could have been great, instead, over-rated

Rating: 5/10 (1 March 2010)

OK, Public Enemy, starring two of my favourite actors, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Where to start. In total, I liked the film, the acting was great, there was action, unfortunately there was the token love story. However, my dislikes for this film is that once again, there is absolutely no originality. It's another hollywoodien historical version of a truth directed and written in a way that the audience sympathizes with the Bad guy, John Dillinger, played by Johnny depp. Now I know that he was meant to be like a modern time Robin Hood, but this man killed dozens of cops, robbed banks etc and yet the film makes you side with him, even I sided with him. Christian bale, unfortunately had too small a role as the FBI agent assigned to the capturing of Dillinger, but (other than his opening cliché scene) when he was on screen, he was excellent, as per usual. This film is just typical directing and writing clichés that has been done a hundred times before, the anti-hero (gets shot in the arm, shows no pain) hollywoodized into a demi-god who is portrayed as being such a nice man, the FBI agent (bale) whose opening scene is shooting a guy with a rifle from like, 200 miles away, showing HOW GOOD he is, the women, who are either the easy type, or the (slightly) complicated can't make up her mind type. OK, result, I'll give it an OK, because, if you like brain fodder that's just going to tide you over for 2hrs20mins, then you'll like this film, if you are expecting something new, then don't bother, you've seen it all before.