FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

secondtake Empire (2002)Not knowing much about the drug world, or about the Latino drug world in Brooklyn in particular, I was fascinating on the basic level of curiosity. And some amazement, I suppose.This isn't a badly made movie. The leading actor, John Leguizamo, is subtle enough as Victor Rosa and has an inner core of decency to keep you identified enough to watch. The plot needs that because there's a lot of the well worn drug violence to wear you out. There is also, however, a second plot element that you don't quite expect—Rosa finds an opportunity to invest his drug earnings into high yield stock deals through a very non- Latino Wall Street man.So there is a big twist or two to come, and this really makes the movie more of a fictional bit of creativity. Written and directed by Franc Reyes, "Empire" is about all kinds of rivalries. It's also wants to be about love and is thin there. You wish he had taken the slightly different tack the script offered him and tilted away from the shooting and strutting (lots of cocks hanging out here) and more into the minds and hearts of these people, who start to become real for us.No such luck. Somehow they managed to get Isabella Rossellini in for a small but good part—if you're a fan you'll enjoy that. And Leguizamo adds some tenderness (real or not) to larger scene. And location shooting, frankly, is really nice, showing not the usual sides of New York (or LA) and not the romanticized ethnic neighborhoods (like the Italian or Jewish sections of old), but the regular, rough-edged reality of Brooklyn now. Or at least in 2002. Things keep changing down there really fast.I don't recommend or not this movie—it's purely about whether you like this kind of world and want to get immersed in it. Nothing really special happens, but it's got a steady interest that might keep you going.

mario10zeus Hispanic gangsters crash with Wall Street yuppies, a plot that is given away in Empire's trailers. A story that starts out interesting, eventually falls short. Victor Rosas (Leguizamo)is a gangster with only 3 guys in his crew? Wouldn't "La Colombiana" have her own Wall Street broker for laundering purposes? If "La Colombiana" is so powerful how come she only has one hit-man, her brother? Rosas keeps his cash in safe vaults? I'm used to the Italian gangster film where the characters have a restaurant usually, in order to cover their money's tracks from the feds and the IRS. The problem between Rosas' and Tito's (Fat Joe) gang could have been solved with a phone call. Sarsgaard's and Richard's characters are one-dimensional caricatures of yuppies. For all of Rosas' street smarts, he severely lacks common sense. After a trivial argument with his then pregnant girlfriend he kicks her out of the car and leaves her on the street. Franc Reyes should stick to music videos, as the mix of music in many scenes is one of the few bright spots this movie has. Overall, a weak plot and script. Only Leguizamo shines in his role, all the other actors lack charisma.

increator I've seen this movie twice. And it didn't get any better second time. It's a mix of separate story elements, which, if used correctly, could make a plot alone. Here, neither of them works. Not the street wars, grand hoax or "getting out from crime life" element.The movies with big con-man have interesting twists and element of surprise. None here. The ultimate thief turns out to be just a greedy nerd. Usually, the street wars movies or action thrillers overall, are THRILLING. The pace should be up! Here, the slow motion effect is used to make it look more stupid, as girly headache generator music plays and there's enough of blood to make everything look like horror movie parody. It's simply girly. Stupid, unrealistic and not intense at all. I prefer real ballet with real dancers instead of fat gangsters with guns. And getting out of crime life theme, even if it fits here, is played out so lousily and unbelievably as anything could.So basically, the movie stinks. Unless you like the awful soundtrack and women with proportions of a duck.

ma-cortes The picture talks upon a dealer (John Leguizamo) with a lot of success on south Bronx who loved for his girlfriend (Dalilah Cotto) develops an economic relation with a Wall Street yuppie financier (Peter Saasgard) and his fiancée (Denise Richards).In the motion picture , shot in 22 days , there are tension , a love story , thriller , emotion , intrigue and a little bit of violence . The movie is fast moving and is enough amusing but happens many events . The pic obtained moderated success and didn't attain the box office that the producers wanted . The suspense movie is correctly narrated but there're some storyline gaps and the twisted plot makes it a few ridiculous . The film is classified ¨R¨ for violence and some sex and isn't apt for little boys , being for + 18 years' viewers . John Leguizano's fine interpretation as a drug dealer who becomes involved dark issues , he is good but plays as Latin stereotypes . Director Franc Reyes originally wanted John Leguizamo to play Jimmy , he liked the part of Victor so much that he got the filmmaker to give him that part . Leguizamo used his star power to help bring bigger names to the project . Dalilah Cotto and Denise Richards are attractive and enjoyable and Peter Saasgard as a hotshot business manager is magnificent . Isabella Rossellini as a Colombian drug lord is miscast and the veteran Sonia Braga hands a role very secondary as the starring's mother . The musical score by also actor Ruben Blades is nice and the movie is rightly directed by Fran Reyes .