I recently attended the advance press preview of this OVERLY LONG BLOATED 143-min movie starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard. Michael Mann's directing was too constrictively suffocating resulting in a movie that lacked scope portraying a flat dull John Dillinger. Hap-hazard editing did not help either. The development of the main characters was stifled. Still, it is watchable despite the violence and explicit gore on full display. While deaths do and will occur in a gangster movie, the violently gory scenes could have been treated with more dignity and class. The costumes and locations were appropriately mood-setting - except for DRABLY-DRESSED Dillinger and unremarkable Art Deco sets. The principal and supporting cast did a SOLID job! (elevating this movie from a unremarkable C to a MEDIOCRE B-AVERAGE) VERDICT: Should appeal to gangster-thrillers' fans and fans of the movie's acting leads. Not kids friendly. Won't be a blockbuster.

Johnny Depp was typically outstanding as Dillinger. I particularly liked the sound engineering especially in the shooting scenes. The shooting was extremely loud which I found very realistic but even better, the Thompson submachine guns and BAR's and other weapons were dead on perfect sounds for each weapon. Old story ...new cinema...great acting.

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.

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.

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!