Mobsters 1991

Johanna Steinmetz, Chicago Tribune: Despite competent production, despite-or perhaps because of-a high and inventively mutilated body count, the film is ultimately boring. Read more

Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times: Mobsters looks like it was made by people who have seen too many gangster films for people who haven't seen any. There isn't a breath of life in the filmmaking. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: A potboiler in the quick-and-dirty tradition of the B movies of the '30s, it may not win any Oscars or garner rave reviews, but it's consistently entertaining, nevertheless. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Slater and Dempsey bring to the film whatever shallow depth Mobsters occasionally exhibits. Read more

Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times: A hollow concept gussied up with a few big names, a pretty set and some fancy clothes. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: For all its machine-gun hits, Mobsters seems to have run out of energy soon after casting. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: High concept, sleek stylishness, low content. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: There isn't a moment when you simply sit back and share in an actor's joy at revealing himself through his role. Read more

Michael Sragow, New Yorker: It's an excuse for the latest crop of media-spawned personalities -- the male equivalent of starlets -- to invade the heavy-duty genre of the gangster film. They don't come up to Cagney's spats. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The problem is in the script, which is so complicated and violent that the credibility of the entire enterprise is undermined. Read more

Steve Grant, Time Out: A noisy, silly, rather immature film. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: The seemingly can't-miss premise of teen-heartthrob gangsters gets lost in self-important direction, a shoddy script and muddled storytelling. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: The whole movie seems to be about hair, slicked-back hair, hair so meticulously coifed and lacquered that bullets would bounce off of it. Your first thought is that the budget for mousse must have climbed into the zillions. Read more