Mobsters poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey, Richard Grieco, Costas Mandylor, F Murray Abraham ... see more see more... , Lara Flynn Boyle , Anthony Quinn , Michael Gambon , Chris Penn , Nicholas Sadler , Bill Bastiani , Leslie Bega , Anna Berger , Theresa Berquist , Stan Berry , Sean Blackman , Lada Boder , Kerry Brennan , Don Brockett , Clark Heathcliffe Brolly , Seymour Cassel , John Chappoulis , Alan Charof , Frank Collison , Janice Cronkhite , Russell Curry , Erik Degn , Nick Dimitri , Rodney Eastman , Ava Fabian , Russ Fega , Fyvush Finkel , Linda Fontanette , Richard Garneau , Willie Garson , Jennifer Gatti , Caroline Gillette , Elizabeth Graham , Suzie Hardy , Melissa Hurley , Bryan Law , Sharmagne Leland-St. John , Anya Longwell , Monique Noel Lovelace , Shannon Maloney , Ron Marquette , James Michael , Emile Nicolaou , Anto Nolan , Trish Pamish , Rachel Parker , Miles Perlich , Steve Picerni , Steve Restivo , Andy Romano , J.P. Romano , Karen Russell , Jeremy Schoenberg , Jan Solomita , Trish Steele , Traci Swensen , Leonard Termo , Carmen Twillie , Anna Villa , Joe Viterelli , Lynette Walden , Titus Welliver , Jim Wilkey , Robert Z'Dar , Bianca Rossini , Charlie Picerni

In this fictionalized account based on true figures, a foursome of young thugs decides to team up and take control of New York's east side from the aging bosses who control it. Bugsy Siegel (Richard G... read more read more...rieco) and Frank Costello (Costas Mandylor) control the physical elements of the operation, while Lucky Luciano (Christian Slater) and Meyer Lansky (Patrick Dempsey) bring up the business end. ~ John Bush, Rovi

Flixster Users

52% liked it

9,817 ratings

Critics

0% liked it

20 critics

R, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Michael Karbelnikoff

Release Date: July 26, 1991

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: September 30, 2003

Get It:

Stats: 373 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Mobsters Mobsters Mobsters (1991 Mobsters Mobsters
Upload a Photo | View All Mobsters Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (373)

  • ythelastman89
    July 24, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Maybe I saw a different movie than most because I really like Mobsters. It's basically a Young Guns type movie with a gangster setting. I guess if you only take it straight forward and don't consider the context of when and why this was made it will make no sense. Christian Slate... read morer is at his prime here and does what he does best. I can't really tell you what that is, it's just a type of atmosphere he sets that I haven't quite been able to commit to words. While him and the rest of the cast do overly slimy Italian accents and the characters are almost cartoonish in nature, that's sort've the charm with these 90s period pieces. Then you've got an almost comical take on violence because it's so overdone and every death consists of twenty bullets plastering each victims face. This is not something like The Godfather or Goodfellas, it's basically just a slightly goofy yet fun movie that showcases young hollywood stars and pits them back in the bootlegging era. While some may certainly lose their mind over this idea and call it "hollywood trash", I certainly found a lot to like in this movie.
  • tsigur
    June 29, 2008
    tsigur
    Huge piece of shit. I was wondering when the two Coreys were going to show up.
  • garyX
    July 14, 2007
    garyX
    One of the worst examples of Hollywood's glossy reinvention of historical events, this brat pack version of The Godfather is quite unpleasant in the way it presents violence and crime as glib fashion accessories. Worth watching only for Michael Gambon, Anthony Quinn and F. Murray... read more Abraham who routinely act the young cast off the screen.
  • Chosen718
    January 28, 2008
    Chosen718
    It's an ok film. For most of the movie I thought Christian Slater's performance [among others] was lacking, I just didn't buy him playing an italian gangster. Entertaining film though.
  • chris92021
    February 12, 2012
    chris92021
    My goodness this film was not very good. The casting was horrendous. I could see why Patrick Dempsey had to disappear for a while before coming back to the big time as McDreamy in Grey's Anatomy. I would say this film sank Richard Grieco's career but I had to remember it was Rich... read moreard Grieco. The only saving grace for Mobsters was seeing a young Lara Flynn Boyle get naked a few times. However, the acting was horrible, the historical background was extremely inaccurate (they got all the names wrong for one), and the pacing of the film was horrible. Do not waste your time.
  • TonyPolito
    August 16, 2010
    TonyPolito
    A fairly-true telling of the birth of 20th Century New York City organized crime that, as such, qualifies as worthy viewing.

    The film could have been a dramatic classic--instead of being mostly forgotten--had it been directed by proven talent, instead of being entrusted to Karb... read moreelnikoff, whose only experience was shooting TV commercials.

    Given his background, it's not surprising he thought the lead actors should be pretty boys before solid dramatic talent. Or that viewer interest in gangster films derives mainly from gore and bloodshed. Or that when Lucky Luciano and his lover canoodled they looked like a Calvin Klein ad. Or that pretty palettes are central to cinema success.

    Still, there's no other film that clearly tells the details of how The Five Families were formed out of the street gangs of early 20th Century New York unless you wade through some History Channel products.

    The only real delivery on deck is Quinn as the capo under siege. Karbelnikoff might have learned something from seeing what Quinn could do, but since he was never entrusted with a script again, that's a moot point.

    Oh well, it was nice that Karbelnikoff took the time to show the audience close-up how to properly make Italian espresso using a Bialetti Moka Express.

    For the true-enough basic plotline, recommended.
  • NobleKnight
    March 29, 2010
    NobleKnight
    I've always been a huge fan of mobster films. Maybe it was the top respect they had, maybe it's the money they were able to steal and not get caught, or maybe it was that they dressed so well.
    MOBSTERS is one of the top gangster films on my list. Christian Slater did so well, I w... read moreould put him right next to James Cagney. This film had all the ingredients to make a perfect mobster film.
  • dukeakasmudge
    October 30, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    Not to bad of a gangster movie.I always wonder why directors always have to change the way things actually happened.Mad Dog Coll was NOT killed in a mobs boss office.He was tommygunned in a telephone booth & If a mob boss was ever actually dropped out a window-I NEVER heard of it... read more.I Wonder how much else of the stuff that happened in this movie was changed around.
  • rickrudge
    September 30, 2009
    rickrudge
    Mobsters (1991)

    This is a great gangster movie that features all of the 20-something heart-throbs of this era. Young Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano (Christian Slater), Frank Costello (Costas Mandylor), Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel (Richard Grieco) and Meyer Lansky (Patrick Dempsey) are yo... read moreung thugs who grew up on the streets and are trying to become big name gangsters.

    They get in on a good bootlegging gig with Arnold Rothstein (F. Murray Abraham) and learn a lot from him until the two competing New York Mob bosses, Don Gioseppe Masseria (Anthony Quinn) and Don Salvatore Faranzano (Michael Gambon) have him wacked.

    Now Luciano and Siegel's crew has to aline their operation with one of the two Italian mob bosses if they hope to continue. But, both bosses want all or some of them dead and get 100% of the operation. They try to start a War, hoping to get with the winner of the two, but that only gets Charlie Luciano beat-up and almost killed.

    Lara Flynn Boyle plays showgirl Mara Motes who is Luciano's love interest. But unfortunately, this movie is all about the boys and her part isn't as well drawn out as the four guys.

    This movie is kept kind of light. It's not exactly The Godfather, but it does cover the history about these four famous mobsters and the early development of the commission, where crime got truly organized..
  • moviegirl50
    July 3, 2009
    moviegirl50
    Pretty good gangster movie...came across it on TV today, never would have watched it otherwise. Fun seeing Slater and Dempsey and some of the others in their younger days.

View All Mobsters Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 31, 2011
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

High concept, sleek stylishness, low content. Full Review

Variety Staff
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety

The seemingly can't-miss premise of teen-heartthrob gangsters gets lost in self-important direction, a shoddy script and muddled storytelling. Full Review

Caryn James
May 20, 2003
Caryn James, New York Times

For all its machine-gun hits, Mobsters seems to have run out of energy soon after casting. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The problem is in the script, which is so complicated and violent that the credibility of the entire enterprise is undermined. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

The whole movie seems to be about hair, slicked-back hair, hair so meticulously coifed and lacquered that bullets would bounce off of it. Your first thought is that the budget for mousse must have cli... Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
July 26, 1991
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

There isn't a moment when you simply sit back and share in an actor's joy at revealing himself through his role. Full Review

Brian Orndorf
July 26, 2011
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com

It feels like a history lesson from a particularly inept substitute teacher, hitting only a few highlights before it returns to a flat read of gangster specifics. Full Review

January 31, 2011
TV Guide's Movie Guide

One of the most fogettable theatrical releases of 1991. Full Review

Stephen Garrett
February 9, 2006
Stephen Garrett, Time Out

A noisy, silly, rather immature film. Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

It's just silly, sick and shallow. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • GoodFellas
    GoodFellas (61%)
  • Casino Royale
    Casino Royale (27%)
  • Harsh Times
    Harsh Times (50%)
  • Loverboy
    Loverboy (50%)

More Movies like Mobsters

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Mobsters : Watch Free on TV

Mobsters Trivia

  • Which movie stars Usher as a DJ that becomes a bodyguard for a mobster's daughter?  Answer »
  • What movie did Jared Leto sleep with a mobsters wife?  Answer »
  • Whitch movie follows the daring exploits of Lucky Luciano, myer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and Frank Costello ?  Answer »
  • which acter was an undercover cop to bust street racers and on a chase for a mobsters gun  Answer »
More Mobsters Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Mobsters to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?