Johnny Depp is brilliant as Dillinger. The role is nothing like he's ever done before. It's worth seeing just to watch Depp. Bale does an admirable job as a entirely too strait-laced FBI man.
Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I knew the history of Dillinger. I didn't know who all the characters were, and got the feeling that there were things I should understand but didn't. I couldn't quite care about Dillinger as much as I should have, but I don't know if it's my ignorance of history or a problem with the film.