Casino or Goodfellas

[Ace Rothstein]

Both are epic gangster films starring the likes of bob De Niro and joe Pesci and directed by good old Marty

I honestly think Casino is a better movie. The Las Vegas scope, the story, cooler to me, the performances. The Pesci and De Niro scene in the desert is unmatched.

However, while people think it’s a quality movie, many prefer goodfellas as casino comes off as a spiritual sequel.

what do y’all think?

 

[samsnee]

It’s not even a competition. Goodfellas is much more re-watchable.

 

[Drizzle]

It’s not even a competition. Goodfellas is much more re-watchable.

Took the words right out of my mouth. Goodfellas is also better paced IMO. Both are some of Scorsese's best though.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Goodfellas is the better film, but I personally find Casino to be Scorsese most watchable film. I have had it on in the background so many times at this point. I still can't believe it is almost 3 hours.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I love Casino but honestly I think three things put Goodfellas in another category:

Ray Liotta's performance
The iconic dialogue
The soundtrack

Those are done so masterfully that Goodfellas feels like a masterpiece where Casino is a damn good gangster flick.

Having said that I enjoy Casino more because I love vicariously living the life of a casino manager who dates gold diggers and showgirls and overseees gambling. That lifestyle fascinates me. But that's just a personal thing.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

I love both films honestly and they are still my two favorite Scorsese movies, but Goodfellas is definitely a better paced and more re-watchable film than Casino. I love Casino though because of how much it focused on the relationship and dynamic between Robert Deniro and Joe Pesci's characters. Ray Liotta is great in Goodfellas, but I always wished that Deniro and Pesci got metier roles than they did in that movie.

 

[Batmannerism]

Took the words right out of my mouth. Goodfellas is also better paced IMO. Both are some of Scorsese's best though.

They're both great, but Goodfellas is on a different level. There's so much to that film, if anything it's a clever anti-gangster film that shows just how stressful and difficult life in the mob is. But it also has great pacing and style and one of the best soundtracks ever.

Casino, I found a little slow in parts and somewhat disjointed. Also, Pesci 's Casino character suffers from being so similar to his Goodfellas character - despite meeting a more gruesome end.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

They're both great, but Goodfellas is on a different level. There's so much to that film, if anything it's a clever anti-gangster film that shows just how stressful and difficult life in the mob is. But it also has great pacing and style and one of the best soundtracks ever.

Casino, I found a little slow in parts and somewhat disjointed. Also, Pesci 's Casino character suffers from being so similar to his Goodfellas character - despite meeting a more gruesome end.

I feel like Pesci got away with nearly repeating his performance from Goodfellas because it was so good people still hungered for more. Most actors wouldn't dare repeat a performance with a different character. But Pesci's performance in Goodfellas was god tier.

 

[Detective Conan]

I think I like Goodfellas more but Casino is a great movie all around.

 

[Batmannerism]

I feel like Pesci got away with nearly repeating his performance from Goodfellas because it was so good people still hungered for more. Most actors wouldn't dare repeat a performance with a different character. But Pesci's performance in Goodfellas was god tier.

That's a nice way of putting it. Pesci got the Academy award for that role ( in Goodfellas) I feel like I remember seeing a clip of the " Do I amuse you?" scene at the Oscars back then.

Because of where and when Pesci grew up he would have real life experiences crossing paths with mobsters to draw on. His death in Casino is particularly gruesome, but well deserved.

IMHO In the hierarchy of mob films the real contest for top spot is the Godfather vs Goodfellas. To me the bronze medal fight is between films like Donnie Brasco, Casino, Once Upon a Time in America, The Untouchables, American Gangster, the Departed, Carlito's Way and New Jack City and some others - now you could have a whole thread just ranking those examples. And that's if you exclude the British gangster films ( the Krays, Legend, etc.)

 

[Broseph44]

I love both films but if I had to choose between the two I’d go Goodfellas. But both are excellent though.

 

[STARMAN]

Goodfellas. It feels more intense, rawer, with every character grabbing me. I love the book too.

 

[Broseph44]

 

[Drizzle]

That's a nice way of putting it. Pesci got the Academy award for that role ( in Goodfellas) I feel like I remember seeing a clip of the " Do I amuse you?" scene at the Oscars back then.

What's hilarious is that for how much Pesci talked in Goodfellas, his Oscar acceptance was short and sweet: "It was my privilege, thank you."

 

[Luigi]

Goodfellas

Much more re-watchable and the pacing is pitch perfect.

 

[Iceman]

I massively prefer Goodfellas. I’m not even into gangster films yet Goodfellas still manages to rank as one of my overall favourite films.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

I massively prefer Goodfellas. I’m not even into gangster films yet Goodfellas still manages to rank as one of my overall favourite films.

See this is also similar to how I feel as well when it comes to most gangster movies. Now, there are some movies in the genre that I like, but Goodfellas and Casino are really the only ones that I really enjoy and can always re-watch no matter when there on. For some reason I could never get into the Godfather films especially when I was younger, but I never had that problem with those films or movies like Scarface, Carlitos Way or even The Untouchables.

 

[Iceman]

See this is also similar to how I feel as well when it comes to most gangster movies. Now, there are some movies in the genre that I like, but Goodfellas and Casino are really the only ones that I really enjoy and can always re-watch no matter when there on. For some reason I could never get into the Godfather films especially when I was younger, but I never had that problem with those films or movies like Scarface, Carlitos Way or even The Untouchables.

It’s so rewatchable too. I can respect all the other gangster films although I don’t like having the heroes of the films being glamorised criminals (especially when based on real life ones), but I wouldn’t watch them more than a few times altogether. With Goodfellas I watched it every day for the first month after I first saw it. It is just oozing with personality.

 

[Closerframe]

Both are great, but Goodfellas is a masterpiece while Casino is just a good movie.

 

[OutOfBoose]

I prefer Casino. Watched it many-many times.