Gangs in on the road to trouble

Rating: 5/10 (28 December 2002)

Perhaps expectations can be raised too high before seeing a film that leaves the viewer feeling cheating. Gangs in New York came with high praise and loads of expectation but I found the critics wrong and my expectations left at the ticket counter.
The acting was wonderful and we are quickly reminded of the star power behind Leo and Daniel. Their ability to deliver and take second stage to allow Diaz to truly shine made the 2 1/2 hour movie worth my time but little more. Martin's script doesn't ever find its mark and spends too much time trying to develop a plot that is simply not believable. We muddle through Leo's character never really feeling his pain or understanding his complex motives. When we finally reach what should be the climax, a secondary plot reveals itself and steals what would have been an acceptable and richly sought after ending.
While I normally write longer and more detail reviews, I am careful not to reveal spoilers and will therefore leave my above comments brief and to the point. I rated this movie a '5' - begin average and nothing more.