True gangster classic

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2009)

I saw this film really late and was sleepy but it kept me mostly awake, which really is a testament to this movie's great story and action. First, I liked the delivery of this one as it was real and at times I felt like I was watching a real stage play. The music was infrequent but good, acting was top notch, and action/shootouts were as good as it gets without heavy special effects. It was raw bone but not really violent. The main violence was in the bloody gunshot wounds that were consistent throughout. Nothing too graphic and certainly nothing disgusting. Violence flowed well with the movie and was about equal to that seen in the Untouchables. Depp played a wonderful portrayal of Dillenger and outdid Bale. Bale's role was good too but not as convincing as Depp's. Bale's Pervis was not nearly as "tough" as Connery's character from Untouchables, and , if I do say so, this may have been one of the few character roles Bale wasn't well suited for. McConoughey or Russel Crowe would've been better choices for the role of Pervis. Did not like the actor who played J Edgar Hoover. He was not a strong enough actor to deliver a real punch for that role. All of Dillenger's crew were well played by each respective actor, and Dillenger's girl was also a great role. I guess it could be said that the "bad guys" really dominated this movie. The gun fights were very realistic and fun to watch. This movie could easily win an award for best sound. I don't care for movies with a lot of profanity, and this one suited me fairly well. Profanity was very minimal, especially for an R rating. Movie was lengthy but never dull. Overall, I really liked this one and would say it was one of the top 5 action movies I have ever seen. This will be a REAL tough guy movie classic one day, and will join the likes of Dirty Harry, Untouchables, Godfather, Platoon, and all those John Wayne classics. Very Solid!!