There's nothing particularly original, entertaining or suspenseful about "American Gangster."

But as a sociopolitical statement on America in the '70s, you can't go wrong.

Denzel Washington stars as self-made Harlem heroin kingpin Frank Black, a man who, once his time comes, is single-minded in getting what he wants -- power, 8respect, money.

Frank takes the reins from his mentor (Clarence Williams III), eliminates a rival and cuts out the middleman: He journeys to Vietnam, using military contacts to smuggle pure heroin in the 8coffins of dead soldiers.

Meanwhile, straight cop Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is down on his luck. His honesty makes him an outcast among his crooked peers, and at home his wife (Carla Gugino) is moving out of town and taking their son with her.

When Richie is appointed head of a special task force, he finds this black man hobnobbing with the Italians, and soon he's making it his personal mission to take him down.

The film, on the surface, is hardly electrifying. Here's a brief summation of much of the movie: Russell goes to court. Russell talks to junkies. Russell goes to court. Russell talks to people. Cut to Denzel. Denzel buys a house. Denzel talks to people. Denzel goes to the Ali-Frazier fight.

And what of the "Virtuosity" reunion between Crowe and Washington? Just a scant few scenes together at the end of the film. One sequence is very good, but most of their screen time is rather pedestrian.

But look at the film in context. Exactly who are the gangsters here? A gang of crooked cops, led by the resurgent Josh Brolin ("Grindhouse") tries to shake down Frank. They're not interested in bringing him down, just getting a piece of the action.

But at the film's conclusion, there doesn't really seem to be justice served, just another deal that instead brings down someone's rival rather than punishing those who deserve it.

There is one good shootout sequence as Richie closes in on Frank, leading into the inevitable meeting between the two, but it's relatively short given the long, slow build.

Washington and Crowe are their usual spectacular selves. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Crowe's hideous New Jersey accent from the trailer was mostly absent in the actual film.

Washington as Frank is complex and interesting, with a veneer of control hiding a bubbling cauldron of rage toward his enemies.

The supporting cast is strong, with Brolin, Gugino, Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Talk to Me") and Ruby Dee, among others, turning in good performances.

In the pantheon of crime films, this likely won't be considered one of the greats. It doesn't have the outlandishness of "Scarface," the subtlety of "The Godfather" or the tension of "Heat."

But as a character study and as a political statement, it finds its niche.

If you can appreciate the subtext.