American Gangster is a well-made true story with a striking level of realism. It's a gritty, brutal, fact-based tale of a criminal named Frank Lucas taking over the drug trade in NYC.

The film throbs with energy and is well acted and directed.

It shows a portrait of a time of outrageous greed and dangerous excess and corruption.

It takes a little time to convince yourself that Denzel Washington is a stone-faced killer, but believe me you will.

American Gangster works because of its actors; without them, it would play like just another mob film.

Academy award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe sink their teeth into the characters and play them with conviction.

This loosely based "true story" of the rise and fall of Harlem's most notorious drug lord may not be a masterpiece, but it is a solid gangster film with some of this year's best performances.

When two Oscar-winning powerhouses face off in an organized crime tale like American Gangster, you can expect the drama to be forceful, engrossing, and interesting.

I was not disappointed. There was plenty of material to fill up the more than 2-1/2 hours running time.

I didn't find a dull moment. It was like two Hollywood heavyweights taking on a gritty true-crime story.