Could have been better

Rating: 7/10 (26 August 2008)

I think that American Gangster would have been a lot better without the cops or maybe just without Russell Crowe. Maybe more of Lucas in Thailand or more with the family. The cops take away from a good movie. Denzel Washington is great as Lucas and he owns the screen. Maybe more of his rivalry with Cuba Gooding Jr. There is so much good stuff underdone because it keeps having to go Russell Crowe's characters marriage problems and custody fight. That was not interesting, dramatic, good, well acted, nothing. If it had been a no name actor that might have worked so it didn't take up too much screen time. The movie ends up stilted and only occasionally good.