A few problems, but still a great movie

Rating: 7/10 (21 August 2003)

Pretty impressive movie. Scorsese has done better, but this is still well worth watching. Daniel Day-Lewis gives an amazing performance as the villain. The story is a little disjointed at times, but still a powerful story of revenge and redemption. Scorsese does a fantastic job of setting the historical context during this period in New York. You really experience the corruption, thievery, and lawlessness of early New York, even the total disorganization of the police and fire crews. My biggest complaint is that we see so little of Liam Neeson and don't hear much about his story. Most of the story is played out through DiCaprio's character who plays his son. Yes the movie is bloody, but is a realistic portrayal of a street war. A pretty original movie about a forgotten time in New York.