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5

stjude_bruhJul 10, 2018

If you check the review site Rotten Tomatoes or follow any news related to John Travolta (which at this point no one would), then you probably heard of the movie Gotti. It has become a little notorious for being the latest film to receive aIf you check the review site Rotten Tomatoes or follow any news related to John Travolta (which at this point no one would), then you probably heard of the movie Gotti. It has become a little notorious for being the latest film to receive a rare 0% out of 38 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. That means that no reviewer had anything good to say about the movie. Even with the horrible reviews, I was intrigued to see it to make use of my MoviePass subscription before the company fades away. Maybe the movie would be so bad it would be good. That is a phrase that gets tossed around a lot, but it did not apply to this movie. The movie was quite bad, but it certainly wasn't trash.

The comparison between the Rotten Tomatoes score and how I perceived the movie continue to support my idea that I cannot trust Rotten Tomatoes. I have explained this before in depth so I will not waste time again. The movie may be bad, but it definitely doesn't deserve an equivalent of 0 out of a possible score of 10. Even the average rating that it received, a 2.3/10, is too low in my opinion. Sure, the main aspect of a movie's goodness was the worst part about this film, but there were definitely redeeming qualities that keep it from being pure trash.

I will first begin by going into detail the main reason why this film was so critically panned, and why I myself couldn't like it very much. The directing was truly horrible, as there is no sense to time and how fast the events of John Gotti's life are moving. The movie feels as if multiple scenes were filmed with occurring simultaneously, yet they were cut-and-paste together using Windows Movie Maker. This is the first movie for director Kevin Connolly of Entourage fame, which shows. Not all actors can go into directing just because of Hollywood experience, and he should never direct a movie ever again. Along with the pacing of the film, moments that bring it down include the cheesy movie score that sounds like it was made using sound effects from a keyboard, some of the try-hard acting, and all the common mafia-movie tropes that this film fails to improve on. I almost forgot to mention that Pitbull made some music for the film, and in some party scenes that were set in the 1980s and 90s, they were playing Pitbull songs made in the 2010s. This was a truly horrible move because it did not fit the time period, and it just added to the movie's dumb moments. Overall, the lack of a fluid storytelling that allows you to feel the changes in time is what drags Gotti

However, not all is bad with this movie. For once in his long history of terrible movies, John Travolta wasn't one of the worst parts.

For the most part, the acting was not bad. I've seen much worse from star actors such as Bryce Dallas Howard in Jurassic World and Vin Diesel in Furious 7. John Travolta actually did a good job in his role. He nailed the New-York accent and played his role seriously. With the exception of some exaggerated facial expressions, he did not overact like he has done in other flops. It was interesting to see Gotti on screen because Travolta made his presence feel worthy. The actors who played members of his mafia did a fine job, and the actor who played John Gotti Jr. (Spencer Lafranco) didn't do as bad as critics said. The acting was not the weakness of the film; I was actually still interested in the film because the people did a good job.

This review seems like a defense of the movie, but I want to make clear that it is not. What I do defend is that its not pure trash like critics say it is. The directing may be garbage, and thats the main aspect of what makes a movie good or bad, but the acting and setting isn't. If you don't care about seeing a bad mafia movie, I would say watch it to see just how poorly it stacks up against other great movies in its genre, such as Goodfellas, The Godfather, and A Bronx Tale. I would one day watch it again because I enjoyed Travolta's performance and the setting in New York, along with all the thick accents. However, as a movie reviewer that cares about having you watch a good movie, I say that this movie isn't worth your $20, $!2, $2, or your time.

My overall rating would be a 4.5/10. It's bad, but not pure trash.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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2

TheQuietGamerNov 23, 2018

I can't think of a single thing I liked about Gotti. A movie so bad it doesn't even have trash cinema appeal. The biopic is largely a series of random, uninteresting vignettes that are presented in non-chronological order. The way it jumpsI can't think of a single thing I liked about Gotti. A movie so bad it doesn't even have trash cinema appeal. The biopic is largely a series of random, uninteresting vignettes that are presented in non-chronological order. The way it jumps around through time makes it hard to follow the action and all you'll really be doing is watching a bunch of old dudes have conversations where they constantly reference people we don't know anyways. It isn't until roughly the first 50 minutes go by that it starts telling the story we actually came to see.

I can't tell if John Travolta's performance is good or not. Just that he's incredibly dedicated. So much so that he lent his cars and brought his wife onto the project. Part of me believes the reason he was so invested in the film was because it's subject lost a son just like he did. It gets a few pity points from me for that.

Rapper Pitbull's soundtrack is almost laughably bad. Apparently he didn't know these are a different kind of gangsters than those his music typically embellishes. It's just so awkward and out of place.

When the movie does finally start portraying the rise and fall of the "Teflon Don" rather than its poor and difficult to follow attempts to humanize him, it becomes a much better watch. People start getting whacked, verdicts on court cases are revealed, and the film gets some much needed focus. The transitions between things like Gotti chilling with his family (crime or otherwise) to getting ready to hang for his crimes are still nonexistent, but at least it's comprehensible at this point.

I would be remiss to not mention Travolta's opening and closing narrations. The only parts of the film that are bad enough to laugh at. Two moments of purely unintentional comedic gold. The rest of the movie though is a soul-crushing bore. So don't come into this expecting something that's so bad, it's funny like I did.

The whole thing feels unsure of what parts of Gotti's story it wants or even needs to tell. So after years in development hell and changing many hands, the people who finally ended up with the project haphazardly slapped together a bunch of different ideas and released this incoherent mess of a movie. It's lifeless, disorganized, and you're probably just better off reading a Wikipedia article on the true story.

2.5/10… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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2

Tss5078Jan 23, 2019

Gotti, a highly anticipated new mafia movie centered around the Dapper Don, has been nominated for Worst Movie of the Year and unfortunately, I have to agree. For starters, this film was all over the place! Was this film about John Gotti orGotti, a highly anticipated new mafia movie centered around the Dapper Don, has been nominated for Worst Movie of the Year and unfortunately, I have to agree. For starters, this film was all over the place! Was this film about John Gotti or his son? ...and who really cares about his actual family, there was a **** reality show about that, what we really care about is his other family, and not the business side either. For a mafia film about one of it's biggest names in history, there is a distinct lack of violence or for that matter anything substantive. Everyone wanted to see the story of the man, not the story behind the man, and especially in a format of flash-forwards and flashbacks. As for John Travolta, I really don't know what he was thinking with this film. The only thing he has in common with John Gotti is the same first name, and watching him try to play John Gotti was as bad as watching Ben Affleck try to play Batman. The bottom line here is that this film was boring, just a lot of talk in a really bad accent. If you're looking for a good film on the Dapper Don, I suggest you go with another film named Gotti, produced in the mid-90s, starring Armand Assante. That film was great and told the story we wanted to hear. This film is nothing more than an bad autobiography brought to the screen by a man, who thinks he can play any role he wants.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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3

GreatMartinJun 23, 2018

There are three reasons to see “Gotti” with the first being if you are a fan of John Travolta (I am), the second, if you are a fan of John Travolta and the third, is to see a performance rise above the script though as good as it is doesn’tThere are three reasons to see “Gotti” with the first being if you are a fan of John Travolta (I am), the second, if you are a fan of John Travolta and the third, is to see a performance rise above the script though as good as it is doesn’t quite save the film.

Upfront let’s just say that the film is not as bad as the critics who have been slamming it say it is. “Gotti” reminded me of the many “B” movies that used to be shown on the lower half of double feature bill in movie houses years ago when you saw 2 movies for the price of one. They usually starred James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart blasting away with machine guns.

The main problems with the film are first of all the screenplay which is all over the place as is the soundtrack and the fact that it is based on John Gotti, Junior’s autobiography so one thread shows the love between father and son, the father grooming the son to become the ‘Boss’ while another shows how he became called the Teflon Don and at the same time showing different aspects of the life of a godfather in the mob, condensing all 3 “The Godfather” movies into 110 minutes of one film.

John Travolta shows what the film could have been if it had a good director, a better screenplay and an editor who cared about the final result. He is a good actor and even in some overly made makeup looks his ability comes through but not enough to save the movie!

In a way, it is worth seeing just to watch the cliché scene where one mobster shoots another 5 times and the latter gets up and runs away! Welcome to “B” movies.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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1

The3AcademySinsFeb 1, 2019

Gotti is one of the most ineptly constructed gangster films I have ever had the misfortune of viewing. I am glad I saw this at a friend's house and did not have to spend money to view this picture. Where to begin?

Let's start with theGotti is one of the most ineptly constructed gangster films I have ever had the misfortune of viewing. I am glad I saw this at a friend's house and did not have to spend money to view this picture. Where to begin?

Let's start with the tagline: "He showed the world who's boss." This tagline unironically gives us a small peek at the sheer hamfisted-ness of the writing. The script throws way too much at the audience to process. It wastes way too much time introducing and spending time on characters that are never seen again, and plot points are brought up and then immediately discarded. It's style is oddly reminiscent of The Room. The performances are all over the place in terms of quality and consistently. For the most part, John Travolta stays the course, but he comes across as trying to play Frank Underwood from House of Cards a little too hard. Half of the supporting characters are just terrible actors that either speak in a monotone or slip in and out of their caricatures of New York Italian accents. Some actors are just barely squeaking by and are very clearly phoning in their performances as if they are merely here to pick up a paycheck.

The direction is completely absent from this film. The cinematography just goes through the motions of showing shot layouts, with no real thought or care placed into the framing of the scenes. It's only incredibly lazy at the very best of times. It almost feels like I am watching a film student's homework on the different types of shots that can exist in a movie.

The soundtrack is ok, and is the film's one saving grace. Avoid Gotti like you would avoid the seediest restaurant in Little Italy.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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3

JLuis_001Jun 30, 2018

It's not the colossal failure a lot of people say it is, at least I think so, but yes, it's a total failure.
GottiI it's a dull, incongruous and foolish film, it's poorly constructed and poorly handled.
Undoubtedly John Travolta believed andIt's not the colossal failure a lot of people say it is, at least I think so, but yes, it's a total failure.
GottiI it's a dull, incongruous and foolish film, it's poorly constructed and poorly handled.

Undoubtedly John Travolta believed and still believes in the project, in a way it's evident he really tried but he has always been a limited actor and with the exception of his performance in American Crime Story, his career has gone on a growing decline for the past decade.

If he could actually put the same passion to try to find better roles and act better, he could have a more dignified closure for his career.
Gotti is another failure nothing more, I suppose too excessive by the abundant publicity it received and the ridicule that is having because of the 0 rating in Rotten Tomatoes. Obviously it's not a film that I would recommend but it's nothing different about what Travolta has been doing in recent years.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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2

jb1296Jul 1, 2018

Gotti is a film which has divided audiences and critics, audiences have been more positive towards this film, but I can't understand why this film is liked. This film is poor quality trash which nobody should waste their time watching becauseGotti is a film which has divided audiences and critics, audiences have been more positive towards this film, but I can't understand why this film is liked. This film is poor quality trash which nobody should waste their time watching because the acting is awful, the direction is awful and the cinematography is flat and dull. This film is one of the worst I have seen this year, don't waste your time watching it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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4

MarshallCavalliAug 15, 2019

A failed gangster film that makes 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag look like Casino.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

nellybellyJun 19, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was looking forward to this movie for a very long time, I was happy when I saw this finally get a release date after the trouble with the previous motion picture company. This is a biopic, the central theme focuses on the life of John Gotti and also his son John Junior, who we learn wants to take a plea bargain, in order that he no longer has to deal with the authorities and can finally return to his family. Some of the highlights are the infamous hit on Paul Castellano and another turning point is the loss of his son during a road accident. Kevin Connolly does a solid job of directing, John Travolta portray a convincing gangster over several decades, Kelly Preston is great as the wife,Stacy Keach is the best supporting actor playing an impartial Neil Dellacroce. However I feel the breakout performance is Spencer Rocco Lofranco playing John Gotti Jr. It was interesting to see the portrayal of La Cosa Nostra, although I would have liked to see that aspect develop more. Resist the urge to pay attention to the trolls who have not even watched this movie, it deserves to be seen.… Expand

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

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8

mark0053Jun 16, 2018

I totally disagree with most of the critics on this movie. I felt it was well done and well acted. The story was true and very informative. Travolta did a great job as Gotti right down to his mannerisms.

7 of 19 users found this helpful712

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10

TuneisonDec 24, 2018

Is Gotti the worst movie of 2018? No. I think that Gotti is quite possibly the most subversitve and well written works of media of the 21st century. Every descision of its presentation is meant to mislead the audience into thinking that it isIs Gotti the worst movie of 2018? No. I think that Gotti is quite possibly the most subversitve and well written works of media of the 21st century. Every descision of its presentation is meant to mislead the audience into thinking that it is some kind of "bad movie", however it is clear through aspects of film making that it is meant to be a deconstruction of modern and ninetys gangster films. However, first I want to list of the good qualities before I get into the analysis of this work of genius. First, the directing is top notch and mistakes are clearly used to immitate the gangster films of Martin Scorsese. For example there is a sequence that is just straight up a riff of The Departed, but it does it in a way that's meant to mislead you as in audience member into thinking that it's just a rip off, rather than a riff. Now, lets talk about the gun violence which is genuienly well done, every shot splatter of blood leaves the audience disturbed and sickened. It works perfectly on a level of presentation. Speaking of the presentation of Gotti, the story is framed through the scene of John Gotti Sr. talknig to John Gotti Jr., and it's similar to Nymphomaniac in terms of presentation. This is because the scenes deliever subtle commentary on the scenes being played throughout the movie. I won't spoil them becasue they are easy enough to inerpret, and legitmately fascinating once you understand them. I rewatched multiple scenes just to derive meaning from the scenes. It's quite fascinating how this film is frequently misenterpeted as being garbage, yet the sound track is clearly a parody. I mean, there are compositions ripped straight from older gangster films. I could ramble on and on but, the truth is, Gotti is the Black Dynamite of gangster films, it's a parody of the genre, and the things that are apparently problems are really just intentional goofs. It's a work of genius coming from a place of heart and I loved it. I truly want to watch it again and I think it's a great movie.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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10

PeragineJun 19, 2018

If you grew up on NY/LI (Long Island), you would better understand why this movie is DEAD on, pun intended...

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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9

FudgeandTikkaNov 8, 2018

I loved this film on how true to the real life story it was. I all so liked the way thay used real tv news in the film. John Travolta played Gotti really well.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

Franken_StinerMar 10, 2019

John Travolta did a good job portraying mafia boss John Gotti. The script writers did great at writing a factually accurate script. Just wish they would have focused a little more on his early days in the mafia & his ruthlessness that allowedJohn Travolta did a good job portraying mafia boss John Gotti. The script writers did great at writing a factually accurate script. Just wish they would have focused a little more on his early days in the mafia & his ruthlessness that allowed him to climb the ranks inside the family as fast as he did. Overall it was an enjoyable film, but not spectacular.… Expand

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5

TyranianAug 27, 2019

Travolta is fine and his son is good but the writing is poor and story messy.