I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars... and you. What else you need to know? -Public Enemies

There are some very good things and some not so great things about Public Enemies. Keeping in line with some of the simple thinking that took place in this picture I will assign Public Enemies a letter grade. 

C+. 

I was hoping for more.

Johnny Depp turns in a solid performance as the notorious bank robber John Dillinger. Dillinger is a captivating character and Depp is one of the best actors of our generation. When the camera is on Depp, you're paying attention.  Score one for Public Enemies.

Michael Mann’s (Heat, The insider) direction was solid and his attention to detail was above and beyond the call of duty. Mann was insistent upon shooting in many of the actual locations where the events of Dillingers last few years on earth unfolded covering an array of cities in the mid-west. This act of love gave the movie a sense of authenticity that is essential to any period piece. Score. There where several surprisingly funny moments and Depp delivers some lines that will go down in history along side some of the greatest (“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse”). Always good.

But as I said, the movie had its weak points too. While Depp gives us a stellar performance and Mann shows his expertise with the camera (some will argue that point but I am a big fan of the handheld camera) I felt like something was really lacking in the story. At 2-1/2 hours I expected this movie to have a little more depth to it. It seemed to drag and I never felt like I cared about anyone. There was no real tension building. Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) the FBI agent hot on Dillingers trail didn’t seem to have enough motivation to catch Dillinger and Dillinger really didn’t seem to care if he got caught. I thought their relationship should have been heightened a little more-that their game of cat and mouse could have been more playful, more meaningful. 

This story started off on the right foot but in the end the shootouts and one-liners aren’t enough to make a completely satisfying picture. In a movie where you know the ending on your way into the theatre you  have to-have to-have-to be invested in the characters and I just never totally got there. 

And the music. Son-of-a, don't get me started on the music. 

My Vote: Catch it on the big screen if you got an afternoon to kill. Rent Bonnie and Clyde, 1967.