Lack of good storyline.

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Ok, it's a rumble movie. It's like LORDS OF FLATBUSH with half the soul. It's WEST SIDE STORY without the song and dance. It's THE OUTSIDERS without the literary writing. Sure, it's got a boatload of talented young faces, some already established, most semi-established when this released. But the script? Ugh. It's juvenile, simplistic, one-dimensional, mindlessly violent (though not graphic); something lifted from a 1960 "JD" message flick, but with better production values, including color. I gave it a six out of pity and because I like Stephen Dorff, but it deserves a five. And Brad Renfro? How did so many filmmakers see potential in HIM before he died not long after this? Bottomline: this is not an awful movie. It's not painful to watch. But it's a youth film that belongs in the 80s, not in 2003. And it doesn't deserve the actors it cast. From the list of actors, I'd guess this was a hot property when it was getting assembled, but subsequently, the writers and director let half the air out of its balloon and repackaged GREASE. Oh, and Norman Reedus? A disheartening case of one-note-johnny overacting in this particular effort. I gotta suspect that the director let the cast down with mediocre, uninspired directions to the actors.

Obviously some of these people who saw this movie didn't think too highly of it. Well if you take into account that this is a movie set in the 50s...and we are watching it 50+ years later then you should probably take into account that the whole good guys vs. bad guys "routine" was all they had going on back then. Some of the so called clichés that were in the movie are only clichés to us in the here and now. It was written authentically for the time period. The actors in the film did a hell of a job in showing the passion and conviction of their characters. The writing was in fact a little underdeveloped but the overall story really pulled through.Deuces forever.

When gages ruled the streets of New York City in the Brooklyn area in the late 1950's. When a tough but an good hearted young man by the name of Leon (Stephen Dorff) tries to control his younger out of control teenage brother by the name of Bobby (Brad Renfro). Since Leon is the leader of the gang called the Deuces. Deuces are the opposite of a dangerous gang, known as the Vipers. Leon tries to keep drugs off the streets that killed his brother, When the leader of the Vipers (Norman Reedus) is out of prison for being there for three years.Since he wants revenge, because someone did rat him out to the cops. Bobby falls in love with an attractive care-free older woman (Fairuza Balk)-which he dangerous no good drug addicted brother (Balthazar Getty) is part of the Vipers. When the leader of the Vipers, who wants to sell Drugs and Thigns are about to change. When the Deuces and the Vipers are starting a war against each other for fighting the peace of the streets. Keep drugs off the block, even if it's comes to Violence.This underrated film is stylish, tough, passionate and good looking brutality strong gang drama. Which it does capture the life vividly in this little seen flick. Directed by Scott Kalvert (The Basketball Diaries) did an fine job, which does have a terrific cast (Including:Max Perlich, Drea de Matteo, Vincent Pastore, Frankie Muniz, Matt Dillon, Deborah Harry, James Franco and more) with an expectational cinematography by John A. Alonzo (Star Trek:Generations, The Guardian, Scarface). Which it is sadly Alonzo's last film as Director of Photography. The movie is quite flawed at the some of the key moments (Especially uneven in one surprise moment in the film, which is never resolve in the flick) but it's strong enough to keep this film, fast moving and it's also hard to disliked.DVD has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer (Also in Pan & Scan) with an fine-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD extras are good-including:an ingraining commentary track by the director and editor:Micheal R. Miller (Both admitting that the movie is flawed, trying their best to make it entertaining as possible), Photo Gallery and Theatrical Trailer. Do not miss this interesting small one of a kind movie. Filmmaker:Martin Scorsese is uncredited as a Executive Producer. This film was a Box Office Bomb in theaters. The film might have life on DVD. Filmed in 2000. Panavision. (*** ½/*****).

This film while having a cliche of a storyline, really take the opportunity to highlight talented actors. I have never been a Brad Renfro fan but I definitely would vouch for his role in this movie. He plays a younger brother trying to live up to the expectations set by his past circumstances. He does this well without the old teenage angst. He is explosive and impulsive, therefore very entertaining. Stephen Dorff, a wonderful actor, portrays a character we at times love and hate. He is strong, but his soft side greatly plays into the story. And as for Norman Reedus, one of my favorite actors, he is so easily hated that you have to respect him for that level of acting. If you leave an open mind to the drama that each character is experiencing, the story actually flows together very well.