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American Gangster (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] | ![American Gangster (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qEGrT9FZL._SL500_.jpg)
| Actors: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.98
Buy New: $17.95
You Save: $9.03 (33%)
New (10) Used (7) from $11.87
Rating:  195 reviews
Sales Rank: 6888
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: HD DVD
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 158 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.4 x 0.5
MPN: 61102687
UPC: 025195020879
EAN: 0025195020879
ASIN: B0011NVCO8
Theatrical Release Date: November 2, 2007
Release Date: February 19, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe team with director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) for an epic story as powerful as it is true. Armed with ruthless street-wise tactics and a strict sense of honor crime boss Frank Lucas (Washington) rules Harlem's chaotic drug underworld. When outcast cop Richie Roberts (Crowe) sets out to bring down Lucas's multi-million dollar empire it plunges both men into a legendary confrontation. American Gangster is "a brutal and brilliant film" (Pete Hammond Maxim).System Requirements:Running Time: 158 minutesFormat: DVD HD Genre: DRAMA/CRIME & CRIMINALS Rating: R UPC: 025195020879 Manufacturer No: 61102687
Amazon.com
Ridley Scott puts on his "sweeping saga" gameface again, this time not for the sci-fi vistas of Blade Runner or the ancient world of Gladiator but for an urban epic. American Gangster gives the story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a real-life Harlem crime lord who built an empire on Southeast Asian heroin in the 1970s. Running parallel to Lucas's somewhat standard story is the investigation led by a persistent New Jersey cop, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). Roberts is a more interesting character than Lucas--too honest for his own good, unlucky in his personal life--and this kind of character, easily patronized by others, fits Crowe like a polyester shirt. Scott's tendency to hit his points square on the noggin is much in evidence here, including the typecasting of the supporting roles and the predictable Serpico atmosphere of the whole thing. (And speaking of supporting actors, the film needs more Chiwetel Ejiofor, whose role as a Lucas sidekick feels cut down.) It succeeds as a kind of chewy entertainment, fueled by the presence of two big stars working their muscles. Both Washington and Crowe look pretty brawny here. --Robert Horton
Stills from American Gangster (Click for larger image)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 190 more reviews...
 Can ya feel me!!! September 30, 2008
J. O. Booker (St. Louis Mo.)
On another film I reviewed on Amazon, I said that I only follow directors and not actors. Here, I'll make two strong exceptions. But, first let me digress a moment to applaud Mr. Scott for yet another great film. There are directors who I look upon as the infrastructure--the superhighways--on today's movie landscape. Spielberg, Cameron, Scorsese, Scott (Tony), Lynne, Tarantino, Greengrass, Nolan, Greenaway, Tykwer, Verhoeven, Noe, Amoldavar, Jackson, Inarritu, Anno, Lee--when I see these names attached to any movie, I automatically know that the movie's going to at least be decent, if not, damn good. If Hollywood had a Mount Rushmore, Ridley Scott's image--and those of his contemporaries--should be deeply etched one stratum below the immortal images of Hitcock, Fellini, Bergman, Lang, Coppola, Powell, Kubrick, Kurosawa, etc. From BladeRunner, to Alien, to Gladiator, and now American Gangster, Ridley Scott's canon of films are among the best films ever.
Now, to my two exceptions: First, Denzel Washington. The man ages like wine. Like DeNiro or Clint Eastwood, Washington is a ticket pull all by himself. His presence and machismo overpowers the screen. He makes a bad movie watchable. In fact, I can't recall the last bad movie he starred in, which speaks a lot of his intelligence in selecting quality scripts.
Secondly, there's Russell Crowe. Like Denzel, Russell Crowe is a man's man in every role he plays, whether he's playing good-guy or bad-guy it doesn't matter. He proves that the leading man doesn't have to be Brad-Pitt-pretty-boy to be a Hollywood leading man. Russell's got the kind of durable rugged looks and powerful rottweiler build you're likely to see on some guy in the middle of the road driving a jackhammer through the pavement. Or the kind of guy you'd envision out on probation--the kind of guy you wouldn't want to see at night in a dark alley. Like Denzel, Russell can carry a movie on his back, and also like Denzel, Russell knows how to select quality scripts.
American Gangster is the story of Frank Lucas and his rise to the pinnacle of Harlem's organized crime world. Under the tutelage of his ailing mentor, Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas foresees the end of the old model of organized crime based on middlemen, exaggerated profits, and diluted product. Young Lucas is Johnson's personal driver and sole protégé. Following Johnson's death, Harlem's drug scene washes into a violent free-for-all with up and comers battling to succeed Bumpy as Harlem's kingpin. Meanwhile, Frank Lucas is aloof. Even before Bumpy's death, Frank had been quietly formulating his own schemes for life and crime AFTER ol' Bump, who'd constantly lament about the good old days of customer service, middlemen, and respect among thieves. Bumpy's death frees Frank to do business a different way.
He disrupts the monopoly of the New York Italian Mafia. Frank personally flies to Asia and establishes a direct link to smuggle heroin into the U.S. He enlists a distant cousin, U.S. Army sergeant Leslie "Ike" Atkinson, to transport his dope into the U.S. inside the coffins of dead soldiers. With no middlemen, Frank's dope, called Blue Magic, is 100% pure on the streets of Harlem. Frank organizes his immediate family and cousins in ancillary posts--or fronts--throughout his drug network, from processing, measuring, and packaging, to receiving and distribution. Because Frank carries himself conservative and low-key, he's able to avoid the cops.
Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is a persistent New Jersey Cop determined to find out who's taken over Bumpy's turf. For a while, Frank is invisible. Then, one night he makes a big mistake. He shows up at an Ali fight in full regalia, draped from head to toe in mink and chinchilla, and festooned in diamonds and gold. He's shaking hands with the movie stars, the boxers, and the Mafia figures. Richie Roberts spies all of this from a distance through his binoculars--now the cops know who has taken over Bumpy's turf.
Richie, however, has his own problems; he's a poor and honest cop. Discovering almost one-million dollars in the trunk of a car, Richie does the wrong thing and turns in the money without divvying it up with the force. His wife is leaving him because he makes peanuts as an honest cop.
Both Richie and Frank are opposite sides of a coin: want of money disrupts Richie's life; wealth is not enough to prevent Frank's marriage and family from disintegrating. Richie's on the right side of the law, and Frank's on the wrong side of the law. Both lose everything.
From the music, the sets, the cars, and the costumes, American Gangster is solid entertainment all the way.
Does Mr. Washington have any bad movies? September 30, 2008
alightinsideme (Virginia , USA)
Apparently not.
This man is the greatest living hollywood actor that i know of. He puts mind, heart, spirit and soul into his roles, his whole self it seems.
With each movie ive seen, he alone makes the movie, even if its not a masterpiece (john Q), he alone, his very performance, is worth the price of admission to get a seat in a packed theater.
American Ganster is no exception. A well done inspiring picture that tells the story of a man living outside of the law, who desired to give his family the best, whose strong work ethic took him to the top of his community, and the repercussions he was delt for the choices he made to get there. In short, he was very much his own man. Living above the lawful, and the lawless.
I dont pretend to know the real life story of our main character, Frank Lucas, so i cant say if this is the truest most accurate depiction of how things went down, but i do know, that i was given an inspiring performance, with good supporting performances from Russel Crowe and others.
As the movie progressed, around every corner , i was worried for Frank, i didnt want the man to get blown away. Thats how involving the film is, and thoughts how much i liked Frank's character. I dont know if id care much for the real man, but if he was anything like how Denzel portrayed him to be, then id be rooting for him.
Its crazy, Mr. Washington can take even a criminal , an apparent bad guy, and make us get up and cheer when he gets away, or feel a genuine sense of concern when the characters life seems to be in danger.
He became this man, i totally forgot i was watching a movie, thats how good it was.
Through all the harassment, the raids, the warrants, the attempts on his life, through all the crooked cops, through all the years, Frank Lucas had composure.
Sure, he deserved what he got in the end, but hes no different than most people, trying to do something with themselves, who dont do things exactly like a saint would. But i think, out of all the gangsters ive seen portrayed in films...from Little Cesar to John Gotti, no one seemed as honest nor meant more well, than Frank Lucas.
Now i could be very wrong, but this film made me a believer. It moved me. One of the best scenes ive ever seen a gangster film is probubly when Frank is confronted by his mother near the end when things start to fall apart....it was such a painful, emotional and powerful scene, between mother and son. I felt some tears in my eyes as i watched that part.
Again, im not sure as to how historically accurate this film is. But based on how it was all done, it kept me coming back for more. Good high intensity moments, very good acting, a memorable story, a character you cant help but care about played by Denzel Washington, and i must note that Russell Crowe, who plays the cop whose in pursuit of Frank Lucas, does a good job in his role as well, although i just couldnt keep my self from wishing he'd fall in a ditch somewhere so that Denzel's character could get away and live happily ever after, but reality kicks in i guess.
If you like gangster films , i think this a welcome addition to the old black and white gangster films, to the 70s God Father films , to The Departed Film. Though American Gangster is nowhere as grand or great as lets say, The Godfather, or as totally unforgettable as lets say, The Goodfellas......American Gangster tells the tale of a unique organised crime boss in Harlem, who wasnt of italian or irish decent, but was of african decent. Here we see a different world within organized crime...its not big guys doing buisness over a plate of pasta...the fellas in American Gangster are getting chinese take out! LOL
But in all seriousness, we see our share of self ran clubs, partys, big family dinners, and the "good life" and all that success brings...but its interesting to see it done with a different type of soul.
I tell ya, i would of loved to have lived in Frank Lucas's house, and have dinner with that family. Scenes of the times he had with family nearly made us forget he was who he was, you just wanted to see more time with him and his big family, how he took care of everyone, and how much love there was. But perhaps im over doing it. So ill leave you to your thoughts now, but im pretty sure you will like this film.
I think it is worth buying, its good enough. Its not a sweeping gangster epic, but its a powerful film none the less. Denzel Washington does it again, this time portraying a true prince of the city.
A true story about the 60's and 70's drug trade September 21, 2008
Bob Waskiewicz (Wintersville, Ohio United States)
I never knew about this true account of how drugs were brought in the USA during the late 60's and 70's.The acting and story are brilliant.I just got done watching the film,and I can't wait to see it again.
THE ACADEMY WAS OUT TO LUNCH September 21, 2008
Night Owl (new hampshire)
It's a disgrace that this movie wasn't nominated for Best Picture last year. An absolutely riveting story very well told and acted. It held my interest from beginning to end. It's everything I want in a movie. Thanks to all involved, I appreciated it.
Quite riveting with interesting comment on America September 9, 2008
Alan A. Elsner (Washington DC)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This movie weighs in at two hours and thirty eight minutes and for most of that time I was glued to the screen. It's a classic story of the lone honest cop tracking down the powerful gang boss, but with a twist.
Denzel Washington, mezmerizing as always, plays a man who builds a powerful drug trafficking empire, smuggling drugs direct from Vietnam using U.S. military personnel and planes to ship the pure heroin to the streets of New York. Washington loves his mama, dresses in expensive suits, looks after his family and pursues the American dream. He is also ruthless, prepared to shoot a rival in the head in the middle of a crowded Harlem street in broad daylight without fearing anyone would testify against him.
The twist is his character's assertion that what he is doing is nothing more or less than pure American capitalism. He has a business to run and he runs it. He becomes rich -- but that is no more than the legitimate and just reward for his enterprise. "This is America," he says at one point. And the fact is that the police, with the exception of the Russell Crowe character, are just as corrupt as the criminals, all on the take and making their own living from the drugs trade.
I should add here that I was a little nervous about watching this film because I have a low threshhold for screen violence. But there isn't much violence, those scenes that are included are necessary to the plot and the camera does not dwell on them too much.
The movie falters a little in its final 20 minutes which consist of an extended coda after the climactic scene. However, in general this is first-class entertainment which should also raise a few questions in viewers' minds as well.
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