Why is Scarface championed as the best gangster flick?

[Flyback]

It is a fun movie to have a few laughs with, but do people take it serious? Is Tony Montana the rap idol? Any time I leave the house I see at least one "gangsta" wearing a scarface shirt that hangs down to his knees.

Personally, I found Goodfellas to be a bajillion times better--Ray Liotta was particularly amazing in it ("kaaaaaren!"--his emotion made you believe in the movie). I love the camera work when they enter the restaurant, always laugh at the Joe Pesci "you think I'm funny?" scene, and I think a million other things about the film are great.

(Godfather I and II are even greater films mind you, but my personal favourite will always be Goodfellas.)

The Corleones were 10 time the ideal gangster that Tony Montana was; Michael Corleone was plotting, cold, and remained classy all the while. If you're going to be a "gangsta", why not idolize the best?

 

[Corporate Thug]

Goodfellas is better IMO

 

[fs5]

it's motherf'n pacino that's why.

 

[Ameesh]

i thought the departed is the new best movie

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: Ameesh
i thought the departed is the new best movie

no

 

[Colt45]

Gangstas like it because tony montana comes from nothing and builds an empire. Although they seem to neglect the fact he dies...

 

[Flyback]

Originally posted by: Colt45
Gangstas like it because tony montana comes from nothing and builds an empire. Although they seem to neglect the fact he dies...

Gangstas need to idolize the legit players who built an empire more. Larry Ellison went from adopted child to business leader with a net worth of ~19.6 billion

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: Flyback

Originally posted by: Colt45
Gangstas like it because tony montana comes from nothing and builds an empire. Although they seem to neglect the fact he dies...

Gangstas need to idolize the legit players who built an empire more. Larry Ellison went from adopted child to business leader with a net worth of ~19.6 billion

but he didn't kill anybody and do coke along the way!

 

[Shawn]

Goodfellas > *

 

[latino666]

Originally posted by: Colt45
Gangstas like it because tony montana comes from nothing and builds an empire. Although they seem to neglect the fact he dies...

That's pretty much it.

 

[masterxfob]

goodfellas was by far a better movie, it's one of the best movies ever made IMO.

 

[dakels]

I dont think Scarface is the best gangster flick. It does have alot of newer fans though. Look at it. Big star known for his tough guy roles. Copious violence, drugs, sex, guns, bling, and anti-establishment themes. Its the same themes as 99% of the rap songs out there. Tony Montana is the arrogant hero of the rap world... I even had someone I worked with spend millions to make his office space a recreation of Tony Montana's office space in his house. It's getting out of hand IMO. Scarface was a lesson in the downfall of the ghetto "american dream". Not an idol of success.

And a Gangster flick to me is not a mob flick. Goodfellas and Godfather are pretty different to scarface IMO. In fact I wouldnt even call Scarface a gangster flick at all but that's just me. Its more of a kingpin flick if there is such a thing.

 

[pontifex]

scarface is way overrated. i couldn't sit through the whole movie, i was bored to death

 

[Shadowknight]

I heard the game isn't bad, though you have to ignore part of the movie for it to work.

 

[Kanalua]

Well...ganstas don't ignore the part that he died... Scarface is also a lesson to not be too big for your own good (or some kind of analysis like that) that all up and coming big shots can learn from...

 

[spacejamz]

why care who gangsters idolize in the first place?

 

[mikej007]

I always wonder why when you watch MTV cribs, all these people (and not just rappers) have big ass Scarface posters, or it's playing on their 800" plasmas and they always make it known how much Scarface pwnz0rz... Am I missing something?

Honestly, the movie sucked. Hard. The story's not that compelling, acting not very good at all, Pacino's accent is laughable, and Tony Montana dies in the end. What's to idolize? The fact that he was "on top" for like a year, before he got the sh!t shot out of him like 28 times?

Yes, I know it's early 80s and the music is terrible because of that, but still... it makes it even harder to watch as a result.

Corleones > *.*

 

[AStar617]

I happen to enjoy Scarface for what it is. However, most defenders seem to neglect the fact that it did dismally at the box office during its theatrical run, and only became canonized as a cult classic years later.

 

[FoBoT]

the chainsaw part is pretty good, do those other movies have people getting chainsawed?

 

[biggestmuff]

I don't get it either. The film isn't that great. Lots of poor people seem to like it, though.

The Godfather, Goodfellas and Casino are much better.

 

[jjones]

Scarface sucks. Unbelievable, over-the-top, garbage. There's at least 50 or so better gangster flicks.

 

[DougK62]

Scarface is a GREAT movie. It's just too bad that so many stupid people idolize it...

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: Ameesh
i thought the departed is the new best movie

A 45 minute story stretched to eternity. Could have been pretty good, though.

Goodfellas > Casino > Scarface/Donnie Brasco > *

Couldn't sit through the Godfathers.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: DougK62
Scarface is a GREAT movie. It's just too bad that so many stupid people idolize it...

Yep. I loved Scarface, but I also thought Goodfellas was fantastic. And I'm probably one of the few who liked ALL the Godfather movies.

 

[DefDC]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that didn't care for it...

Too bad I played through GTA: Vice City a dozen times before I saw the flick and didn't get all the references... That was the only good part of watching the movie...