Review: Public Enemies

The latest effort from Michael Mann is no Heat, but thankfully it's no Miami Vice either.

The movie is all about Johnny Depp as bank robber Dillinger, who gives a excellent performance in the lead role that wisely eschews the OTT stylings of Messrs Sparrow and Todd - but falls victim to a script that tends to over-egg the charismatic, modern day Robin Hood business a little too much a times to be truly satisfying.

Co-stars Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard are marginalised with too little to work with for the majority of the film's run time - this is further highlighted by the fact that the film's best scene takes place with the two, as Bale's Purvis steps in to stop to vicious interrogation of Cotillard's Billie Frechette.

Where the film fails is the constant shoot outs punctuating any attempts to build up mood and emotion. The shoot out at the Little Bohemia Lodge should be the film's highlight, full of edge of the east tension shot in trademark Mann style - instead it starts to bore as it is at least the fourth big shoot-out to take place.

In the end we are left with another crime thriller from Michael Mann that looks stunning shot in his trademark hi-def style, but thanks to the factors above fails to live up to hype that came before it.