LeonLouisRicci Controversial, but not among His Loyal Teamsters, Labor Leader Jimmy Hoffa was Dedicated to His Beloved Union and Fought for Them until the very End, some would say "To a fault".He Single-Handedly (almost) Created Collective Bargaining for the Working Man, or at least produced a Union so Powerful it could not be Ignored by the Powerful People of Industry.In this Engrossing Film, Jack Nicholson (Hoffa), Director and Co-Star Danny DeVito, and Screenwriter David Mamet deliver a Characterization that Drives the Story of an Enigmatic Man whose Accomplishments were Overshadowed by a Side Show with Organized Crime. Hoffa's Line, "I didn't make one dime off the Union's Money...All I did was make money for their Pension Fund, is that so bad?", is as close to the Truth as anyone knows. A Tainted Public Figure, except to Labor, Jimmy R, Hoffa became a Man of Mythic Status in His Own Lifetime and Disappeared without a trace.But, Hoffa, has Never Disappeared from the Thoughts of the Working Man and this Movie makes that case in a Noble Effort, if Not a Complete Biography.

wildreviews This is a really bad movie! It's such a shame that Danny De Vito doesn't stick to directing comedies because he is much more suited to that style. Jack Nicholson acted very well but not outstanding, however his acting i believe did redeem the film a little. The films story line was all over the place and very confusing if you did not know the history behind it. Many of the scenes were filmed on built cardboard sets which was very obvious throughout and looked shockingly bad. Danny De Vito's character was completely fictional and seemed to have been placed in the movie due to his own admiration for Jimmy Hoffa. A number of scenes in the film were laughable , very over dramatized and patriotic. I do appreciate how difficult biographical movies are to make but this one is awful and considering the amount of highly skilled actors involved a complete disappointment.

harkin-1 In spite of a very accurate impersonation by Jack Nicholsen, this film is a failure because it completely whitewashes what a cretinous character the real James Hoffa was.Jimma Hoffa was charismatic, but he was also completely corrupt and played one of the biggest roles in allowing organized crime to take over one of the largest unions in the United States, and by doing so, bilking thousands of honest, hardworking people of pay and benefits.Read a history of Hoffa and you'll see a man who did everything he could to eliminate owner-operator truckers as a means of controlling all truckers. He wanted all drivers under the powerful fist of the union. You'll also see a predator who schemed to take over many existing enterprises by getting a foot in the door, striking, taking over and then allowing one or more of his thugs to exact tribute (often under their wife's name) in return for good labor relations.These are just a few examples of the corruption forced upon honest businesses by Hoffa and his criminal associates. Read history to know the real man, see the film to see a nice impersonation and a BS history.

Thomas Gill Perhaps I should have known more of the history of Jimmy Hoffa and the labor movement before I undertook watching this film. Then maybe I would have followed it more closely. For me it was a blur of shouted arguments, back room deal making, riots and bullying. It was difficult for me to understand what the heck was going on.But Jack Nicholson and Danny Devito portrayed their characters so well that the movie held my attention from beginning to end. I especially liked the scenes that pitted Jimmy Hoffa against Robert Kennedy.Also, the ending, the demise of Jimmy Hoffa seemed pure Hollywood, which is to say spectacular and implausible. Everyone wonders about the last hours of Jimmy Hoffa's life and I don't think this film really answers that.