a big disappointment

Rating: 4/10 (22 December 2004)

As a fan of many Scorsese films, this came as a big let down. Apart from Lewis, most of the cast was unconvincing. The script was messy, and was let down by so much happening in a short space of time after a long / slow / boring, build up.
This isn't as good as the classic Scorsese films. There are actually many annoying features in the films, such as the inappropriate music and the stereo-typing of Irish people.
Ultimately I found the film confusing, and couldn't see what Scorsese was actually trying to tell us. I was left unconvinced as to how important these gangs were to the birth of New York. The major turning point in the film, actually had very little to do with the gangs, and seemed to be the more important moment in the history of New York.
If he was trying to impress us with the colourful characters in the gangs, well the film fails on that count as well. Only Day-Lewis is memorable.
If anyone else had directed this movie, it would be described as average. For Scorsese, it's a disappointment.