Cut-throat crime is just a dollar-flip away from shark-suited big business. That's the lesson facing drug-pusher John Leguizamo as he tries to scope the straight play with Wall Street hotshot Peter Sarsgaard while trading bullets down in the Bronx.
Centred by an on-form Leguizamo, Empire threatens a textured character study only to bust its set-up on a telegraphed twist. It loses steam instead of catching fire, but a classy cameo from Isabella Rossellini helps the heat to linger.
