(I have yet to see Two Towers but...) this is the best of 2002 so far!

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2002)

Outdoing 'The Road To Perdition,' GoNY is a massive time machine that TAKES YOU BACK TO INDUSTRIALIZED, NORTHERN AMERICA (circa 1840's or so). You feel like you are actually witnessing the rivalry between the natives and the dead rabbits. THIS FILM IS ONE HELL OF A MAGIC CARPET RIDE THROUGH TIME! The costumes, locations, everything extremly convinces you that this IS industrialized America you are witnessing. But you feel that you aren't just witnessing life in industrialized America, you feel that you're witnessing a guy, more or less like you (provided your a male of coarse) who is devastated at the loss of his father (which causes him to be less like just about any of you). You feel like you're witnessing this man constantly pondering whether or not to avenge his father's death. As if there's a telepathic bond between you and him, you're telling him:"kill that son of a b!tc#. The acting is superb. Cameron Diaz transitions excellently from fairy tale Princess (Shrek), to street wise hooker/theif/"turtle dove" (that's...what kind of role she plays after all) and is entirely convincing. Leonardo DeCaprio is good for some parts of the film and is perfect for annoying love scenes, HOWEVER, DECAPRIO ISN'T CUT OUT TO BE A HISTORIC BARBARIAN, HE DEFINATLY NOT AS STREET WISE AS EMINEM IN 8 MILE. DANILLE DAY-LEWIS (as Bill the Butcher), HOWEVER, TURNS IN ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES IN A LONG TIME (since Fellowship of the Ring perhaps). He's the perfect villan, he maintains eye contact with who he's speaking to, he speaks his line like he means them, he acts his part enthusiastically, he's simply brilliant! The violence is startlingly high. MARTIN SCORSESE IS TRUELY A MASTER AT DEPICTING VIOLENCE (see Taxi Driver and you'll know what I mean). The first fight scene between the natives and the original dead rabbits is brutal and well choreographed (excellent camera shots). The later fight scene between the revived dead rabbits and the natives is even bloodier, yet confusing. There are too many things going on at once and the shroud of smoke makes it even more confusing.
Overall, the only thing keeping this film from perfection is the confusion the last battle scene causes and the scene with all the nude hookers (we would have gotten the idea that they were hookers even if they were dressed). The ending is simply excellent.10/10, best film of the year so far (w/out seeing Catch me if you can, Adaptation, or Two Towers).