The Departed : Overrated

Good movie but not the great masterpiece people claim it to be. Definitely not in the class of Goodfellas or Casino.

Nicholson is a good actor but for some reason I just wasnt feeling him in this role. He wasnt the menacing presence he could've been, or I expected him to be.

Personally I like it better than Casino, but not as much as Goodfellas.

Completely agree, although an unpopular opinion.

Nothing will ever again reach the heights of Goodfellas. Casino is much lower on the Scorsese scale.

The Departed is the introduction to Scorsese's work for a new generation, so the younger ones love it. But, it is one of his lesser efforts compared to his true greats: Goodfellas, Taxi Driver (the masterpiece), Raging Bull, King of Comedy, Mean Streets.

Old story, to each his ownCasino is a masterpiece, very much belonging in the group of his finest work.

Your description is exactly what I always thought in 2007 when all my classmates were raving about it. My thought was they perhaps hadn't watched much Tarantino to see that it was more his style than Scorsese's, and I seriously doubted any of them had seen Taxi Driver or they'd be as frustrated as I am that a man known for 70s cinema will now perhaps be best known for a modern era film drowning in cell phones and computer chips. And a project without De Niroor New York!

On the bright side it was interesting to see a bunch of 17 year olds so interested in a film made by an old man. The hype of this film will certainly be one of the highlights of my senior year. I'll probably be nostalgic over that in the same way the class of 94 perhaps felt about Dazed and Confused being released their year, or class of 95 for Pulp Fiction.

My class enjoying this made me wonder if they'd react the same for Jackie Brown, Boogie Nights, Casino, Se7en, Heist, The French Connection, and Reservoir Dogs, or if they were only into it because it was new. I just never bought that they were intrigued by the plot and figured they enjoyed the cursing like I did in other films long before it ever came out that maybe they just hadn't seen!

I agree, definitely overrated.

It's not even the best DiCaprio/Scorsese film. I thought Wolf of Wall Street and The Aviator were better. I liked Gangs of NY and Shutter Island more too but whether or not they're better is debatable.

I have to disagree with you here.

You missed it. It's all about tone. The Departed has the same tone as Casablanca and other bogart movies. It has the same tone as Rio Bravo His Girl Friday and many others. The Departed is a masterpiece of tone.

I will also add that Raging Bull was also better.

"It's the system, Lara. People will be different after the Revolution."

I liked it but I agree with everything you said. Not as good as those classics even though it really tries to be. And Nicholsons character I thought was too comic book and light hearted. Reminded me of the Joker too much.

Meh, it's a very solid thriller but gets very silly towards the end. Overrated by 0,5-0,7 points here, I think, i.e. it shouldn't be in the top 250.

It's no Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall Street. Shutter Island is also more artistic though also flawed and maybe not as likable.

Of COURSE this isn't on the level of Goodfellas, which is arguably one of the greatest films of all time.. I was aware while leaving the theater of The Departed that it wasn't 'as good' as Goodfellas, but it was among the most solid films i had seen SINCE Goodfellas, 20 years prior.

it goes to show, that Scorcese, even not at his best, is still better than everyone else.

The Casino is great, but its way too derivative of Goodfellas to be considered an all time great. Wolf of Wall Street same thing technically proficient, but too derivative of his earlier works. Still a great movie.

Agreed. JN terribly miscast.