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MOVIE
REVIEW:
STRAIGHT OUTTA OF COMPTON

08/14/2015

SYNOPSIS:
In 1987, five young men, using
brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their
frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place
in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their
music. Taking us back to where it all began, Straight Outta
Compton tells the true story of how these cultural
rebels—armed only with their lyrics, swagger, bravado and
raw talent—stood up to the authorities that meant to keep
them down and formed the world’s most dangerous group,
N.W.A. And as they spoke the truth that no one had before
and exposed life in the hood, their voice ignited a social
revolution that is still reverberating today.
REVIEW: The greatest
story ever told by the “Generation X” hip hop Moguls of our day.
Coupled with a well-written script by relative newcomer Andrea
Berloff, Straight Outta Compton weaves together the politics of
the time (Many of us remember Reaganomics and the 1992 Los
Angeles uprisings), the energy of a generation, and the story of
discarded youth whose voices forever changed the landscape of
hip-hop.
Additionally, what a great cast assembled
here!!! Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr. and Aldis
Hodge play Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren, respectively.
24-year-old O’Shea Jackson Jr. is tasked with portraying his
father, legendary rapper Ice Cube whilst making his acting debut
in this flick about the iconic rap group N.W.A. He not only
rises to the challenge, but he far exceeds expectations on every
level. It’s his uncanny ability to embody his father, from his
presence to his facial quirks that gives the film its extra
oomph. Paul Giamatti has a sort of weird role as the band’s
manager, Jerry Heller, who’s often utilized for comedic relief
but later becomes the guy everyone loathes.
Part of the
appeal of this flick is that it’s not only reliving the
memorable pop-culture moments but also seeing the humanity of
the characters, who are often regarded as one-dimensional thugs
who made it big by glamorizing violence and spouting
misogynistic lyrics.
Straight Outta Compton is certainly
not a short movie and it has somewhat of a hard time sustaining
its blistering momentum from the first half. However, the first
half is such a crowd pleaser, that the film earned enough
goodwill to sustain itself through the end of a movie. So be
warned, yes, it does drag at times. Regardless, if you care
about the characters or the genre at all, Straight Outta Compton
will make you happy in a reminiscent type of way, if nothing
else. It’s just so great to see all of these characters and
their stories on the big screen.
Despite a few
drawbacks, Straight Outta Compton is still an amazing flick that
captures a tumultuous period of time (not very different from
the lives of African-Americans and other minorities’ struggles
today), and the birth of a movement that has changed the course
of hip-hop music and culture forever. Five out of five stars
would be a fair assessment here and certainly this is well worth
the theater visit with popcorn in tow.
Review
By Movi-Man Stan
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Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Jonathan Herman,
Andrea Berloff
Genre: Biography Drama
Duration: 2hr 27 mins
Starring: O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Corey Hawkins
Jason Mitchell
Producer: Matt Alvarez
Scott Bernstein
Ice Cube
Dr. Dre
Distributor: UNIVERSAL
PICTURES
Rating:
R for language throughout, strong
sexuality/nudity,
violence, and drug use
Release Date: August 14, 2015
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