American Gangster has the vibe of Scorsese's Goodfellas but in it's own style and both Denzel and Russell did really great performance and Ruby Dee (rip) does really amazing supporting role as Mama Lucas.

If American Gangster feels more Hollywood than history, that’s because it is. While loosely based on real events, most of the real-life figures have admitted that the film takes significant creative liberties. This is why movies are no substitute for history class. As entertainment, though, it’s a solid crime film. The pacing starts slow but keeps you hooked. It captures the grime and glamour of the ’70s, the mobsters who ran the streets, and the few "untouchable" cops resistant to the corruption running deep in drug enforcement. At its core, it’s an action-packed drama about two men on opposite sides of the law: one building an empire through crime, the other a determined detective fighting against the odds to take him down. And, as all great crime stories do, it ends with a sense of American justice for all, that largely smooths over the rough edges of the true story it is based on.

Mafia movies just hit when set in NYC. A gritty crime-drama based on a true story, set during one of the most notorious crime periods for New York City. Ridley Scott continues to prove there is not a sub-genre in existence that he is unable to direct expertly, but it definitely helps having one of the most talented leading men of the generation, Denzel Washington, starring as Frank Lucas. Russell Crowe’s acting skill set works well in Scott’s films, this time as Detective Richie Roberts. Denzel and Russell have great-screen chemistry with each other as well as with the rest of the eclectic cast. It is a more contemporary NYC mafia movie that holds its own against similar great films.

Denzel brings the Training Day level of performance here. Great movie that I could watch over & over again.

4.0 stars; Outstanding performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe put this film among the top films of this genre. You've certainly seen this story before—about the rise and fall of a mob boss. The 2 1/2-hour film length seemed a little excessive, but with the performances of Washington and Crowe, along with excellent efforts from a supporting cast including Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, and others, those 2 1/2 hours didn't really seem that long. Add Ridley Scott's direction, and you have a classic of this genre.

84%. 12/14/24. True story about Denzel bringing his family from rags to riches. He employees all 5 of his brothers. He starts as the prodigy of a crime lord in Harlem, once his mentor dies, he wants to run things so he goes to Vietnam to work out a deal to buy top quality meth and have it shipped through the military to NY. He does a good job staying under the radar until he wears a chincilla coat to a boxing match and Russell Crowe's character learns about him. Denzel was already paying off much of the police force. His cousin eventually gets caught doing something illegal and wears a wire and everything tumbles down on Denzel. Denzel ends up working with the cops and they bring down basically the whole city's DEA unit for bribery. Good film but pretty tame. 4/5 rewatch

Best Denzel Washington movie by a country mile. Outstanding performance. Chuck in Russel Crowe at the very top of his game. Finally a brilliant true story. Mix it all together and Bingo a CLASSIC !!!!!

Movie that you must watch...❤️

Definitely worth watching

One of the worst Denzel Washington movies I've seen. The character simply doesn't fit him. In the same way Pacino and Deniro are naturals in the gangster roles, Washington's unnatural. He looks and sounds like a choirboy moonlighting as a gangster. There's really no 'there' there. The characterization in the movie is poor; Frank Lucas is a bunch of cliches, Richie Roberts' personality is drawn by making him quirky (another cliche). The conflict between Roberts and his ex-wife is another exhausted cop-movie cliche. The Josh Brolin and Armand Assante characters are the ones that feel most realistically drawn, but the latter is only a 10 minute or so cameo. The overall storyline is a bunch of tired gangster movie cliches, and two and a half-hours is just way too long..

Denzel Washington is arguably one of the best writers of his generation. This film proves it. That's all I have to say

This movie suprised me was excepting a run of the mill crime movie but watching out I was deeply invested and at one point I cheered for Frank Lucas. Nevertheless Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe were the stars they delivered. The dynamic between and the characters they portrayed made this movie a great watch.

A great movie. Denzel at his best. Otherwise, made me despise the POS crusader Ritchie Roberts. Please go dispose of yourself you despicable self righteous a**ole.

Boring story, not Denzel's best work.

Such an underrated movie. I watch it at least once a year. Amazing performances. Great story.

Denzel Washington totally rocks here! A masterpiece of gangster genre. You must watch this!

The gangster's rise and fall story has been done plenty of times before but this one does it nearly as well as any. On the downside, I got the impression the audience was supposed to somehow sympathise with Lucas and it's difficult when he shows no care or remorse for the enormous damage he's done. Plus, for someone who spends the entire runtime talking about how much family means and having deliberately involved them in his business, he's awfully quick at helping the police lock them up to cut his own sentence.

Similar ground of the tale of the rise and fall of a gangster however this is one of the best to do it & Denzel’s performance is very good. I loved the music choices, the settings and the story of Lucas. However it lacks the violence and tension other gangster flicks drum up better however this is still an incredible movie.

4.69. The story is incredible and must have left viewers wondering if the war on drugs should end in America. The film also reminds how complex humanity is. The acting is wonderful and the pacing is top-notch. "American Gangster" about halfway through compelled me to say, out loud, "This is a good movie."

I just rewatched this movie after quite a few years. It was as amazing as it was the first time!