Ersbel Oraph The policeman is no angel in the purest of catholic senses, meaning he has extramarital sex. He is aggressive for an aggressive town. Otherwise he is a nice guy. The gangster is a variation of the old stock character tart with a heart of gold. Again, he is violent, but only because his job requires him to. Usually he too is peaceful. Drugs bring lots of money. And at the same time they are sometimes treated with less respect than wheat flour. Considering the expensive cast, I expected a better script.

Tweekums In the 1960s Frank Lucas worked as a driver 'Bumpy' Johnson; when Bumpy dies Frank takes over his New York drugs empire. It is a time when heroin is expensive and low grade but Frank decides to do something about that… he cuts out the various middlemen and buys directly from a producer in South East Asia and uses contacts in the US Military to fly the drugs from war-torn Vietnam to the States. Soon his high grade, low price 'Blue Magic' heroin his the streets of New York and nearby New Jersey. Meanwhile Richie Roberts, a cop who has lost the trust of his corrupt colleagues after handing in a million dollars of drug money he found rather than stealing it, is asked to head a new anti-drug task force. At first Frank isn't even on their radar; he is African American and everybody 'knows' the drugs trade is run by the Mafia. As the years pass Frank comes to dominate the local drugs trade and inevitable finds himself in the sights of Richie, who wants to arrest him, and corrupt cops, who want a slice of the action.This is a really solid crime drama in a similar vein to films like 'The French Connection'. The film impressively captures the feel of the late '60s and early '70s. There is no question that Frank is a villain but even though we see that he is a murderer and has no moral problems with ruining more lives with heroin he is likable. Denzel Washington really impresses in the roll. Russell Crowe contrasts nicely as Richie Roberts, an honest cop who is determined to get his man even if that means making enemies. The rest of the cast, which includes plenty of fine actors, does a fine job too. At two and a half hours the film certainly isn't short but I was never bored. I liked how the passing of time was marked by the progress of the Vietnam War; something which also plays a key role in Frank's drug supply. Overall this is an impressive crime thriller that is definitely worth watching if you are a fan of the genre.

nzswanny Denzel Washington delivers a strong performance in this otherwise underwhelming movie that fails expectations due to bad cinematography, hyperactive pacing and rushed editing. The scenes feel disjointed and just feel like they have been clustered together, while the cinematography continues shaking the screen as you become dizzy while to attempt to pay attention to the film. Now that we got that out of the way the acting and dialogue remain strong in their form as they shadow the cons of the film and stand tall, as well as the script and interesting true story the film's based on. Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington both share their perspectives of the scenario happening and the film delivers the audience a two-sided coin that is tossed in the air on the occasions. This film could of been good because of these pros, but I just thought that those cons somehow pushed into the viewing experience, therefore ruining it, which is why I give this a 6.3/10. It was sad, really; I really wanted to like this. Oh well.

Robert J. Maxwell It's kind of messy, the way real life is, but that's okay. It's also okay that it borrows some scenes and themes from "The Godfather" and "The French Connection" too. It's still a well-done original.Russel Crowe is an honest cop in Essex County (Newark), New Jersey. He finds a bag full of money from a dope dealer and turns it in, as he's supposed to, although this violates the police practice of keeping that sort of dough. It earns him snubs at the office.Across the river, In Manhattan, Denzel Washington is a driver and protégé of a big time Harlem heroin dealer. When the dealer dies, Washington take over the business, eliminates the middle men, and charges less money for dope that's far superior. It earns him the enmity of all the other dealers because he's undercutting them. They are not admirers of the unfettered free market, never having read Adam Smith. The NYPD is as crooked as the cops in Newark. Everybody wants a cut.Meanwhile, back in dystopian Newark, a special squad of drug enforcement cops is organized and Crowe is assigned to lead them. Their mission, should they choose to accept it, which they'd better, is to disregard the many junkies and street corner operators and go for the big game. In this case, after much sniffing around, in and out of their jurisdiction, Crowe's elite group finds Washing to be at the head of the organization, more powerful and richer than the Italians or anyone else.Crowe finally busts Washington, earns a law degree, and after prosecuting him in court, defends him and gets him off after only fifteen years. Both men were consultants on the film and both bitched about its inaccuracies.It was considerably better than I'd thought it would be. I mean, look at the title: "American Gangster." Roger Corman would have had a field day with it.Instead, there are several parallel stories interwoven with one another. Washington brings his family from North Carolina to New York and sets them up in his mansion. His mother is Ruby Dee, who was my co-star in the unforgettable mini-series -- umm, er, whatever it was. He attends church with them, says an earnest grace before meals. What kind of a gangster do you call that? There is, of course, a final kinetic shoot out, intercut with scenes of Washington at Sunday church service. Very ironic, as "The Godfather" showed. But you won't find too much gore in the movie. There are murders and suicides on the screen but the camera lens isn't splashed with blood.Both Washington and Crowe deliver decent performances, as does the supporting cast. No one stands out. They're all professionals. This isn't a masterpiece, it's not gripping like, say, "Prince of the City," but it's a neatly done genre piece that's worth catching.