Dominating Harlem’s 1970s drug market is kingpin Frank Lucas.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Frank (Denzel Washington) has climbed the ladder the hard way, always determined to be No. 1. He treats his empire like a business, coldly standing as CEO and dictator.

Unlike his rival drug dealers, Lucas has a vision. He travels to Asia and imports all his drugs using the U.S. Army. He literally cuts out the middle man in drug trafficking. While his rivals are selling watered-down, impure heroin, Lucas is selling 100 percent pure heroine for less than the competition.

Calling it “Blue Magic,” Frank Lucas is a one-man machine. On his trail is the newly appointed Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), who heads up the drug trafficking agency in the state. Roberts quickly becomes determined to connect “Blue Magic” to Frank Lucas.

It’s an uphill battle, as Roberts must compete with Harlem’s crooked cops led by Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) as well as the brilliant mind of Frank Lucas.

You’d think things would happen in this movie – but no, they don’t.

For two hours, we sit through the same 15 minutes over and over again before, finally, the story picks up. By this point, we don’t even care – just end it fast.

Death, then drug use, then crime solving, then drugs, and back to death. Repeat. How many times must the audience watch someone inject heroin? We get it – he sells drugs. Move on.

Now, sometimes complex plots require a longer running time to explore the characters. But this is not a complex plot. Within the first 20 minutes, everything we need to know is set up.

Even with a slow, meandering script, great things can still be achieved. Here, we have two of Hollywood’s powerhouse men – Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington.

Together, these two have five Oscar nominations and three wins. Both men play calm, inner rage (which never boils over) and a detachment from life. Sometimes contrast is great so one can play it calm and collected and the other has the freedom to be larger than life. But for both to act with the emotional variation of a mollusk makes this 2-hour-and-40-minute movie even longer.

And, sadly, the supporting cast can’t aid them. Chiwetel Ejiofor is criminally underused as Frank’s younger brother Huey, and Josh Brolin may as well carry around a top hat and mustache and twiddle with glee as the two-dimensional dirty cop.

It is nice to see Cuba Gooding Jr. flexing his acting muscles, which seem dented a tad since the good old days of “Jerry Maguire.” His performance here doesn’t excuse the last 10 years, but at least it’s one step closer to salvation (just thinking of “Daddy Day Camp” makes my flesh crawl).

Now the big question: Where was the passion? From director Ridley Scott, the man who brought us “Alien,” “Black Hawk Down,” the futuristic “Blade Runner” and a macabre fairy tale in “Legend.”

Who could forget the opening battle of “Gladiator” or the final moments in “Thelma and Louise?” He’s a director of flair, risk and gusto. How can this director churn out his longest film to date, with the least oomph?

Oftentimes, music heightens the moments that otherwise lack tension. Sadly, we get either unimaginative rap songs or nothing at all. However, even a vibrant, lively soundtrack might not have saved this movie.

I expected so much from this film because of Ridley Scott and the two leads. It not only disappointed, it took more than two-and-a-half hours to disappoint me.

I do not want to discourage you from seeing this film, but I would suggest there are many better criminal films out there: “Training Day,” “Goodfellas,” “Scarface,” “Casino” or any other gangster movie that pops into your head. Why waste (a lot of) your time on a lot of nothing?

Best Scene: The actual drug bust is really quite exciting as cops swarm around the building. Inside is Huey, who is in charge of this vital shipment. Huey must be taken alive so he can testify against Frank. Very tense, even if you don’t care anymore.

Overall: Far too long and too safe. This unoriginal look at the criminal cat-and-mouse game has been done better and in less time. Washington blandly tries to revisit “Training Day,” while Russell Crowe musters the enthusiasm of dish soap. It’s one to miss.

– Ellis J. Wells is a senior in performing arts from Portishead, England.