Empire – Review

Empire – 2002 – Crime, Thriller

Directed by: Franc. Reyes
Written by: Franc. Reyes
Main Players: John Leguizamo; Peter Sarsgaard; Denise Richards; Sonia Braga; Isabella Rosellini; Treach; Fat Joe; Vincent Laresca

Empire

The world of drugs and finance typically go hand in hand, and again collide in Empire. A successful street dealer who has worked his way up to a borough “empire” kingpin, Victor Rosa (Leguizamo) is looking to finally retire from the game.

As he turns away from the streets, another vicious brand of criminal looks to tap into Victor’s wealth as he gets whipped up into the world of financial investors. Rosa sees the investors as the next level of rich, and a step away from guns and gangsters. The investors see Rosa as unaware and uninformed, likely easy to take advantage of. Will either of them be correct?

The cast saves this average script, and while the movie should have been better, I still liked its attempt at mixing worlds. I think that there were some very good and nasty plot lines presented in Empire, but they just did not go far enough. When things really get interesting the movie is already winding down.

Empire was not well met to critical reviews, likely didn’t have a majorly successful theatrical run, and is not hailed as a masterpiece by fans. While it is not one of the superior criminal mastermind tales and the formulaic script did need a bit of sharpening, the overlooked Empire has enough juice and a good cast to muster a watch.

See This If You Liked:

Scarface (1932; 1983); Carlito’s Way; Paid in Full; New Jack City; King of New York; Belly; Layer Cake; American Gangster; 25th Hour; Easy Money (Snabba Cash); Juice

Score:

6.5

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Keep Me in the Loop

Get all the latest news

Scroll to Top