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.

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