Directors:James Hayman; Peter O'Fallon; Daniel Sackheim; Allen Coulter; Michael Robin
AMG Rating:
Genre: Drama
Movie Type: Crime Drama
Themes: Mafia Life, Drug Trade
Main Cast: Yancey Arias, Sheryl Lee, Bobby Cannavale, Brian Benben, Ruben Carbajal
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 303 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Widely touted as NBC's answer to The Sopranos, the six-episode series Kingpin also drew heavily from the British mini-series Traffik. The nominal protagonist in this seamy, violent tale of a Mexican drug-trading family was Yancey Arias as Miguel Cadena, the Stanford-educated heir apparent to the Cardena criminal dynasty. Together with his icy, coke-addicted wife, Marlene (Sheryl Lee), Miguel coolly guided the destinies of his worldwide family business, eliminating enemies, friends, and loved ones alike to maintain his empire. Others in the cast included Bobby Cannavale as Miguel's vicious "enforcer" brother, Chato; Ruben Carbajal as Miguel and Marlene's disillusioned eight-year-old son, Joey; Angela Alvarado Rosa as relentless DEA agent Delia Flores; Brian Benben as the Cardenas' personal plastic surgeon, Dr. Heywood Klein; and Shay Roundtree as Texas-born torpedo Junie Gatling, who acted as a sounding board for the other characters. Among the creative contributors to the series was Allen Coulter, who direct several episodes of The Sopranos. Originally slated for a March 2003 debut, Kingpin was moved up to February 2, 2003 to take advantage of a traditional network "sweeps week." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
In its quest to capture some of the mobster mojo of HBO's The Sopranos, NBC commissioned veteran writer/producer David Mills to come up with a modern-day gangster saga that would push the boundaries of language, sex, and violence on broadcast network television. Kingpin did just that, setting the mobsters in Mexico, but to mixed reviews and progressively declining ratings. The "producer's cut" of the six episodes packaged for home viewing doesn't enrich the material but it does showcase it nicely for what fans the series has. The problem with the series, which starts off with a bang and ends with a limp, is that it's too similar to its templates -- Macbeth, Traffic, and The Sopranos -- leaving little for the actors to do but try to out cool each other while shouting overheated dialogue. There are some thrills to be had, mostly involving future victims who don't know they're about to become tiger food, but most of it simply seems designed to get you from one commercial to the next. Thankfully, there are no commercials, so it moves faster but no less predictably. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Angela Alvarado - Delia Flores; Shay Roundtree - Junie Gatling; Maria Conchita Alonso - Ariela; Laurie Coleman - Lucy; Toy Connor - Sharonda Clifford; Stephen Tobolowsky - Klein's Lawyer; Jacob Vargas - Ernesto; Sean Young - Lorelei Klein
Credit
James Hayman - Director, Peter O'Fallon - Director, Daniel Sackheim - Director, Allen Coulter - Director, Michael Robin - Director, David Mills - Executive Producer, E. Duke Vincent - Executive Producer, Paul Cajero - Producer, David Mills - Screenwriter
