With a charcoal fedora and a large soda in hand, Mike Corning was prepared for action.

"Public Enemies" is more than two hours long, but it did not deter Corning.

"I like Johnny Depp. I'll stay in my seat," he said.

The summer blockbuster movie about the life and times of John Dillinger, notorious gangster from the 1920s and 1930s, opened Wednesday. Some of the scenes were filmed in Columbus and the Wisconsin Dells area.

Welcoming eager moviegoers at the ticket booth, Tyler Lindert looked the part for the opening.

"We're all dressing up. I went to Goodwill and bought my outfit there on Monday," Lindert said.

Afternoon showings proved to bring in a healthy amount of customers to the Portage Theatres, said owner Jeremy Rusch, but he predicted that show times after work hours would prove more fruitful.

"For it being a Wednesday at noon, 39 people (for the first show) is pretty good for us," Rusch said.

Keith and Mary Kolodzyk had a sweet connection to the filming last year. The couple are from Westfield.

"My son (John Homeyer) went to every shooting wearing his zoot suit, and when they were filming in Oshkosh, they were standing out in the rain for seven or eight hours," Mary said.

Along for the adventure was Mary's granddaughter, 15-month-old Trinity.

"He (Depp) just took her, and cuddled her," Keith said.

"He waited for them to take pictures and everything," Mary said. "My son was very impressed with him."

After staying at the Columbus Carriage House Bed & Breakfast, Mary Kelly-Kingsley and James Kingsley missed the shooting by days last spring. Former Mayor Nancy Osterhaus owns the business.

"We saw the sets and the cobblestone streets, and she gave us a bunch of photos of her and Johnny Depp," James said. "We wanted to see parts of Columbus (in the movie)."

The couple went to the first showing with son Philip.

"She thought it was too violent, but it was about what I expected," James said.

Mary recalls hearing about the real Dillinger from her mother.

"She said he was a notorious bank robber who was very sneaky and got gunned down," Mary said.

James heard the other side of the Dillinger story.

"I heard he was kind of a hero because he robbed the banks, and nobody liked the banks," James said.

Philip and James plan to see the film again, but this time, Mary said she will sit out.

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