** out of 5 stars
Director and writer Franc Reyes needs a reality check. It is obvious that his new movie "Empire" vies for a place high among classic gangster movies such as "Carlito's Way" and "Scarface," but this film proves too ambitious for its intentions.
Not that it's all bad. Known for his versatility as an actor, John Leguizamo blesses this film as the lead character, Victor Rosa, a likeable Latino gangster who learned from growing up on the streets of the South Bronx that money is everything. Rosa is the Bill Gates of "street pharmaceuticals." His Microsoft is a lot of potent heroin he calls "empire."
Life is going well for Rosa - business is booming, he is about to have his first child with longtime girlfriend Carmen (Delilah Cotto), and Wall Street tycoon Jack Wimmer (Peter Sarsgaard) handed him the investment opportunity of a lifetime.
If the "Godfather" series taught us anything, it was that the business of organized crime mimics the cutthroat moneymaking schemes of legitimate, corporate executives. Rosa fancies himself in the same role, longing for a "white boy" life in a chic Soho apartment. He sees Wimmer's investment opportunity as his ticket to legitimacy, but he pays a much higher price for it than he could ever imagine.
Wimmer and his trophy girlfriend, Trish (Denise Richards), wrap Rosa around their clean corporate fingers, causing Rosa to forget where he came from and who he really is. But old ties are not so easy to break.
Just when everything seems perfect, predictably, Rosa loses it all at the hands of the rich, young corporate gentleman. As the film's tagline states, this is when "two worlds collide."
"Empire" starts out very clear and exciting, but fizzles out toward the end. It takes a typical grim view of life on the streets and the drug world, where people are killed off like flies for small mistakes. Although humorous at times, "Empire" mostly glorifies the gangbanging street life, whose excesses in the film far surpass reality.
For your gag reflex pleasure, there are numerous "Scarface-"inspired gun battles, featuring grotesque close-ups on bullet wounds that are usually unnecessary.
The appearance of rapper Fat Joe's character, Tito Severe, is sure to attract hip-hop fans to the movie, and though his character is not far from the persona he presents in his music, his acting ability is surprisingly strong. Fat Joe makes for a very convincing drug gangster with a humorous side. But his screen time is far too short.
This script offers an intriguing Latino spin to an old story of several cultural worlds existing in New York City with little connection to each other, resulting in the desire for people to change their cultural values in an effort to compete for dominance. Still, it is an old story and it was done better in films like "A Bronx Tale."
"Empire" includes a bit too much voiceover narration by Leguizamo, almost as if the director was afraid the audience would not get it. While they due offer helpful clarification during action sequences, the excessive presence of voiceovers implies the audience consists of complete idiots.
Other than its few faults, "Empire" is a good candidate for a second-string position in the line of classic gangster movies. It features a very appropriate, as well as original score by Grammy award winner and Latin music legend Rub?(c)n Blades. It is the premiere film from Arenas Entertainment, the very first Latino production company working for a major studio, Universal. Since the film is based on Reyes's own experiences growing up in a Latino community in South Bronx, the overall story he has to tell is compelling.
