Summary
Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington starred in a notable action movie beforeAmerican Gangster.American Gangsteris widely considered one of the greatest movies of both Washington and Crowe’s careers, earning aRotten Tomatoes critic score of 81%and an audience score of 90%. Directed by Ridley Scott and written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian,American Gangsteralso starsChiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Carla Gugino. Washington plays Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin in Harlem, and Crowe stars as Richie Roberts, the detective determined to bring him down.
Crowe is celebrated for starring in major blockbusters such asGladiator,Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,3:10 to Yuma, andRobin Hood. He made his feature film debut in 1990’sPrisoners of the Sunand is athree-time Best Actor Oscar nominee forThe InsiderandA Beautiful Mind, winning for his role as Maximus in Ridley Scott’sGladiator.Washington is best known for his rolesinRemember the Titans,The Equalizertrilogy,Training Day,Malcolm X, andFlight. He is a 2-time Oscar winner for his roles inGlory(1989) andTraining Day(2001) and was recently nominated for his roles inThe Tragedy of MacbethandFences.
Russell Crowe vs. Denzel Washington Happened In 1995’s Virtuosity - What It’s About
Virtuosity tackles a dangerous virtual reality that overlaps with the real world
Before starring in the celebrated 2007 filmAmerican Gangster, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington both appeared in the 1995 action cyber thrillerVirtuosity. The film received much more poor reviews thanAmerican Gangster, earning a Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience score of 32% compared toAmerican Gangster’smuch more impressive numbers. The film follows the premise ofa virtual reality simulation that replicates the personalities of real-life serial killerswho somehow escape into the real world. Washington plays one of his many cop roles inVirtuosityand tries to track down the virtual serial killers.
Despite a promising premise, critics were quite harsh onVirtuosity. Peter Travers ofRolling Stonewrote in his negative review, “Though Virtuosity connects all the dots to give audiences a roller-coaster ride, the movie begets nothing new: It’s stillborn.” Hal Hinson ofThe Washington Postwrote, “The world of Virtuosity may be spanking new, but the ideas are yesterday’s news.” On the other hand, legendaryRoger Ebertgave the film a positive 3-star review, saying, “Virtuosity is an example of a struggle that goes on in Hollywood between formula and invention.”
Gladiator 2 Looks Like Denzel Washington’s Perfect Ridley Scott Reunion 17 Years After $266M Hit
Denzel Washington’s anticipated role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is perfect after he performed in a similar role in a 2007 Scott-directed film.
American Gangster Flipped Russell Crowe & Denzel Washington’s Virtuosity Roles
Washington tries to hunt down a villainous Crowe in Virtuosity
In terms of the hero and villain in bothVirtuosityandAmerican Gangster, the roles are essentially switched between Crowe and Washington. InAmerican Gangster, Washington’s Frank Lucas plays a notorious drug lord while Crowe plays an outcast New York City cop who tries to take him down. InVirtuosity,Washington plays a cop with nothing to lose after he kills a political terrorist who killed his wife and daughter. He is given a second chance when he is tasked with tracking down SID 6.7, a virtual reality amalgam that combines all of the worst and most powerful traits of the most infamous serial killers in history, played by Crowe.
American Gangstershowcases Wahsington’s impact as a villain, which has provided some of the best films of his career such asTraining DayandThe Tragedy of Macbeth. Virtuosity, on the other hand, places Washington in a very familiar protagonist role as a police officer searching for redemption, as seen in previous films such asFallen,Déjà vu, andInside Man.Crowe hasn’t played too many antagonists throughout his careeroutside of3:10 to Yuma andLes Misérables, which makesVirtuositya rare viewing experience despite its mostly negative reviews.
American Gangster Was A Much Bigger Hit Than Virtuosity
Virtuosity was much less of a commercial and critical success
Virtuosityhas clearly faded into obscurity over the last thirty years whileAmerican Gangsterstill remains to be considered a certified classic crime thriller and one of Ridley Scott’s best movies.Virtuosityonly made a worldwide total of $37 million against a production budget of $30 millionwhileAmerican Gangstermade over $266 million against a production budget of $100 million, cracking the top 20 highest-grossing films of 2007.American Gangsterwas also nominated for two Academy Awards, whileVirtuositywas mostly considered a commercial and critical failure.American Gangsteris available to stream on Starz andVirtuosityis available to stream on Prime Video.
Russell Crowe’s Movie That Was Over A Decade In The Making Is Now Streaming
After 12 years of production and a mixed cinematic release, Land of Bad, starring Russell Crowe and two Hemsworths, is now streaming on Netflix.
American Gangster
Cast
American Gangster is a 2007 crime film directed by Ridley Scott, featuring Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin in Harlem, and Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts, the detective determined to bring him down. The film explores the rise of Lucas in the drug trade and the eventual intersection of their lives amidst the backdrop of a corrupt and morally complex society.
