i agree that it hasn't aged well at all. it pales in comparison to the first two GF's, goodfellas, and casino. we did get a good video game out of it though, vice city was a great follow up to GTA3.
To be fair, weren't you like 13 when that came out? I don't expect 13y/o boys to be able to concentrate on much long enough to enjoy the nuance and storytelling.
Al Pacino...Cuban? Every time I've watched it that thought races through my head more than a few times. All in all, not a bad movie, but I think it's more of a cult film due to the absurd drug abuse and violence than it is a "great" movie. I'll watch it once a year or so when insomnia strikes.