Titanic II: Washed Ashore?

Rating: 6/10 (31 December 2002)

Scorsese is a brilliant director, creating some genuine masterpieces of film - but I think Gangs of New York may have been just out of his league. Scorsese had everything to work with that usually makes his films blast off: A great cast, true crime story (as true as Hollywood gets, anyhow), and of course dramatic violence to drive home the point that sick human beings are really capable of that kind of stuff. For some reason, it just didn't work out here in GNY. As much as I wanted to really enjoy this film, when asked by others how it was, I can only reply "Ehnnn..." while turning my hand back and forth.
Gangs of New York displays its Titanic feathers in its very premise. The scenario pits the hero from the bad part of town (Leo), an initially reluctant love interest (Cameron Diaz/Kate Winslet), the upper echelon villainous villain who has her (Zane/Day-Lewis) and a major historical backdrop with impending doom (SS Titanic/1863 Draft Riots). Mix it all together, put the dramatic climax during the historical climax (Leo and his love dodging people falling off the titanic into the ocean during the sinking/Leo and his love dodging Navy shelling during the riots), put into context here and there miscellaneous social and political aspects of the historical period (the treatment of the poor and class wars on the Titanic/the treatment of immigrants and Civil War issues in 1863 New York), add a dash of gratuitous nudity (need I embellish?). Bake at 70 degrees - 55 if the heat's out at the Cineplex - for 3+ hours and...BAM you have yourself a Titanic blockbuster!
Other problems also came to mind while watching this film. First there's the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is just not believable as a mid 19th century crime lord. As good an actor as he is (and his performance in this case wasn't terrible)...the guy is just not believable in GNY. The accent didn't stick and every time he spoke as the narrator, I momentarily wondered "Who cast the Malcolm in the Middle Kid to do narration?" He needs to stick to films that he can be really great in such as Gilbert Grape, Romeo and Juliet, and of course, Titanic.
All in all, GNY was not without its merits. Daniel Day-Lewis turns in the performance of his career as Bill "Da Butcha." Several scenes with the Butcher were great and the scenes during the election were hilarious. Between those, things could get slow. The ending was entertaining but overall a letdown.
Gangs of New York had a lot of potential, but when all is said and done at the end, we have another Titanic - beefed-up/heavy, overdone, ==seemingly=> unsinkable?