Kill The Irishman (2011, Jonathan Hensleigh)

While watching Kill the Irishman, I could not help but notice that I was watching a film that feels like a Boondock Saints version of American Gangster. 

It was based on the 1998 novel by Rick Porrello titled 'To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia'.

The story evolves around Danny Greene, an Irish American mobster based in Cleveland who became an associate of John Nardi as he worked his way up into the rackets in the '60s and '70s.

There's Ray Stevenson (who played the Punisher in Punisher: War Zone) as Greene who actually does a great job as Greene. Christopher Walken plays mobster Alex "Shondor" Birns who at first hires Greene as a lone shark as he hears great stuff about Greene on the street, but they later fall apart and Shondon Birns puts a hit on Greene.

Vincent D'Onofrio (who played Pvt. Pyle in Full Metal Jacket) as John Nardi an Italian Americab mobster who becomes great friends with fellow mobster Danny Greene (even though it is said that Greene hated Italians). And Val Kilmer who plays Joe Manditski, an old friend of Greene but befriends him due to his work line. The Joe Manditski character is based on Ed Kovačić.

Danny Greene (1964)

The film may not be exactly accurate (for example, in the film his first wife leaves him with the kids, yet in real life, he left his wife and kids), yet fairly entertaining. There's loads of great big old beautiful Cadillacs, numerous bombs (mainly car bombs) and of course, everyone is trying to kill the Irishman. One car bomb was even placed in his own green Cadillac where he barley escaped (yet had permanent damage to one of his ears). Danny Greene was said to have escaped the claws of death numerous times.

Director Jonathan Hensleigh (The Punisher) handles the film fairly well, even if he may not have been the best choice for the film. But then again, there's plenty of beautiful cars, some good action, decent acting and for what it is, I enjoyed it. If you like your mob movies (like myself), you're sure to have a good time.

Rating: B

Click here for the trailer