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American Gangster Extended Edition [2007]

Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Category: DVD

List Price: ~~Ł19.99~~
Buy New: Ł5.47
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New (30) Used (14) from Ł4.45

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

41 reviews
Sales Rank: 89

Format: Pal
Languages: English (Original Language), Hungarian (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 169
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6

EAN: 5050582550689
ASIN: B000YQ73H8

Release Date: March 10, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New and Sealed - Available for immediate dispatch. (First Class Post)

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk Review
A slow burning, yet entirely gripping, mobster film, American Gangster pits Denzel Washington's Frank Lucas against Russell Crowe's law enforcer Richie Roberts. Spread over a necessarily prolonged running time, their story is then brutally, expertly, told.

And while American Gangster isn't in the league of prime Scorsese and Coppolla classics (such as Goodfellas and The Godfather), it's the nearest we've come in quite some time to something of that ilk. It's all based on a true story, which does mean you need to forgive it some of its obvious narrative conventions, yet this also lends it a gravitas that the film eagerly makes the most of.

It's great too to see British director Ridley Scott tackling meatier material again. This is the man, after all, who gave us Blade Runner, Alien and Gladiator, and he duly delivers with American Gangster. His finest work it isn't, but an engrossing, explosive and hard-as-nails drama it absolutely is.

What's more, American Gangster is powered by two of the finest leading man working in Hollywood right now, and it's terrific to see Washington and Crowe on top form here. And while in cinematic terms it's hardly a film that treads new ground, it's nonetheless a proper, grown-up and engrossing movie, and a very good one at that. --Jon Foster

Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

american gangster- rubbish July 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I got this video via a recommendation, was disappointed, thought it was very slow, and only started to get interesting about half an hour before the end, to sum it up a load of rubbish,only consolation, i got it for a fiver from amazon, and didnt pay full price.

4 out of 5 stars

The Heat In Harlem July 12, 2008
Based on the true story of Frank Lucas this rise-and-fall movie suffers from following a formula that we think of as fictional. But truth is not stranger than, it is pretty much exactly the same as, fiction.

Our hero, the driver of a dead Harlem gangster, finds an ingenious way to exploit the Vietnam War to import better quality drugs cheaper. Samuel Smiles would have been proud of him. He then uses his family to run the business as if North Carolina was a province of the mezzogiorno. He deals with crooked cops and fellow gangsters in one of two ways; he makes a deal or he clips them. Behind the scenes is Russell Crowe the incorruptible ex-cop and now a fed who works to bring down Frank.

So far it sounds like Serpico meets The French Connection and The Godfather, and one wonders how much these fictional treatments were affected by the real events portrayed in this film. The result is a competent gritty crime film but one that yields few surprises.

3 out of 5 stars

Solid entertainment June 2, 2008
American Gangster is a solid piece of entertainment featuring two standout performances from Washington and Crowe who are well supported by an ensemble of fine character actors. Incidental music, costumes and sets effectively recreate the New York of the 1970s, a time of Vietnam, racial tension and police corruption.

It may not stand comparison with the very best examples of the genre, but can certainly hold its own against recent crime flicks such as The Departed.

Definitely worth a watch to see the two lead actors breathing life into two rather cliched characters (Crowe's world-weary cop and Washington's ruthless drug baron) but you might want to try it out as a rental before buying.

5 out of 5 stars

Slick May 28, 2008
I had read so many poor reviews in the press about this film that i wasn't expecting much but having seen it i am baffled as to why its critical acclaim was so lacking? It's slick, beautifully directed, with a top class cast who deliver superb performances. What i found most striking about this true story was the depth of police corruption and how this operated within the gangster/kingpin world - who were the real gangsters? Yes, it is a long movoe but i felt the story moved along nicely so i didn't feel it was long. It's a big story to tell and was done so with aplomb. Brilliant epic - i'm glad i wasn't put off by the critics or i would have missed a superb, cool, slick movie.

2 out of 5 stars

Slow and predictable May 12, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Rented this movie expecting big things - 2 great actors in Denzil Washington & Russell Crowe, and the synopsis of the film made it sound destined for greatness.

All I can say is that it was a bit of a let down. It stinks of being a big budget, big star movie without having any real substance. Individually the 'stars' deliver, however collectively the movie just doesn't work for me. It's very slow and very very predictable. Shame.