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Public Enemies (2009) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Public Enemies (2009) a score of 2.6675 out of 4
based on (198) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(28)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(106)
Good
2
Good
(59)
Fair
1
Fair
(5)
Poor
0
Poor
(0)
Reviews by Score:
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Describes as well as any other recent film the adage 'Live fast, die young, and leave a handsome body.' ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)
What it lacks in thrills is made up for by its captivating characters and impressive attention to period details. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Clothes on FilmClothes on Film
While Depp may be on cruise control, Cottillard underused, and Bale underwritten, Public Enemies is far more hit than miss. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Clothes on Film
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Orlando SentinelOrlando Sentinel
As historic and entertaining though Public Enemies is, if we're moved, it's all due to the guys Mann paid the big bucks to. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Orlando Sentinel
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.comfilmcritic.com
Mann may believe he is pushing the edge with his newfound affection for digital, but Public Enemies is really old fashioned filmmaking. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at filmcritic.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Time OutTime Out
Everything and everyone seem to be teetering on the edge of oblivion. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Time Out
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Dallas Morning NewsDallas Morning News
As with the movie overall, it's a payoff that looks beautiful but doesn't really strike home. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Dallas Morning News
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Observer [UK] (Philip French)Observer [UK] (Philip French)
The film ends powerfully. Dillinger wanders into a police station and sees on the wall what looks like a museum - photographs of his career and mug shots of his associates stamped "Deceased". ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Observer [UK] (Philip French)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for ViewLondonViewLondon
Public Enemies is a hugely entertaining, superbly directed gangster thriller with terrific performances from Depp, Bale and Cotillard. Highly recommended. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ViewLondon
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for ScotsmanScotsman
Of course, this being a Michael Mann film, the frame is also bursting with meticulously researched period details and facts, right down to the wool content of Dillinger's overcoat. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Scotsman
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Antagonie.comAntagonie.com
He's made a film that refuses to nail itself down to any one niche, and even if it's more straightforward than his recent structural and formal experiments. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Antagonie.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Paste MagazinePaste Magazine
This may not be saying much, but for the first time this summer, the movies are back. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Paste Magazine
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for HollywoodChicago.comHollywoodChicago.com
Certain scenes sometimes felt too ignorant even for the times, too. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at HollywoodChicago.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for ComingSoon.net ()ComingSoon.net ()
Mann makes it more about the characters and their story, making for a far more satisfying piece of filmmaking. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ComingSoon.net ()
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Mania.comMania.com
Mann may also be the single greatest practitioner of the gunfight in movie history, and when Public Enemies periodically explodes into violence, he skimps on neither the excitement factor nor the shocking brutality of bullets slamming into the human body. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Mania.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Rotten Tomatoes (--)Rotten Tomatoes (--)
It's a top contender for the Best Picture Oscar, especially since the Academy has decided to expand the number of eligible nominees from five to ten. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Rotten Tomatoes (--)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Hollywood & FineHollywood & Fine
It's not a movie that begs the audience to like it or tries to seduce the audience with its style. When it's over, you know you've seen something of weight and import. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Hollywood & Fine
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Fronthebalcony.comFronthebalcony.com
Public Enemies is an above-average gangster film and certainly a welcome addition to what has become an anemic genre at the movies. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Fronthebalcony.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Harvey S. KartenHarvey S. Karten
Prison breaks alternate with bank robberies, the loud rat-tat-tats of the Thompson submachine guns light up the darkness like Fourth of July exhibitions. First Pretty-Boy Floyd is gunned down by the law, then Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham). ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Harvey S. Karten
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for MSN MoviesMSN Movies
When Billie Frechette shared her thin backstory with John Dillinger, each chapter ended with, "And nothing exciting ever happened there either." No critic can ever say that about a Michael Mann movie. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at MSN Movies
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Film BlatherFilm Blather
Because there's no real entry point to the film, and because it takes such a distressing view of, oh, everything, Public Enemies is a bit of a cold experience -- I admire it more than I love it. But I admire it a lot. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Film Blather
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for ericdsnider.com - reviewericdsnider.com - review
Much has been made of Mann's decision to shoot the picture on high-definition video rather than film, a rather common thing nowadays except when it comes to period pieces, which still tend to favor a glossy, old-fashioned look. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ericdsnider.com - review
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for CultureCatch.comCultureCatch.com
In the end, if you can overcome the confusing action scenes where you'll have trouble figuring out who's shooting whom, and the endless pore-probing close-ups, and the fact that many of the subsidiary characters blur into each other, and that Christia ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at CultureCatch.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
The popular reaction to what the defiant anti-hero came to represent in depression-era America made it almost criminal to call him one. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Total Film (Rob James)Total Film (Rob James)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Total Film (Rob James)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for New York Times (Manohla Dargis)New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
Michael Manns Public Enemies is a grave and beautiful work of art. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for tonymacklin.net (Tony Macklin)tonymacklin.net (Tony Macklin)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at tonymacklin.net (Tony Macklin)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Sunday Mail [UK] ()Sunday Mail [UK] ()
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Sunday Mail [UK] ()
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaca)Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaca)
Evoca o embate de personalidades (e de diferentes lados da Lei) visto em outras obras do cineasta. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaca)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViewsReelViews
Public Enemies is solid in both its storytelling and the way in which the narrative is represented on screen. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ReelViews
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for OregonianOregonian
The problem here is that while some of Mann's work is overwhelmingly great, the sum of it simply never compels. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Oregonian
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Ozus WorldOzus World
For those viewers accepting of a crime thriller that engages the senses more than the intellect and one that fills the screen with desperate romanticized outlaws living out for real Gable's romanticized gangster role in Manhattan Melodrama, this one has t ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Ozus World
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Francisco Examiner (Rossiter Drake)San Francisco Examiner (Rossiter Drake)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at San Francisco Examiner (Rossiter Drake)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Toronto StarToronto Star
Public Enemies is alert to the irony of gangsters aping movie stars and vice-versa, but the film's most telling moment occurs when Dillinger vanishes in plain sight. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Toronto Star
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Grouch ReviewsGrouch Reviews
In the end, Mann gives us a cracking good action picture grafted with synthetic tragedy. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Grouch Reviews
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Premiere MagazinePremiere Magazine
This is better than your average bio-pic. The dynamic established between the motivation of Bale's and Depp's characters is really what makes this film. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Premiere Magazine
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for TV Guide's Movie GuideTV Guide's Movie Guide
Public Enemies proves once again that he can create beautiful cinema out of this perspective. But for audiences who can't bring themselves to share his rather sedate vision, beauty might not be enough. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for New York ObserverNew York Observer
Thrilling, glamorous, richly textured and breathlessly action-packed, it is one of the best movies of the year. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at New York Observer
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Scott Von Doviak)Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Scott Von Doviak)
Give Michael Mann this much credit: his testosterone-soaked ode to the days of Dillinger gives good tommy-gun. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Scott Von Doviak)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
a cool and calculated throwback to the romanticized heyday of gangster films ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Las Vegas WeeklyLas Vegas Weekly
It's a film whose execution often fails to live up to its ambitions, but like all of Mann's films, it has a level of seriousness and craftsmanship that demands your attention. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Las Vegas Weekly
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
One of the interesting side effects of this exceptional care is to make "Public Enemies" so real it seems to transcend its period and exist out of time. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Los Angeles Times
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Big Picture Big SoundBig Picture Big Sound
I often wish Michael Mann spent as much time crafting a script has he does a camera shot, but I'd never begrudge this talented director his style. That would be the real crime. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Big Picture Big Sound
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for FlickFilospher.comFlickFilospher.com
We don't know Dillinger by the end, but we do get him. Maybe that's the most modern thing of all about this frustrating and fascinating film. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at FlickFilospher.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (--)Philadelphia Inquirer (--)
There are enough good moments to please Mann's fans, but the Transformers crowd may be lost. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (--)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Kansas City StarKansas City Star
Public Enemies attempts to establish a sort of personal duel between the taunting, charming crook and Bales grim, unemotional lawman. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Kansas City Star
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Newsday ()Newsday ()
Mann is clearly urging today's audiences to draw its own conclusions. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Newsday ()
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for The Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times
Mann knows exactly how to pace this kind of movie, set to a veritable symphony of gunshots, and Public Enemies feels both wonderfully populated and beautifully controlled. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at The Seattle Times
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
Michael Mannâs "Public Enemies" never lacks for interest, or interesting info. Back in the 1930s, we learn, the FBI was simply called the Bureau of Investigation before being formally Federalized. Mr. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for LarsenOnFilm (Josh Larsen)LarsenOnFilm (Josh Larsen)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at LarsenOnFilm (Josh Larsen)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for ReelTalk Movie Reviews (John P. McCarthy)ReelTalk Movie Reviews (John P. McCarthy)
Johnny Depp's charisma and matinee idol looks aren't reason enough to fall in love with Public Enemies, Michael Mann's saga about Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger. Depp is magnetic, but not that magnetic. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (John P. McCarthy)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.96 out of 4 stars for AskMen.com (Radheyan Simonpillai)AskMen.com (Radheyan Simonpillai)
Sure, Public Enemies can still boast Mann's crisp HD aesthetics and stylistic cool but the showdown between Dillinger and Purvis lack ... well ... Heat. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at AskMen.com (Radheyan Simonpillai)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Back Stage (Pete Hammond)Back Stage (Pete Hammond)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Back Stage (Pete Hammond)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Sunday Mail (Australia) (Robert W. Butler)Sunday Mail (Australia) (Robert W. Butler)
Best of all, Mann and his cast achieve a grim atmosphere of fatal inevitability as the net slowly tightens around Dillinger and his free-wheeling criminal cohorts. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Sunday Mail (Australia) (Robert W. Butler)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for At the Movies (Australia) (David Stratton)At the Movies (Australia) (David Stratton)
Theres a lot to admire, but its not up to the standard of Manns, or Depps, best work. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at At the Movies (Australia) (David Stratton)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Giant MagazineGiant Magazine
One gets the feeling that Mann is slowly but surely finding his way to a movie that perfectly marries his command of cinematic form with his somewhat shaky grasp on content. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Giant Magazine
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for The Detroit NewsThe Detroit News
As a result, for such a bloody movie, "Public Enemies" feels oddly bloodless. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at The Detroit News
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for New Republic (Christopher Orr)New Republic (Christopher Orr)
If Depp and Bale provide enough masculine good looks for a spring catalogue, it may be a lucky thing. The rest of the cast is made up mostly of men with thick faces and big hands, a Midwestern menagerie of the swollen and surly. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at New Republic (Christopher Orr)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for San Francisco ExaminerSan Francisco Examiner
Public Enemies, better than about 90 percent of the movies that get released, is enough to keep all but the most greedy of us satisfied. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at San Francisco Examiner
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for New York PressNew York Press
Public Enemies' look inspires the opposite of movie love. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at New York Press
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Slate (Dana Stevens)Slate (Dana Stevens)
The real-life story of the final days of John Dillinger may have been scripted by God for Michael Mann to direct. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Slate (Dana Stevens)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Belief NetBelief Net
The movie fails to connect in any meaningful way to the parallels in today's world. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Belief Net
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for AZCentral.comAZCentral.com
Public Enemies is a good movie - sometimes very good - that could have been a great one. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at AZCentral.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Public Enemies re-creates clothes, but doesn't fully fashion the man who wore them. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Entertainment Weekly
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Ain't It Cool Movie ReviewsAin't It Cool Movie Reviews
... a solid, smart adult entry into the summer sweepstakes this year, and a nice moment for Mann, even if it doesn't particularly break new ground. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Reel Talk ReviewsReel Talk Reviews
On the plus side, period costumes, sets and background music succeed in transporting us back to the 1930s. Like Johnny Depp's acting, these elements of Public Enemies get all the details just right. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Reel Talk Reviews
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Jam! MoviesJam! Movies
Public Enemies is more an historical drama than a crime thriller. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Jam! Movies
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for CHUD.comCHUD.com
I sat through all of Public Enemies without a complaint, but without ever being really transported. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at CHUD.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.60 out of 4 stars for Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Director Michael Mann pulls a fine performance from Johnny Depp as John Dillinger in ways that lift the film's otherwise so-so storyline. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.60 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for NY Daily NewsNY Daily News
Audiences connect with this actor the way "Enemies" implies Dillinger and the public did. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at NY Daily News
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for BDK's ReviewsBDK's Reviews
There is one action scene worth seeing and the rest is just okay. Rent this one and save your money. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at BDK's Reviews
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Michael Mann is a highly imperfect director, a filmmaker who's sometimes lauded as great when perhaps he's really only a smart storyteller with good visual instincts. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
What's the reason to make this movie, now? ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Screen It! (Jim Judy)Screen It! (Jim Judy)
On a recent segment of "Late Show with David Letterman" featuring guest Johnny Depp, the title host somewhat snarkily commented that "You really get your money's worth in terms of muzzle flash" regarding the star's latest film, "Public Enemies. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Screen It! (Jim Judy)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Washington PostWashington Post
Nowhere in "Public Enemies" will you find that sentiment explored or even hinted at in a cursory way. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Washington Post
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)
Thereâs just something startling and crazy about the delivery method, the intensity of Mannâs direction, his bold choices and absurdly violent set-pieces. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Financial Times (Nigel Andrews)Financial Times (Nigel Andrews)
We know what we want from a gangster film. We want characters who are half living âwantedâ posters, half speeding pawns of destiny. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Financial Times (Nigel Andrews)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Daily Express (Allan Hunter)Daily Express (Allan Hunter)
Ultimately Public Enemies is a bit of a disappointment. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Daily Express (Allan Hunter)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for ScreenDaily.comScreenDaily.com
Public Enemies doesn't entirely correct that imbalance, but this lengthy film engrosses because Mann does delve a little deeper into his characters' psychology. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ScreenDaily.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
This period gangster saga may be filled with exciting gun battles yet can't deliver the firepower in ways that matter the most. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Public Enemies fizzles at the moment of detonation. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Slant Magazine
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Village Voice (Scott Foundas)Village Voice (Scott Foundas)
Even when Dillinger is at rest, Public Enemies exudes a nervous tension, the sense that flight is imminent. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Village Voice (Scott Foundas)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Seattlepostglobe.orgSeattlepostglobe.org
Public Enemies is a thinking man's gangster film, less about thrills than the mechanics of Dillinger's heists and Purvis' investigation, which he executes with his usual precision. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Seattlepostglobe.org
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Movie City News (David Poland)Movie City News (David Poland)
It's an adult drama that tells a great historic story... a story about eras changing... a very strong dramatic movie on a very big scale. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Movie City News (David Poland)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Philly.comPhilly.com
The movie that Gable's in seems a whole lot more interesting than the one from which Depp's John Dillinger is about to make his fateful exit. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Philly.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for IGN Movies AU (Patrick Kolan)IGN Movies AU (Patrick Kolan)
Despite a lengthy running time, Public Enemies feels incomplete. It quietly encourages outside research, hinting at interesting elements to the conflict but never quite delivers on what it sets up. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at IGN Movies AU (Patrick Kolan)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for ReviewExpress.comReviewExpress.com
In a film that somewhat disapoints, casting is top rate. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at ReviewExpress.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for newsreview.comnewsreview.com
Public Enemies looks more like Johnny Depp and Christian Bale playing cops and robbers in fedoras and pinstripe suits. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at newsreview.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for MovieJuice.com ReviewMovieJuice.com Review
Listen, ya mug, Public Enemies is great if your goal is to count down the minutes before the utterly predictable Diana Krall jazz club appearance. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at MovieJuice.com Review
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for What Would Toto Watch?What Would Toto Watch?
"Public Enemies" remains an intelligent piece of craftsmanship. It's just not the thoroughly engaging film we were led to expect. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at What Would Toto Watch?
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for JoBloJoBlo
It made me want to go read a book on Dillinger so I can be moved in the way I should have been by the film. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at JoBlo
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Creative LoafingCreative Loafing
Yet what Public Enemies lacks in complexity, it makes up for in artfulness. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Creative Loafing
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine) (Gina Carbone)Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine) (Gina Carbone)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine) (Gina Carbone)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for CrazedFanBoy.com ReviewCrazedFanBoy.com Review
A slow-paced but entertaining film. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at CrazedFanBoy.com Review
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for CinemaBlend.comCinemaBlend.com
Public Enemies unlike whatever you expected from a gangster film. I'm just not convinced that Mann's experiments are worth it, that the choice to style up an uninspiring narrative yields anything than a gussied-up slog through history. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at CinemaBlend.com
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Entertainment SpectrumEntertainment Spectrum
Further evidence of the artsy nature of this project is that the title doesn't appear until after all the credits have rolled. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Entertainment Spectrum
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Windy City Times (Richard Knight)Windy City Times (Richard Knight)
It hardly matters that there's not been much heat between Depp and Cotillard in evidence or that there's not much fealty at this point to the facts. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Windy City Times (Richard Knight)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for NYC Movie GuruNYC Movie Guru
It often drags and lacks insight, palpable thrills along with dramatic tension. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at NYC Movie Guru
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for New Yorker (David Denby)New Yorker (David Denby)
Outgunned at first by the criminals, Purvis, with Hoover pretending not to notice, hires some trained killers from Oklahoma and Texas. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at New Yorker (David Denby)
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Chicago MetromixChicago Metromix
Mann's direction is excellent; the script, hit and miss. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at Chicago Metromix
Public Enemies (2009) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for The Movie KitThe Movie Kit
Add juice to this Michael Mann gangster flick. Don't get me wrong, Mann is clearly an expert. The film's stunning visuals and heart-pumping shoot-outs are on par with other Mann classics, such as Heat and The Last of the Mohicans. ...read the complete Public Enemies movie review at The Movie Kit

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2.00
Decent Crime Drama
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by gd2525 on July 17, 2009 Blackwood, New Jersey
The film is decent for what is advertised, Johnny Depp as a criminal and Christian Bale hunting him down. However, the overall film is hurt by director Michael Mann's constant use of a shakey camera making some scenes really incoherent. The acting ...
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Movie Reviews: Adaptation
Public Enemies (2009) Reviews
Public Enemies (2009)

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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.7099
Public Enemies (2009) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.6675
Public Enemies (2009) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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