American Gangster (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] | Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe |...

American Gangster (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] | Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe | Based on the true story of Frank Lucas

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American Gangster ...

	American Gangster (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2008 average customer review:based on 211 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Blu Ray American Gangster

I had rented this in plain DVD (best I could get from Netflix after waiting over a month). My wife liked it so much bought it in Blu Ray. Fairly gruesome but fantastic actors make it well worthwhile.. (And entertaining)

Based on the true story of Frank Lucas

It's Harlem, 1968, and "Bumpy" Johnson is speaking to his driver and right-hand man Frank Lucas (the amazing Denzel Washington). Bumpy laments the loss of the middleman in business, the jobs lost to overseas companies, the end of the era of the working man. When Bumpy dies and Frank takes over, he omits the middleman too and purchases his heroin directly from Bangkok and ships it via military aircraft through Vietnam to the US. Frank is on his way up, and he doesn't let anyone stand in his way, even those who think now that Bumpy is dead, so is his business.

Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is an honest cop who's taking night classes to become a lawyer. He's well aware of how corrupt the Drug Enforcement Division is, the police taking busted dope from evidence, cutting it, and reselling it on the streets. Richie and his partner find $1M in the trunk of a dealer's car, and against his partner's warning they turn in the money. Now they can't get backup and the other cops won't work with them because they can't trust honest cops.

While Frank represents The American Dream (even if it's the wrong dream) by being a gentleman, a good family man who loves his mother, his wife, and America, Richie the honest cop is a failure at his marriage, a womanizer, and a absent father to his son.

Frank's on top of the world, until an innocent gift from his wife begins his decline. Always counseling his brothers not to dress flashy and attract attention, he makes the mistake of wearing the showy, fifty thousand dollar chinchilla coat and hat his wife gave him to a boxing match. Sitting in better seats than the Italians, shaking hands with Joe Lewis, and standing out like a sore thumb, he catches the attention of Richie, who's heading a task force to nail all the big time drug players. The cops are onto Frank now, both the good ones and the bad ones. Frank is exposed, and his world is about to change.

Though based on a true story, I've never heard of the case so I can't comment on how close to reality the film came. The movie starts slow, and is kind of hard to get into. Keep watching, the movie comes together and the pace quickens. It's a movie where you'll find yourself rooting for the bad guy even though you shouldn't, because Frank seems like such a nice guy (except when he's shooting people). It's also a movie you'll want to view again, to catch all the nuances in the relationships. On a personal note, I liked all the old cars they found to use in the movie, not one car was outside the time frame. This review is based on the Unrated Extended Version, not the theatrical version. Rent first, then buy. Enjoy!

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Nothing short of excellent

If you're a fan of Denzel Washington, this is a gift for you! It has everything you would like in a very powerful, gripping tale based on a true story. I find this to be the perfect addition to anyone's dvd library

American Ganster is one of the best movies.

This review is written by Mr. Bradberry's students:

American gangster

American gangster is based on a true story of a murdering drug pusher and crooked cops. Frank Lucas was a drug dealer that ship over 1kilo of heroin for Vietnam to the US. While the Vietnam War was still intact. Over a year has pass Frank Lucas was a well know drug dealer around all New York. His biggest idol was named bumpy. He was a person who ran the Harlem streets and all so another drug dealer. When bumpy dies Lucas want inherits the fresh cut heroin from the Far East to New York City streets than he will become the king pin of all drug dealer.
American Gangster is one of your favorite movies out because it's filled with action, drama. The character that played Frank Lucas in the movie was really (Denzel Washington). Also Richie Roberts a detective was (Russell Crowe). The way that the cops were corrupted was the way he smuggled drugs in New York City and all while the Great Depression was going on. When you watch it you will probably think it's the best movie. Richie Roberts wasn't a corrupted cop like most of the others cops.
Russell Crowe was also in the movie Gladiator, in my opinion this was an awesome movie. Frank Lucas was not well know until he started selling drugs then he got front row seats to a boxing match between Muhammad Ali VS. Joe Frazier. This was suspicious because he Richie Roberts saw that he got better seats than this well know rich guy. Frank Lucas also knows the well know stars, which Richie never thought he would meet or even know. Frank Lucas was "The Boss", the inventor of the Blue Magic Empire.
The way they put the movie together was amazing, and the story plot comes slowly. Slowly unfolds, while there is less shooting and action than you think there will be.
So American Gangster is a good movie and I suggest you buy it or rent it. It has history, and I recommend you see it either the theatrical version or the un-rated version. One of my favorite movies ever made and should see it.

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