American Gangster (2007)
87%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
12 wins & 38 nominations total
American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders
American Gangster is like a fancy steak dinner – it’s good, but you’ve had it before. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are the A1 sauce that makes it worth the price, but the story itself doesn’t quite stand out from the crowd. Still, it’s a solid choice for a movie night in with some friends and a bottle of red.
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Chiang Mai, Thailand
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:SDDS DTS Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 37m
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Language(s):English, Thai, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 2007 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 10, 2006
Genre(s)
Biography
Keyword(s)
starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, directed by Ridley Scott, written by Steven Zaillian, biography, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Bob Mondello, Alonso Duralde, David Stratton, Amy Nicholson, Paul Byrnes, Anthony Quinn, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Micheal Compton, Nando Salvá, Mattie Lucas, producer Brian Grazer, MPAA rating R, crime, gangster, New York City, Harlem, drug lord, police, corruption, true story, 1970s, 1980s, organized crime, inner city, power struggle, crime boss, veteran cop, justice, chauffeur, mobster, gritty, entertaining, classic, firing on all cylinders, true crime, drug trade, heroin, smuggling, Frank Lucas, Richie Roberts, Lou Toback, Huey Lucas, Nicky Barnes, Detective Trupo
Worldwide gross: $269,755,430
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $386,442,970
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 396
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 42,142,091
US/Canada gross: $130,164,645
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $186,469,692
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 395
US/Canada opening weekend: $43,565,135
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $62,410,014
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 162
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $100,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $143,256,790
Production budget ranking: 237
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $77,143,781
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $166,042,399
ROI to date (est.): 75%
ROI ranking: 1,032
Russell Crowe – Richie Roberts
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Huey Lucas
Cuba Gooding Jr. – Nicky Barnes
Josh Brolin – Detective Trupo
Ted Levine – Lou Toback
Brian Grazer – Producer
Ridley Scott – Director, Producer
Steven Zaillian – Writer
Director(s)
Ridley Scott
Writer(s)
Steven Zaillian
Producer(s)
Brian Grazer, Ridley Scott
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
12 wins & 38 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (215) | Top Critics (64) | Fresh (173) | Rotten (42)
Ridley Scott’s gangster flick aims high and mostly measures up.
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello
NPR.org
TOP CRITIC
Telling a true story doesn’t excuse a filmmaker from making his movie stand out from the many others that have traversed similar ground.
May 1, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Alonso Duralde
MSNBC
TOP CRITIC
Best of all, there are top-flight performances from both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe who create interesting, rounded characters out of potential clichés.
February 12, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Scott’s not interested in fireworks but small implosions of the soul and ego.
February 3, 2008 | Rating: B
Amy Nicholson
I.E. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
One of the most intelligent gangster movies in years.
January 4, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Ridley Scott’s American Gangster offers both belated history-lesson and demented hero-worship, and seems to be intended as a kind of gift to black America. One hopes that black America will have nothing to do with it.
November 16, 2007 | Rating: 1/5
Anthony Quinn
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe deliver unbeatable performances with keen character development and a detailed screenplay.
November 24, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
American Gangster is a modestly flawed yet consistently entertaining crime drama.
September 2, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
A highly entertaining crime epic that may feel a little familiar, but succeeds thanks to the star power of its two leads.
October 29, 2019 | Rating: B+
Micheal Compton
Bowling Green Daily News
[Denzel Washington] is all charisma. [Full review in Spanish]
July 17, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Nando Salvá
Cinemanía (Spain)
Something akin to a time warp, stepping back into a time of higher filmmaking integrity and more personal visions.
June 5, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
Though it’s certainly admirable to aim high, it’s like Frank Lucas himself says: “Either you’re somebody, or you ain’t nobody.” Unfortunately for American Gangster, it ends up somewhere between the two.
November 3, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Ali Gray
TheShiznit.co.uk…
Plot
Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. As a result, his product is superior to what is currently available on the street and his prices are lower. His alliance with the New York Mafia ensures his position. It is also the story of a dedicated and honest policeman, Richie Roberts, who heads up a joint narcotics task force with the Federal government. Based on a true story.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “top-flight performances” of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in American Gangster.
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