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American Gangster (2007) Rank 4 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give American Gangster (2007) a score of 2.9480 out of 4
based on (232) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(55)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(123)
Good
2
Good
(49)
Fair
1
Fair
(5)
Poor
0
Poor
(0)
Reviews by Score:
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)
"Alcanza el ideal de todo filme ambicioso: entretiene los sentidos y estimula las neuronas." ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Martin Scorsese will buy the movie's poster and frame it on his bedroom wall. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Can Magazine (Fred Topel)Can Magazine (Fred Topel)
Finally, after 12 years, a filmmaker was finally able to recapture the magic of Virtuosity . ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Can Magazine (Fred Topel)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Capital Times (Madison, WI) (Rob Thomas)Capital Times (Madison, WI) (Rob Thomas)
I expected that "Gangster" would pay homage to films like "The French Connection," "Superfly," "Serpico" and even "The Godfather." What I didn't expect was that the spirit of those films was deeply imbedded in its bones. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Capital Times (Madison, WI) (Rob Thomas)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for E! Online (Peter Paras)E! Online (Peter Paras)
The beautiful/violent American Gangster has plenty of talent behind the camera, in director Ridley Scott, but the film's key player is Denzel Washington. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at E! Online (Peter Paras)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
It has the aspirations of an epic of crime and punishment, a superb feel for time and milieu, and an almost subliminal feel for myth. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
American Gangster is good old-fashioned knuckles-to-the-jaw entertainment. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)
This is by far the best film of the year with stand out performances from Crowe and Washington. But it's not as epic as it wants to or should be. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
A classic and potentially powerful structure in storytelling is to pit two powerful figures against one another. Most interesting in the form of it used here is that the two men aren't aware of each other for most of the drama. When they finally lay eyes ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
Ridley Scott packs the film with period detail and vivid, violent energy reminiscent of high-grade Scorsese, then mixes in a Lumet-like, keenly observed outrage at systemic corruption. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
There is a long tradition of gangster films dating to such tough ones as the 1930 âLittle Caesar.â Now âAmerican Gangsterâ carries the tradition further. Directed by Ridley Scott from Steven Zaillainâs screenplay based on the New York magazine a ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Apart from the detail that he was a heroin dealer, Frank Lucas' career would be an ideal case study for a business school. "American Gangster" tells his success story. Inheriting a crime empire from his famous boss Bumpy Johnson, he cornered the New York ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Film School Rejects (Loukas Tsouknidas)Film School Rejects (Loukas Tsouknidas)
...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Film School Rejects (Loukas Tsouknidas)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Elyusha Vafaeisefat)Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Elyusha Vafaeisefat)
...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Elyusha Vafaeisefat)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Sun Online (--)Sun Online (--)
Two and a half hours without a wasted frame. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Sun Online (--)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)
This gripping tale has you wanting to know more about Mr. Lucas and his path to fame. I found myself Googling him, and you will too! ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for MovieJuice! (Mark Ramsey)MovieJuice! (Mark Ramsey)
Russell is, indeed, a cop. And, miraculously, he works for the same police sergeant that Monk works for two thousand miles and 37 years away! How can that be?! ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at MovieJuice! (Mark Ramsey)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Ridley Scott carefully controls the tone so that we almost feel like a fly on the wall of an era in crime. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Maxim (Pete Hammond)Maxim (Pete Hammond)
It marks a return to the lost art of true storytelling, every bit as epic as 'The Godfather' and just as fascinating to see. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Maxim (Pete Hammond)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Film School Rejects (Nate Deen)Film School Rejects (Nate Deen)
...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Film School Rejects (Nate Deen)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Frank's Reel ReviewsFrank's Reel Reviews
What appealed most to fans of the wildly popular HBO series, The Sopranos, is the same pulse that fuels Ridley Scott's new action/drama American Gangster. We love seeing the creep of structure and civility into the fringe aspects of society - the ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Frank's Reel Reviews
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for The Cinema Source (Andrea Tuccillo)The Cinema Source (Andrea Tuccillo)
At the very beginning of American Gangster Denzel Washingtonâs Frank Lucas calmly approaches a man and very matter-of-factly puts a bullet through his skull. The way he executes this horrific murder is almost elegant, classy. Thatâs how ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at The Cinema Source (Andrea Tuccillo)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for New York Observer (Andrew Sarris)New York Observer (Andrew Sarris)
One must applaud American Gangster as the kind of socko entertainment many people thought Hollywood filmmakers had become incapable of. It is not to be missed. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at New York Observer (Andrew Sarris)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Film School Rejects (Neil Miller)Film School Rejects (Neil Miller)
At first glance, it would be easy to confuse Ridley Scottâs American Gangster for your run-of-the-mill shoot âem up actioner, complete with big stars, big guns and big drama. One could even goes as far as to expect a big twist at the end, leaving the ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Film School Rejects (Neil Miller)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Lou Lumenick)New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
One of the year's best movies -- and surely a major Oscar contender. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Apart from the detail that he was a heroin dealer, Frank Lucas' career would be an ideal case study for a business school. "American Gangster" tells his success story. Inheriting a crime ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Beaumont Journal (Danny Minton)Beaumont Journal (Danny Minton)
Not since the 70s have we seen such a gritty and intense crime drama. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Beaumont Journal (Danny Minton)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Beyond HollywoodBeyond Hollywood
Ridley Scottâs âAmerican Gangsterâ is a movie that boasts two of the biggest movie stars in the world in Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. Separately, Washington and Crowe can lay claim to the type of filmography that actors would sell their soul ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Beyond Hollywood
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)
American Gangster is very well constructed. Very sturdy. Itâs strange to talk about a movie like itâs a skyscraper but these are the adjectives that come immediately to mind. American Gangster is that rare sort of movie that inspires lofty expectation ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Lou Lumenick)New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
LIKE âThe Godfather" and other genre classics, Ridley Scott's epic âAmerican Gangster" focuses on the bigger picture - how a drug epidemic and police corruption brought the Big Apple to its knees in the early 1970s. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for 3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
In 1968 Harlem godfather Bumpy Johnson is tired. Bumpy has run these streets in one way or another since the earlier 30s.And right by his side for the last 15 has been Frank Lucas. A dedicated soldier. A body guard. A driver. A surrogate son. It ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at 3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The acting is great by everyone. Veteran director Ridley Scott puts it all together in a polished package. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Perfectly entertaining and suspenseful. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
A heck of a ride, and the most irresistible gangster epic in ages. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for iF Magazine (Abbie Bernstein)iF Magazine (Abbie Bernstein)
Steven Zaillian's intelligent, perceptive screenplay, inspired by an article on Lucas entitled "The Return of Superfly" by Mark Jacobson, doesn't go exactly where we expect. There are moments of real surprise here, moments of odd satisfaction. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at iF Magazine (Abbie Bernstein)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
The better it gets -- and the drama grows in power over its quasi-epic course of 157 minutes -- the more it brings to mind the truly great gangster films of American movie history. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Under Scott's bravura helming, this sprawling saga, combining the best elements of the classic crime-gangster genre with a fact-based drama of Harlem's drug lord and folk hero, critiques the American Way of Life of mobility, consumerism and success. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for
Even though this film lasts 2 hours 40 minutes, it is a gem. Frank White (Denzel Washington) is a driver for Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III), who was Harlemâs crime boss, for 15 years. After he dies, Frank sets up a huge drug operation on his own ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
American Gangster is meticulous and detailed, a drug-world epic that holds you from moment to moment, immersing you in the intricate and sleazy logistics of crime. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
As a showcase for Washington and Crowe, American Gangster does not disappoint. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The New York TimesThe New York Times
Greatness hovers just outside âAmerican Gangster,â knocking, angling to be let in. Based in rough outline on the flashy rise and fall of a ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at The New York Times
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
American Gangster is like that, except itâs got the combustible combination of Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington onscreen together for the first time. Even if they were actually onscreen together for the first time that same year as Heat -- 1995 -- in ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for ReelTalk (Frank Wilkins)ReelTalk (Frank Wilkins)
What appealed most to fans of the wildly popular HBO series, The Sopranos, is the same pulse that fuels Ridley Scott's new action/drama American Gangster. We love seeing the creep of structure and civility into the fringe aspects of society -- the ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at ReelTalk (Frank Wilkins)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for KPBS.org (Beth Accomando)KPBS.org (Beth Accomando)
With American Gangster Scott delivers a solid, riveting, no-frills portrait of a cop and the mobster he's trying to catch. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at KPBS.org (Beth Accomando)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Boxoffice Magazine (Mark Keizer)Boxoffice Magazine (Mark Keizer)
American Gangster has the virtue of being very good, certainly one of this years best... ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Mark Keizer)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for OhmyNews.com (Brian Orndorf)OhmyNews.com (Brian Orndorf)
Denzel Washington has become the John Wayne of his generation: perfecting his one acting face of mild displeasure and sticking to his guns the rest of his career. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at OhmyNews.com (Brian Orndorf)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The Onion A.V. ClubThe Onion A.V. Club
Given the colorful liberties most movies take with real-life stories, Denzel Washington in American Gangster is a curiosity. Gangs Of New York screenwriter Steven Zaillian based his script on a 2000 New York Magazine profile of '70s heroin magnate Frank ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at The Onion A.V. Club
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
It's an entertaining pulp pastiche with pretensions. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for TIME Magazine (Richard Schickel)TIME Magazine (Richard Schickel)
An intelligent, well-made and seductive movie. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at TIME Magazine (Richard Schickel)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
As suggested by the title of the movie about him, Frank Lucas was the most American of gangsters. A poor black kid from North Carolina, he worked his way to the top of the New York City drug world in the early 1970s all by himself, taking full, perverse ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Ridley Scott deftly contrasts the character of his two principals, demonstrating that the drug underworld is organized like legit corporations, obsessed with competition, fair prices, and quality products. ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
Amid this fallâs array of small, topical dramas, many of which have carried a medicinal aftertaste, âAmerican Gangsterâ comes as something of a relief. Itâs a big, juicy 1970s period piece, one foot in real life, the other in the movies, the prefe ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Claudia Puig)USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Some gangsters, like Tony Soprano, are done in by their lusty appetites. Others are stabbed in the back by former associates. A few even get nailed by the authorities. But Denzel Washington's drug kingpin in American Gangster is derailed when he deviates ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
American Gangster (2007) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Christian Spotlight on the MoviesChristian Spotlight on the Movies
It is the late 1960s and Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) seems to be living the good life. He is polite and charming, dresses well, lives in a ...read the complete American Gangster movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies
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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.9797
American Gangster (2007) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.9480
American Gangster (2007) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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