A surprisingly involving gangster film

Rating: 8/10 (5 December 2011)

Ridley Scott is an amazing director but going into American Gangster I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised.
The story is intriguing and doesn't drag in any places plus the acting was topnotch. Some people seemed to be disappointed by finding less action than they were hoping for but I didn't mind. The film didn't drag on and the story was interesting so who cares if there aren't explosions in every scene?
Denzel is brilliant as drug lord Frank Lucas and Crowe plays Richie Roberts, the one honest cop in a city full of corruption, perfectly. The film is well paced and doesn't drag on even though it lasts for more than two hours.
Altogether its a good gangster that, though not entirely original as far as story and theme go, still manages to be entertaining and intriguing.