Description: This powerful, gripping action-thriller features John Leguizamo in a riveting performance the Los Angeles Times hails as "superb." "One of the best performances of the year!" The gritty streets of the South Bronx meet the white-collar world of Wall Street in Empire, a hard-hitting story about the pursuit of fast money and the high price of greed. Featuring Denise Richards, Isabella Rossellini and rap superstars Fat Joe and Treach, Empire is a high-intensity, urban thrill-ride!
Amazon.com: John Leguizamo is, in his own words, "young, Latin, and good looking" as the ambitious minimogul of the South Bronx drug trade in Franc Reyes' Latino twist on the urban crime saga. Reigning in his hyperactive energy, Leguizamo is like a coiled spring as the street-smart player who tries to leave the violence of his trade behind in an upwardly mobile odyssey, and Peter Sarsgaard brings a discomforting confidence to the smooth-talking investment banker trusted with his millions. Few of the other characters even register in the familiar underworld tale (though Denise Richards has fun as a bubbly, skin-deep seductress) and Reyes's flashy style is as distracting as it is energizing. It's the smoldering presence of Leguizamo that keeps the film centered through the betrayals, the bullet-riddled battles, and the slow realization that this cunning shark has just become bait in the deep seas of high finance. --Sean Axmaker
Pretty Decent Movie Watching the movie Empire again for the first time in say five years I don't think it was half bad. John Leguamizo carries his first big dramatic starring role. The movie's director Franc Reyes does well with his first from the scenery to the Bronx locales. My only compliant about the film was the cliched ending. Other than that if you like gangsta hood movies then check this out.
i think that this movie was great i think that this movie was great i think iit showed the gritty side of drug bussiness and when you make the wrong decision there's no way out of it.i love it cause it showed how life is for drug dealers and thier lives and drama that conquers in thier lives,and the people that are affected by all of this.
Leguizamo keeps the empty Empire from crumbling John Leguizamo (George A. Romero's Land Of The Dead, The Honeymooners) plays a hotshot street thug from the South of Bronx who winds up making a business deal with wallstreet hotshot, played by Peter Sarsgaard (the upcoming The Skeleton Key, Shattered Glass). Soon, Leguizamo's life turns upside down as he finds out that his business partner is trying to scam him. This is a very intriguing story but it leaves nothing to fill in the gaps except for a good performance by John Leguizamo which keeps this from going down in the dumps. Also starring Denise Richards (The World Is Not Enought, Valentine) as another ditzy woman with sexual ways, Rappers Fat Joe and Treach (Jason's Lyric), Nestor Serrano (The Negotiator) and a weird role for Isabella Rosselini (Death Becomes Her, Immortal Beloved) as a druglord...very weird and the hair.
i liked this movie i liked this movie. its sort of like scarface. but its definately worth renting. i'm glad i saw it.
Delilah Cotto a.k.a. Scene Stealer Wow, Delilah Cotto sure can act. Her character Carmen is the best character in this movie. She's the reason we root for the main character Victor, who is played perfectly by John Leguizamo. Leguizamo and Cotto had great on scene chemistry and that was a key element to the movie. Jack, who is played by Peter Saarsgard, pitches an investment opportunity to Victor and he goes with it. But Victor's life comes crashing down as his crew turns on him and his relationship with Carmen is skating on thin ice. Carmen's friend and Jack's girlfriend Trish, who is played by Denise Richards, turns out to not be such a good friend. You'll see how evil those two are as the movie goes on. The two characters that did great in supporting roles were Jimmy (Vincent Laresca) and Chedda (Treach). They're very under-rated as actors and this movie should have gotten Academy Award Consideration. Punk ass Oscars! Movies like The Hours and Chicago are stupid boring movies that are a reflection of people with bad taste in movies and further validates the point that the haters are jealous of Empire, the greatest movie of all-time. You ain't a real movie watcher if you don't see Empire. It's the greatest ever. No questions asked!