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American Gangster (2007)

7.8
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Ratings: 7.8/10 from 219,325 users   Metascore: 76/100
Reviews: 430 user | 291 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

In 1970s America, a detective works to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the country from the Far East.

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Title: American Gangster (2007)

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Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 30 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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Storyline

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. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

heroin | death | vietnam | smuggling | 1970s | See more »

Taglines:

There are two sides to the American dream.

Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

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Release Date:

2 November 2007 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Return of Superfly  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£2,564,853 (UK) (16 November 2007)

Gross:

$130,127,620 (USA) (25 January 2008)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (Unrated Edition)

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The story was first inspired by an article in New York Magazine written by Mark Jacobson. He was introduced to the real Frank Lucas by author Nicholas Pileggi. Not long afterwards, Pileggi encouraged Steven Zaillian to write an adaptation of Jacobson's article. While Zaillian was working on this, producer Brian Grazer bought the rights to the project. See more »

Goofs

Just after Frank Lucas hears the news of the imminent fall of Saigon on TV, and goes to ring his contact, a modern car drives past the window. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Bumpy Johnson: Happy Thanksgiving!
See more »

Crazy Credits

At the end of the closing credits, Frank Lucas approaches the camera and fires one shot from a pistol directly at the audience. See more »

Connections

Featured in The Oprah Winfrey Show: And the Nominees Are... (2008) See more »

Soundtracks

"What a Time It Was"
Written by Daniel May
Published by Revision West Music
Performed by Daniel May
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/Mastersource
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Surprisingly Coherent
26 October 2007 | by (Canada) – See all my reviews

Watch American Gangster without preconceived ideas. While the film is long it never drags. You don't get the sense that you've seen this movie before. It's not Serpico. It's not The Wire. It's not The Sopranos. While much is going on, the story is easy to follow. There is action, but this isn't an "action movie".

Both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe act convincingly and give depth to their characters.

The film leaves you wanting to know more about about happened to the lead characters. You care about them that much. Now *that's* film making.


237 of 335 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Who else thought this movie was way overrated! paciello22
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