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Empire Details

2002 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 50
  • from 643 members

EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets of the South Bronx. With an eye for money and a head for business, Victor dreams of one day achieving the wealth and success of a .. Read more

Starring John Leguizamo, Denise Richards, Peter Sarsgaard, Delilah Cotto
Director Franc Reyes
Genres Thriller

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Empire

EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets of the South Bronx. With an eye for money and a head for business, Victor dreams of one day achieving the wealth and success of a legitimate businessman. When Victor discovers that his girlfriend Carmen (Delilah Cruz) is pregnant, he jumps at the chance to give up the dangerous drug trade and joins forces with two new friends, Jack (Peter Skarsgaard)--a flashy Wall Street Investment banker, and his girlfriend Trish (Denise Richards). Jack offers Victor a new way of life and promises him access to "sure thing" investments. Eager to go legit, Victor quickly embraces Jack's standards of living. He gives up the streets of the Bronx for Jack's slick Soho loft and moves into the fast-talking, money-driven world of Wall Street. However, Carmen misses the warmth and familiarity of her roots in the South Bronx and Victor is torn between his own ambition and his desire to please her. Ultimately, he realises too late that Jack and Trish are not all who they seem to be, and his best-laid plans begin to falter as he is forced to accept the magnitude of their betrayal.

Starring John Leguizamo, Denise Richards, Peter Sarsgaard, Delilah Cotto, Vincent Laresca, Sonia Braga, Isabella Rossellini
Director Franc Reyes
Studio UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL
Run time DVD: 1 hr 35 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Thriller
Language English
Released DVD: 20 Oct 2003
Production year: 2002
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews of Empire

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    Urban dramas don't get any more derivative than this hackneyed debut from writer/director Franc Reyes. Starring John Leguizamo, who also acts as co-producer, it tells the story of a South Bronx drugs dealer who teams up with a Wall Street hotshot (a slimy Peter Sarsgaard) to try to escape the ghetto. While Leguizamo runs rings around his co-stars in the central role, the mediocrity of the plot does him no favours. It's full of holes and entirely predictable, with an unimaginative reliance on stereotypes instead of fully-fleshed characters. Ultimately, for all its slick cinematography, there's just no heart in Reyes's film, making it hard to empathise as violent and tragic events unfold.

    • Radio Times
  • Most helpful member's review of Empire

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  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Very much style over substance. The film is really let down by the insertion of a "twist" so predictable that you assume it won't happen. Not awful, but a waste of time.

      • Sam#4 from LONDON
  • Most recent members' review of Empire

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  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    This is a "seen it all before" movie, usual tale of drug dealing gangs etc etc with a completely predictable ending from the word go. Don't waste your time.

      • Alastair#4 from GODALMING
  • News and features

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    Empire

    Lucas drops Episode III hint

    • 17 Jun 2004

    George Lucas, the man behind "Star Wars" has been dropping hints about the title of the third, or sixth, film. Lucas denied that the title would be "Rise of the Empire", but added that "Revenge of the Sith" was "a possibility." The iconic director pointed out that there are "lots of titles out there [on the internet]" when speaking to USA Today. Industry magazine Empire even ran a competition to find the best title. "Rise Of The Empire" Read more

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Rating breakdown

643 Member ratings
  • 100
23
  • 90
24
  • 80
50
  • 70
78
  • 60
127
  • 50
108
  • 40
92
  • 30
66
  • 20
51
  • 10
24

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    • EMPIRE, the debut film from director-writer Frank Reyes is a Latin GOODFELLAS, chronicling the rise and fall of Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo), a Puerto Rican drug-dealer working the violent streets of ...