An excellent period piece (even though it's not actual 'history'). It is a hyper-naturalistic study of power within government and without, incomparably atmospheric and undeniably well-acted. Am feeling like I have lived during the depression and it feels great.

Michael Mann delivers a sober film, after the unfortunate Miami Vice. I just didn't like the digital cinematography and camerawork. Not a bit. The visual is good, but not what I was waiting for: something like Road to Perdition.

It isn't quite accurate enough to be a biopic and not edgy enough to be a gangster film, it's kind of a mish mash of these two genres, where the quality isn't always easy to predict. The performances themselves can change from convincing, flesh and blood portrayals to phoned in dialogue out of a bad play. Basically, this film isn't always on it's good side. At about the halfway mark, it goes on a more consistent path, but you might be too exhausted to care.

Like most Mann films, the pace is challenging but the style is impeccable. It's difficult to identify with anyone here, though. The film improves in the second half, with several good suspenseful action scenes. Stephen Graham is particularly impressive and enjoyable as Pretty Boy Floyd.

The handheld camera was really not to my liking in this case - and I usually don't mind that style. Good acting and story. Just personal taste I suppose - TOO SHAKY.

It was a fairly dull movie.

I feel like watching documentary movie (with strange jumpy camera sometimes). And I hate documentary movies.

Suffered from some of the things that plagued Miami Vice, though not to that extreme (I'm talking of some awkward edits). The DV mostly works but there are a couple shots where it sticks out like a sore thumb. But the movie generally entertains, has some interesting gunfights (but somewhat repetitive), has great acting from Depp especially, and looks absolutely beautiful most of the time. Some scenes, like the chase in the forest have amazing cinematography.

Very aesthetic and captivating first half of movie, more mellow towards the end, yet manages to create attachment to the character in his frantic downfall - probably an echo the of the real Dillinger after all.

Disappointing. I like Johnny Depp, but this movie just left me with no feeling of connection to the characters. I was hoping for a movie like Goodfellas or American Gangster. After only two days, the only memory I have of this movie is that a lot of tommy-guns were fired. I wanted it to be a great movie. I would have settled for a decent movie. What I got: a totally, 100% unmemorable shallow, superficial movie. Bummer.

A whole lot of nothing happens in this movie. John Dillinger likes to rob banks. That's about it. There is so much to examine, but Michael Mann never really dives in. It's all surface. You never really get more than a scene of each point he likes to make about Dillinger. And really, it shouldn't have been about him as much as the genesis of the FBI. That was the most interesting development, and how Dillinger forced their hands, but again, we never really get to sink our teeth into it.

Fairly underwhelming emphasis of Michael Mann's limitations as a director. The DV works only for the immediacy of the shootout sequences, which we knew Mann can do. Depp is the only actor given much to work with, and even then just manages to lurch awkwardly between the occasional good scene rather than a consistent drive of tension. Stephen Graham and Billy Crudup are the only supporting characters lent much distinction. I wonder if Bale's character was intended to be catatonically depressed.

Eventhough it's Impressive on a technical level and features some great performances, I just couldn't care less for the story or the characters.

Johnny Depp is great, but the rest of the movie is unmemorable in practically every way--even despite valiant efforts by the likes of Marion Cotillard.

Big letdown from my favorite director. Nevertheless, it is still better than most movies.

John Dillinger revamped for a new century, more particularly Michael Mann-handled: high-def video, flattened perspective, eye-crossing closeups, jittery hand-held camera, frenetic cutting, amped-up sound, and the legendary Lady in Red is now (truth be told, among much romanticizing) the lady in orange skirt and white blouse.

This was pretty boring, I watched a documentary on this on the History Channel that was more entertaining.

Historically inaccurate to excess, but still kinda fun. The gun fights and make up (especially bullet wounds) felt very real. Overall mediocre.

For some reason, this movie just came off as very bland and boring to me, even with a good cast.

Surprisingly boring with the same scenes over and over again. No chemistry between characters. No emotions. Disappointing.

Not very engaging. Makes little effort to draw you into the story.

Public enemies: 8 // 7 // 9 // 8 // 8 // 8 // 8

An interesting storyline and strong lead by Depp ruined by absolutely terrible digital cinematography, with rushed ugly shot following rushed ugly shot. A missed opportunity for Michael Mann.

Total snooze and a huge letdown. Plus you add in a horrible script that consists of this: rob a bank, get caught, break out (repeat) - then die. Most of the shots are just horrible handycam close ups of Bale or Depp. Mann, can you learn how to purchase a fucking tripod you idiot?

look for Farzan's review, you couldnt say it any better

I hate Michael Mann's "gritty" digital film making style. It looks grainy and shitty. Also, this movie was marketed all wrong. I went to the midnight showing expecting lots of action, and instead got a lot of something else.

"Heat" in the 1930's? No, not at all. And thats what I was axpecting. Instead of having Pacino and De Niro, they had this generations 'big stars' Depp and Bale, and they delivered, but the film did not. The film did have some high points, namely the gunfights, and, well... the gunfights. I really liked seeing Depp as someone normal (if you can call Dillinger Normal). Worth seeing, I know if you haven't seen it, your expecting a lot, but you won't get much.

classy, oft-pretty, but it's another romanticised biopic which doesn't possess nearly enough depth to earn its own gravitas - depp's dillinger is Charismatic with a capital C but isn't individualised or humanised (unlike, say, pitt's jesse james), whilst bale's smugly grave purvis makes me think he's become the new ed norton. the sweeping score highlights your detachment every time it rears its misguided head, and the shakycam seems such a cheap and graceless substitute for real substance here.

Bem parecido (ao menos a narrativa), com Heat (Fogo contra Fogo), temos aqui Depp/De Niro como o bandido carismático que se fode por um grande amor, sendo perseguido por Bale/Pacino interpretando o policial implacável que não irá descansar enquanto não "capturar" o bandido. Destaque para as cenas de ação(tiroteios) e as mortes causadas pela personagem de Bale, além da ótima utilização da "camera na mão" dando um close filhadamãe no rosto dos atores em algumas cenas em que a tensão domina a tela.

The script is stale and extremely clichéd with the mandatory sympathetic bad guys and mean good guys, the entirely by-the-book heist/jailbreak/mediawhoring scenes, and the cheesy romantic subplot. Johnny Depp, while adorable and talented, is not quite as versatile as modern directors imagine him to be and doesn't work as Dilinger. Christian Bale is unsurprisingly as terrible as always. The film is shot with a jittery handheld digital camera in an obvious attempt to "get with the times".

it's not a bad movie

I wasn't too crazy about this one. I felt like more time was spent on shooting loud guns than developing the story. Funny that everyone mentioned the loud/bizarre music because while I was watching it, I was thinking "what the...?' Parts of the story were hard to believe and left me wondering "did that REALLY happen??" It was a constant loop of catching him and watching him escape without digging much deeper. Bale wasn't given the chance to do much, which was as big a disappointment as any.