyards in the 1960's where he gets into it with union boss Jerry Merke(Bob Gunton). At the same time, Danny gets involved with the local mob to get a friend's gambling debt canceled which Merke tries to hold over him but to no avail. Danny's rule as union president does not last long, as union corruption is exposed and he is banned from the union for life but spared jail time. Having to support his wife Joan(Linda Cardellini) and three kids, he goes to work for Shondor Birns(Christopher Walken) and his numbers business.

If "Kill the Irishman" borrowing heavily from Scorsese was the only problem it has, maybe you still might have had something. Based on a true story, there is probably enough material for a compelling crime movie. This is not it. All we get about Danny are some nice moments and anecdotal nuggets like his being extraordinarily hard to kill and well-read for a blue collar criminal. Part of the lack of detail here especially involves Cleveland, and ignoring the possible negative effect an explosive gang war might have had on the city. Ray Stevenson may look the part in the lead but sadly lacks a strong presence. That leaves it up to the supporting players, of which Christopher Walken and Fionnula Flanagan make the strongest impressions.

Kill the Irishman is an interesting drama about the mob wars in Chicago during the '70s. The story follows the life of Danny Greene as he rises through the longshoremen union and starts his own crime syndicate. Ray Stevenson and Vincent Dâ(TM)Onofrio give strong performances and have a solid supporting cast that includes Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken. At times the story gets a bit confusing and drags as it goes through the ups and downs of Danny Greensâ(TM)s mobster life. But overall, it's a fascinating story about organized crime in Chicago. Kill the Irishman is a compelling drama with a number of good performances.

Set in the city where I now live, Cleveland, but filmed in Detroit. I wasn't aware that Cleveland had this history. It makes an interesting story and I am glad some big names took roles in this film. Stevenson as Danny Greene is the pillar at the center of the story. Many of the supporting characters provide lots of verve, a few are quite stoic, but you end up with a believable mix of personalities. There are some genuine shocks in the violence of the gang wars. However, the thing that most impressed me about this film was the use of archival television news clips or the recreations of similar clips.

Ray Stevenson's performance is the best reason to watch this film. He definitely shines here. It was great seeing him in a role like this. I usually see him in films playing the villain or a sidekick. I didn't think he was great as the Punnisher but he was excellent here. I would love to see him do more leading man type of roles like this.

The film I thought was so so. It needed a rewrite. I thought the voice over narration shouldn't have been from Val Kilmer's character, but rather from Ray Stevenson's character. The style of the film kind of felt like they were trying to copy Scorcese's mob films style.

The film is well casted. Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Robert Davi, and Christopher Walken all deliver.

I definitely recommend the film cause of Ray Stevenson's performance in it.

I wished that this one got more media exposure...for a true story it was awesome. The guessing games as of who was going to get "whacked" and when was insane! LOL! Ray Stevenson played the part of Danny Greene professionally. This is definitely a classic gangster Irish v. Italian flick to have in your collection.

I'll admit to being biased toward mob movies, I love em', always have. And I enjoyed this movie. No it's not Goodfellas, no it's not The Godfather, it's not trying to be. It's a fascinating true story, with a who's who of mafia movies. I see some criticism of Ray Stevenson, but I thought he fit the part perfectly. I do have two main criticisms. For one, Val Kilmer was wasted. For another, much of the CGI is terrible. Overall however, well worth checking out.

Kill the Irishman deserves to be a top mafia movie, but it falls just shy of achieving of its potential because of some lapses in storytelling and depth, but it does get marks for realism and charisma. Ray Stevenson is a fine actor, but his accent jumps in and out during the movie. I couldn't quite tell if they meant for him to be completely Irish or assimilated American-Irish. Some of the characters aren't fleshed out as much as I would have liked who I felt deserved a good background or look into their personal lives a bit more. A few scenes were unnecessary as well that were sort of like jump cuts. However, the action is good and by the end you really feel for the mobster Danny Greene. Val Kilmer as the cop wasn't anything to write home about and Christopher Walken was, as always, a presence on screen in his brief time. It's funny cause most people in the mob are associated with New York or the North East and wouldn't give two looks toward Cleveland, but it deserves to be recognized for the impact it had on the world of organized crime.

There were more bombs in this movie than Saving Private Ryan. And Danny Greene (Mr. Titus Pullo from Rome) seemed so ahead of his time that it bordered on parody in one scene.

"Kill the Irishman" is a bland, cheap gangster flick that has a handful of well-made moments. It had the potential to be something good, but ends up being a run-of-the-mill "Goodfellas" knockoff, and despite a cast of tough-faced actors, it's simply not mean enough.

I thought this was going to be really cheesy, but it was actually pretty good.