Public EnemiesMovie Reviews

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• So-so
  Written July 2, 2009

  What the hell happened?

  by ashjean

  I was soooo excited to see this movie. I love biography type films and it had 2 of my favorite actors in it so of course I was going to see it. The theatre was pretty full on opening day, but it didn't seem like anybody thouroughly loved it. I think it ran too long. I have no idea why it was rated R. Some PG-13 movies have worse language and violence than this. It only got exciting the last hour. The sex scene was weird. The actors did a good job portraying the characters, but the characters didn't have enough background or depth. It should have started with Dillinger's childhood, so one could understand how he turned into a bankrobber. The cinematography was a little weird. I would save this movie for either a day where you want to see any movie you haven't seen or just wait til it comes on pay per view. It was kind of a letdown. I give it a B or B-.

  • 13 out of 14 found this review helpful.
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  Written July 3, 2009

  The biggest let-down ever

  by JadedRaine

  Johnny Depp and Christian Bale are two of my favorite actors, i was so read to go see this movie. From the looks of the previews it was going to be action and drama, and keep me on my seat ready for whatever is coming at me next. I was SO WRONG.
  The movie was so bad, i got a migraine somewhere in the last 3 hours it was still on. The movie dragged itself out f-o-r-e-v-e-r!! The plot fell apart somewhere right after the middle. It was filmed as though it was a low budget horror movie. I was so upset.The acting was great. It was awesome, the rest of the movie...blah All the amazing action scenes, are what you see in the previews. Most of the movie is long close up shots of peoples faces and dialog. It was just bad. I just cant get over how bad it was. Finally both of these guys have made a movie that was horrible. and it had such promise too. =( shame.

  • 6 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 3, 2009

  A Modern Gangster Classic

  by halzmark11

  IMO the Michael Mann-Johnny Depp-Christian Bale take on the class gangster picture is a winner. Mann's striking use of HD photography made the story, the characters and the action come alive; so did the unique camera angles. (In truth, I wasn't fond of the handheld shots, many of which I found jarring and overdone.) Also liked Mann's use of evocative period music and homage to '30's gangster flicks near the finale.
  
  Messrs. Depp and Bale do a great job of converying Dillnger and Purvis's conflicting personalities and striking similarity in guts, ambition and will. Kudos also to Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover (another kind of public enemy, but much later in history) and Marion Cottilard as Billie Frechette (the French actress' s midwestern English accent is spot on). The excellent supporting cast even includes jazz artist Diana Krall in a cameo as a supper club singer.
  
  If you're an adult who likes intelligent crime films, then see this one. Now. Before it's Oscar time.

  • 5 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 17, 2009

  A great action movie

  by tkdancer

  I was never apprehensive about seeing this film. Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in the same movie playing characters from the 30's? I was in. My two guys friends took me to see this film and while it was almost too much shooting for me to handle, I definitely became a fan. Depp's acting is once again flawless: he always manages to make me believe he IS the character. Of course, being a girl, I loved the scenes with Marion Cotillard - Depp gets so romantic, and it's so sexy!
  My one concern with this film was Bale's acting. He seemed like he was just reading the lines, not being a certain character at all, and it really bothered me. He was definitely overshadowed by Depp.
  
  Overall, I thought it was a fantastic movie and I will definitely see it again!

  • 6 out of 7 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 10, 2009

  A Must See!

  by horomedybuff

  I loved the film very much. Johnny Depp did so welll as the infamous John Dillinger. I couldn't wait for this one to come out-- I did know the history and such, so I was anxious. Dillinger was a in-your-face representation of what all the citizens felt towards all those banks that were making a killing. He was a voice for the people, and they loved him. Johnny Depp did a great job. Not to mention Christian Bale did fantastic as the prideful and self-battling agent, Melvin Pervis. I knew his history too, and I was pleased to see Bale play a troubled man who was slowly loosing it inside. The cast did superb, and the cinematography was Fabulous for the time period. I like the old-grainy moments intergrated, it added to the movie most definitely and the music was choice!

  • 5 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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• Go
  Written July 24, 2009

  Public Enemies

  by Sickid09

  Public enemies was a GOOD movie, The gun fights and action pulled me in real well even though that was most of the movie. It wasnt the best movie of all time but I would reccomend seeing it. It is also a good movie to inform you about everything that happened during that time with people such as J Edgar Hoover and the beginning of the FBI. And for those who may say any different, I could see you taking older kids to see this movie because there was no nudity and hardly any foul language, and the blood was minimal for the most part accept 1 or 2 scenes.

  • 5 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 2, 2009

  Mixed Reviews Not Included

  by yatie1939

  "Public Enemies" showcases the visionary Michael Mann. Despite grousing from some critics and a frustrating lack of knowledge displayed by bloggers, this is Mann's Masterpiece. Complaints over gritty camera work, black/ white ?jolts," and slurred lines: all unfounded. If you appreciate individualized style amid conformity, you will recognize Mann's masterwork for its richness. This Depression Era gangster drama is so meticulously sketched, a box of matches is authentic to the period. This is crime as art, in all its ugly beauty. Depp is a heartbreaking ?Dillinger in love." His eerie recreation of the dual Dillinger as both beauty and beast, is riveting. No other actor (except Brando) matches Depp?s empathy of character. Marion Cotillard shatters us with her plucky, vulnerable love for Dillinger. Bale as an FBI staris nuanced perfection. The film engenders our coldest comfort: Hoover's FBI elite undermined American liberties far more than Dillinger ever did or, any gangster could.

  • 5 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 1, 2009

  Public Enemies

  by Kade McClements

  I just returned home after attending the movie Public Enemies. I must say, I am a huge Johnny Depp fan so I might have a better opinion then people who don't care for him.
  The Movie was absolutely one of the best films I expect to see of 2009.
  The acting was absolutley incredible. Christian Bale was marvelous, and Johnny Depp ofcourse was quite good himself, In my opinion, better. The gun fights, the chase scenes through the woods, the bank robbery's were at-the-edge-of-your-seat-amazing!
  The gun shots may leave you a bit distracted, and everybodies similar attire may also get you confused, but for the most part your not entirley asking your partner what is happening.
  Very great job, Michael Mann did an awfully great job.
  And also, again, Johnny Depp made the movie what it was, he kept you on an emotional edge and believing the bank robber was the good guy.
  Very well, a must see.
  

  • 5 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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  Written July 26, 2009

  Public Enemies

  by Maryost3

  A bit much as far as the graphic violence, but a compelling movie nevertheless. I found it interesting how things have changed in our county since that time - Miranda laws, etc. Good acting and a story that keeps you intrigued and wondering what will happen next.

  • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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  Written July 2, 2009

  Eh.......

  by fntmofthemovies1410

  Ok. I know a lot of JD fans are going to hate me for this, but it was a terrible terrible movie. The acting was amazing, don't get me wrong! JD and Bale were excellent! And the script was very well written! But, sadly, actors and scripts dont make movies good... What I had a real problem with was the choice of camera and how they used it. I don't know what kind of camera it was but recognize it as the same one that they used in the recent Get Smart movie. It blurrs out when things move and it doesn't focus right and it just makes it look like a terrible B- film... And also, for the entirety of the movie, the camera was all hand-held. Now don't get me wrong, i like hand-held, like Cloverfield and Blaire-Witch, but for a movie that is set duing the 1930's? I can see maybe they were trying to make it look like it was done by maybe orson wells and failed epically! And why was it rated R? it covered everything, said the F word once, and the violence was too far away for you to even see it!!

  • 8 out of 12 found this review helpful.
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  Written July 10, 2009

  Worst Michael Mann film I've ever seen... don't waste your money or time

  by matt_fresh

  Huge disappointment for a huge Michael Mann fan. I was very excited to see this movie based on the story, great cast, and director but what a dud. The plot has hardly any development throughout the entire film, the characters are boring at best, including Depp and Bale, with minimal dialogue and nothing for the audience to care about. The redundancy in the story is overwhealming and predictable. I was waiting for the plot to thicken at some point, and get the story going, I wanted to have some kind of emotional connection to the struggle in this film like we all did in the movie "Heat" but it never happened. I also waited 2hrs and 23 mins for a massive shootout scene, like when we had our hearts pounding during the bank robbery scene in "Heat" but it never happened either. There were some decent action sequences, but they held no merit during such a dull film. After an hour, I was fighting myself to not leave the theater, and I really wish I had.

  • 9 out of 14 found this review helpful.
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  Written August 6, 2009

  Visually nauseating

  by lily_marlowe

  While Johnny Depp and Christian Bale both deliver strong performances from a stellar script, I found myself literally (physically) unable to watch this film. Director Michael Mann's mystifying choice to film almost every scene in chaotic, hand-held close-ups left me feeling nauseated at nearly every turn. A visual assault, I think I would have enjoyed this movie much more if it had been a radio play.

  • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 3, 2009

  perfect balance

  by kuroiryu

  This movie was the perfect balance between action and violence, and humor and emotion. While it was mainly violence, there were sprinklings of humor and emotion throughout that drew me in and kept it from being to dark and depressing...but at the same time, it didn't pull you away from the drama with "hey audience, here's a funny moment to lighten the mood"...they were just little things that were woven smoothly in. Definitely worth seeing!

  • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written July 18, 2009

  Public Enemies-one of the best this year

  by cynthiahudak

  If you like action, this is the movie. If you like when the actor or actress plays the part perfectly, this is it. Public enemies had a mix of action and romance. Johnny Depp (Dillenger), plays this part absolutely perfect. He has the attitude of what you would think a criminal would be like. Michael Mann has now become my favorite director because this movie could not have been better casted,better played, better produced, or better directed. If you like action you gotta see this one. But the touch of romance is exciting. Its what brings this thrill ride to the top of the movie list this year.

  • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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• So-so
  Written July 5, 2009

  rent it.

  by LMCD

  w/ the caliber of actors and the wealth of material that could have been used from Chicago in the 1930's, the movie was lacking in plot and character development. the fight scenes and costumes were great though.
  
  dont go in expecting the depth of "the departed" or "american gangster," but overall, it was a decent movie w/ an anticlimactic ending.

  • 7 out of 10 found this review helpful.
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