AltWeeklies Wire
'Public Enemies': Dodging Bulletsnew
Public Enemies resembles cable television in its hit-and-miss screenplay, uneven performances and overall lack of dramatic power.
Eugene Weekly |
Jason Blair |
07-16-2009 |
Reviews
'Public Enemies' Takes Historical Liberties but is Still Captivatingnew
Michael Mann continues to be a master of stylistic crime drama. Public Enemies stands alongside his Heat, Collateral and Manhunter in the genre.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
07-08-2009 |
Reviews
'Public Enemies' Starts With a Bang & Ends With a Whimpernew
The first hour or so comes on like, well, gangbusters as Michael Mann sets up compelling scenes of bank theft and manhunt procedures. The script feints at overarching themes, such as the idea that neither Dillinger nor Purvis have a place among "modern" mobsters or feds, but the script leaves both men underdeveloped as characters.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
07-07-2009 |
Reviews
'Public Enemies': Gangster Prosodynew
The title's pluralization aside, this is Dillinger's show, and Depp's, and the actor does some cheeky, exhilarating work when he is all cockiness and resolve.
Austin Chronicle |
Kimberley Jones |
07-03-2009 |
Reviews
'Public Enemies': Johnny Depp's Got a Tommy Gun!new
For all of Public Enemies' muddled attempts to delve into the history of America's first "war on crime," it works better as a thriller, an action flick, and a character sketch of Dillinger -- and all of those are things which, in its fast-paced, sharply edited second half, Public Enemies becomes.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
'Public Enemies' is Less a Biopic Than a Glossy, Stylish Elegynew
What keeps Public Enemies from being a masterpiece is a peculiar lack of emotional accessibility to the key characters.
