Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. 100
    No finer film has ever been made about organized crime - not even "The Godfather."
  2. 100
    All of the performances are first-rate; Pesci stands out, though, with his seemingly unscripted manner. GoodFellas is easily one of the year's best films. [21 September 1990, Friday, p.C]
  3. Scorsese's style, fierce as it is, doesn't accomplish what he clearly expected of it. Often, in many arts, fresh treatment can redeem familiar subjects, but it doesn't happen here. [Oct 22, 1990]

See all 18 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 65
  2. Negative: 0 out of 65
  1. A brilliant film by Scorsese, the best filmmaker alive in my opinion. Unbelievably entertaining for two and a half hours, with colorful characters, hilarious dialogue, and brilliant violence. Joe Pesci gives his best performance of his career, and Scorsese seems to be at his energetic best within this film. One of the best films ever made. Expand
    • 2 of 3 users said yes
  2. An amazing film that shows mob life at its grittiest, goriest, lowest levels. I loved Goodfellas. Every time I watched it, it still felt great. But one thing really perked me. How is it a classic? It is one of the best movies I ever watched but why is it so revered? I watched it another time just to keep my eye out for details. Now I understand. It isn't easy. Especially to praise a film with countless violence and seemingly aimless profanity (300 f words total). But Goodfellas isn't about that. It's about the story. It's about the array of characters. It's about the suspense. It's one of the most accurate portraits of mob life, specifically those in the lower end of the food chain. THe story is narrated by Henry Hill, an ex-mobster who explains his dreams of becoming a gangster. Through Henry's eyes, being a gangster was everything. Money. Cars. Girls. Respect. Nobody would dare talk rough to a gangster. And the cops could care less too. Our main man Henry, narrates his 30-year career as a mob member from parking cars to setting cars on fire to dealing drugs to carrying out dastardly schemes (the infamous Lufthansa heist). In the end, Henry is forced to give up his mob life and expose his fellow gangsters after learning his best friend is going to kill him. Even then, he still misses his old life stating that he is now a regular guy aka a nobody, a "schnook". Robert De Niro is charming yet cunning as Jimmy Conway. He smiles but behind is a greedy desire. He makes sure he gets what he wants and those who don't follow him get whacked. Joe Pesci, the show stealer, gives a fiery performance as the short-tempered Tommy De Vito. He wants respect and one word is enough to make him go berserk. Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco both give fine performances even though they are the most thankless roles in the film. Dialogue is a highlight even if it is laced with numerous profanity. But the music is something that really adds to the success. The eclectic rock soundtrack fits its scenes like a modern-day orchestra. Scorsese is able to fit a piano version of Layla and a montage of dead bodies so perfectly. That is a rare gift. Once again my favorite director stuns me with another classic that I now fully realize as a classic. It may not be his best (that would be Taxi Driver) but it definitely is one of them. Expand
    • 2 of 3 users said yes
  3. Just watched this last night. Totally blew me away, drawing me in from the very start. Funny, shocking but overall one of the best of its kind. Martin Scorsese delivers a film experience that anyone who calls themselves a buff NEEDS to experience. I liked the way the whole movie is told in chronological order, showing 30 years of mob life in NYC. Possibly the best gangster film I have seen so far. Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes

See all 65 User Reviews

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