There are only about a dozen reviews for this picture here on IMDb (as I write this),and most of the writers pile on it pretty good. Granted, it's not in league with "The Godfather" or "Goodfellas", but I don't think it's as bad as the handful of reviewers giving it one or two lines of criticism claim it to be. Now I do have a list of gangster films I've seen and reviewed here on IMDb, and out of ninety one pictures so far, it comes in dead last when ranked by IMDb viewer rating. Still, it's not as bad as some of the old time clunkers I've seen like 1942's "The Boss of Big Town", the same year's "Baby Face Morgan", or the 1972 flick "Crime Boss". If you're going to razz a film simply because it didn't meet your personal standard, then maybe some perspective is in order. What I think the picture does successfully is put into context the various mobs prevalent in Chicago during the Prohibition Era, and how they jockeyed for position via subterfuge and violence, along with the corruption of city police and judges to look the other way. Familiar historical names dot the cast like Johnny Torrio, Al Capone, Bugs Moran and Dion O'Banion, with boxer turned gunman for the mob, Jack McGurn (Sean Faris) in a centrally cast role. You've got your expected shoot-outs among the crime organizations, with the capper being the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, McGurn's personal answer to a prior shooting that left him severely damaged. The story line spans a decade and a half from 1922 to 1936, and as with a lot of the major crime figures of the era, this one ends with the assassination of Jack McGurn at the hands of Bugs Moran. He never did, as his boss Capone suggested, become a 'bag man in the 'burbs'.

1920's, Prohibition-era Chicago. Former amateur boxer Machine Gun Jack McGunn (a fine and likeable performance by Sean Faris) rises through the ranks as a top enforcer for the notorious Al Capone (well played with ferocious gusto by Milo Gibson). Things heat up when Capone becomes involved in a fierce territorial despite with rival mobster George "Bugs" Moran (an excellent portrayal by Peter Facinelli).

Director Timothy Woodward Jr. Keeps the involving and entertaining story moving along at a brisk pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, offers a flavorsome evocation of the period setting, and stages the exciting shootouts with aplomb. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast: Jason Patric and Don Harvey as no-nonsense detectives determined to take Capone down, Jamie-Lynn Sigler as feisty moll Lulu Rolfe, Mark Rolston as the ruthless Dion O'Banion, Michael Pare as the hard-nosed O'Connor, and Al Sapienza as the suave Johnny Torrio. The bloody'n'brutal violence packs a savage punch. Pablo Diaz's crisp widescreen cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. Samuel Joseph Smythe's robust score hits the rousing spot. An on the money crime drama/thriller.

Useless. super boring. i was 0 invested in anything. couldn't get thru it, even on fast speed (1 viewing)