430 reviews
When reading other reviews about this movie, I really get frustrated due to the lack of understanding about what this movie is really about. A lot of empty reviews only giving 1 star due to "explicit sexual content, and black men who does not respect the law".
What people does not seem to understand is that this is a movie about the rise, and fall of the biggest rap group ever, how they evolved and what power, money, and fame can to a man (and in this case, his relationship to his friends). As much as anything, this movie really is a lot about the abuse that a lot of black males experienced from the police in the 80's (which is still a very relevant topic).
Personally I am a big fan of N.W.A, without that being the reason I am rating this movie 9/10. It is a really interesting true story about some of THE great rap artists of our generation. Great performances by actors who looks a lot like the original group, as well as Paul Giamatti. Great directing, the movie has a really nice action curve, keeping things interesting throughout the movie, and really gives the public a good insight of the life of some of the biggest stars in the world during the 80's/90's.
This is the first time i have ever written an review on IMDb, even though I have a lot of strong opinions about movies, but I really had to come to this movies defence. This is one of those movies I am really expecting to see a 8,3 star rating or something similar, and it really frustrates me to see a lot of people giving this movie unnecessary hate. GREAT MOVIE, if you like N.W.A, it is really worth your while, and if you are not, it is still worth a watch just because of the really intriguing true story that "Straight Out Of Compton" is.
9/10 movie
11/10 will watch again
What people does not seem to understand is that this is a movie about the rise, and fall of the biggest rap group ever, how they evolved and what power, money, and fame can to a man (and in this case, his relationship to his friends). As much as anything, this movie really is a lot about the abuse that a lot of black males experienced from the police in the 80's (which is still a very relevant topic).
Personally I am a big fan of N.W.A, without that being the reason I am rating this movie 9/10. It is a really interesting true story about some of THE great rap artists of our generation. Great performances by actors who looks a lot like the original group, as well as Paul Giamatti. Great directing, the movie has a really nice action curve, keeping things interesting throughout the movie, and really gives the public a good insight of the life of some of the biggest stars in the world during the 80's/90's.
This is the first time i have ever written an review on IMDb, even though I have a lot of strong opinions about movies, but I really had to come to this movies defence. This is one of those movies I am really expecting to see a 8,3 star rating or something similar, and it really frustrates me to see a lot of people giving this movie unnecessary hate. GREAT MOVIE, if you like N.W.A, it is really worth your while, and if you are not, it is still worth a watch just because of the really intriguing true story that "Straight Out Of Compton" is.
9/10 movie
11/10 will watch again
- andreasi-15287
- Dec 3, 2016
- Permalink
Me myself I don't really like rap or hip-hop. But it's nice to know what these men went through on the road to fame and success. Yeah it was a rocky road and they're not the best or Perfect People but they still are people who had real life stories to tell. No they're not my heroes, they are still people which perspective. I recommend this movie to anybody with an open mind who wants to see a portrayal of what it was like to grow up in this situation.
Don't mind the one star ratings they're just spam
Don't mind the one star ratings they're just spam
- trevorh-96288
- Aug 10, 2018
- Permalink
For all the people who wrote 1/10 reviews.
You have got to be kidding me.
There are so many people, who write uselessly negative reviews, and for what? Aggressive, throwing stuff like, I'd rate it negatively if I could, and such. Talking about the NWA like they are 5 happy misogynists, having sex all the time, depraved bums and are proud of it. Talking about them sinning and having sex all the time.
Listen to yourself.
This film shows the dark side of the 1990's. Look how people were treated back then. This film shows what shit people went through back then. This shows who they were. So what is they had sex. Look where they came from. This is trying to show how much of a shit-show America was back then.
This film is trying to tell you about that.
The 80's and 90's weren't having a new brand systematically destroy America. America was destroying itself. These men were rappers. These men came from the streets. They grew up in a shit-show, and so they rap about it. They don't rap to prostitute their way to become millionaires.
Look a little closer and stop focusing on all of the sex scenes for fucks sake. It's X-Rated, what do you expect?
It's the history of the NWA. Nothing is ever completely white and pure.
For all of you that say that this film shows 5 misogynistic men, fucking their way through life and destroying America. These people were rascals, sure. These people were thugs sure. These people rapped about their troubles.
For the people that rated 1/10.
You are very close minded, and are not aware of identities. Draw conclusions, not from the sex scenes and the swearing, but the story.
- tdpessence
- Jan 19, 2018
- Permalink
First of all, I am a white man, 58 years old. opinions will always vary on quality of movies, but I am shocked at many of the comments/reviews I've seen for soc (straight outta Compton). To say one needs to know ebonics and ridiculous things such as that........is racist. I was shocked at how good the acting was. Oshea Jackson was the weak link in my opinion; but paul giamatti, and the guy who portrayed easy-e were amazing. I was prepared for a typical bio (especially music bios) where the story is way ahead of the acting. Guy playing dre was excellent as well. So I was pleasantly surprised. This is an outstanding movie. One need not have knowledge of the hip hop culture/industry, any more than one needs to know about southern America to watch and appreciate steel magnolias or fried green tomatoes (ok,, I'm dating myself here). I don't like the sound of u.s. southern accents, but that doesn't mean those flicks are not great. So please. To the point that many like to mention about the vulgarity: it was real life depiction! movies about 1600 England have a certain dialect. Same with this. people in different parts of the u.s. speak very differently. This should not be a drawback, but rather a very realistic telling of what happened. Open your minds, not everything is Ellen and Seinfeld. I have lived in l.a. since 1982 and I found it to be very interesting on many levels. Great writing, directing and acting. If it is very very odd for you, then perhaps you'll learn something watching it. I highly recommend this film.
- duaneincali
- Jul 5, 2016
- Permalink
Everyone one here who complains about the movie don't know what they're talking about. This movie is reality! Police brutality, growing up in the hood, the extravagant lifestyle of singers/rappers is all there. Someone complained about this being vulgar and not appropriate for kids? No duh, it's rated R. Even though it was a long movie, I didn't want it to end. You really felt what was going on in the movie. When they were angry, you were angry. When they were sad, you couldn't help but to feel that as well. Don't listen to the people complaining, and calling them "selfish". They're probably just upset at how the police were portrayed, which was the reality for N.W.A. The movie is amazing. Watch it. This movie was extremely enjoyable, and despite the length, it felt like it went by in the blink of an eye.
- nianikaila
- Aug 24, 2015
- Permalink
- nogodnomasters
- Apr 28, 2018
- Permalink
Even as a white kid from suburbia, I remember being exposed to the exhilarating and raucous sound of N.W.A. when I was four or five. My mother would play one of her brother's personally mixed CDs, filled with novelty songs, parodies, and vulgar rap songs I probably shouldn't have been heard at such a tender age, in car rides with me. Songs like "Straight Outta Compton" and "F*** the Police" were ingrained in my head, and I remember especially finding telling social relevance in the line, "searchin' my car, lookin' for the product - thinking' every n**** is sellin' narcotics" from the latter song despite being so young.
I may not have ever experienced racial injustice in my life, but I was at least aware of racial double standards at a young age. With that, one of the purposes of F. Gary Gray's biopic on the acclaimed, pioneering rap group N.W.A. is to get us angry at the injustice that occurred in the 1980's and 1990's and remind us that this kind of hate still frighteningly occurs today. It hits us in the face and stomps on the audience hard, as if its strapped with brass knuckles and decked out in the latest Nikes, portraying the race relations in Los Angeles as they were - ugly and disgraceful.
This portrayal only fits that of N.W.A.'s music and character. Comprised of five talented, street-smart young men, N.W.A. was a rap group predicated on detailing their harsh reality and controversial opinions in a brutally honest manner. Featuring the lyrical talents of Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson, Jr., son of Ice Cube and a spitting image of his father), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), in addition to the lyrical and producing talents of MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown, Jr.), N.W.A. went from a Compton area bunch to a nationwide supergroup in what seemed to be overnight. Armed with the guidance of acclaimed music producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) and their desire to rap the truth and the strength of street knowledge, "Straight Outta Compton" details the rise of the group in addition to subsequent beefs, contract battles, and multiple tragedies that faced the talented young men in their prime.
F. Gary Gray directs this film with complete conviction. He and writers Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff work to capture the major events in N.W.A. in a manner that, while all-encompassing, gets to the heart of each emotion and the significance of every conversation. Gray and company don't mess around in detailing the sure power and magnitude of this group through concerts, riots, and nationwide recognition, and they do so in a manner that's investing from the very first time the group is questioned by police for doing nothing wrong.
"Straight Outta Compton," again, much like the music of N.W.A., hooks you with its bravado and swagger. We see the incredible charisma and charm of these five men, we hear their hard-hitting lyricism and their strong production, and we feel their simultaneous pride for their city and condemnation of its flaws, such as systemic racism and discrimination. From Gray's assured direction, it continues with the performances, all of which unanimously strong. Eazy-E was a character I wasn't really expecting to see developed as much as he was, but with the writing at hand and Jason Mitchell's emotionally potent and tender performance, he becomes the standout in a sea of great acting.
Each actor brings something to the table here; Jackson, Jr.'s aggression is unmatched, particularly in a telling scene involving Priority Records, Hawkins is the conviction and the even-tempered soul through all this madness, Hodge is the wit and the sporadic humor of the group, and Brown, Jr. is the backup to all the characters in the film whenever they need it. Mitchell is the tender and enigmatic one, someone who isn't easily defined, has trouble rapping and performing occasionally, but someone who also comes with big ideas for the group he knows, loves, and wants to make huge. Finally, let's not forget Giamatti, in his second Oscar-worthy performance (first being in "Love & Mercy") of the year, who gives a performance just as emotionally investing and captivating as that of Mitchell's, particularly when the two are having a heart-to-heart.
As entertainment, "Straight Outta Compton," for this past summer, is unmatchable in its level of fun and human interest. As social commentary, despite being set a few decades back, the film is frighteningly current in its issues and its ideas. While it may follow some typical tropes of a biopic (the "rise and fall" structure), nonetheless, the sleekness and universal strength of everyone and everything in this project make it rise above those shortcomings into something truly worthwhile. Finally, as a piece of hip-hop history, and film in general, it's an indisputable must-see.
I may not have ever experienced racial injustice in my life, but I was at least aware of racial double standards at a young age. With that, one of the purposes of F. Gary Gray's biopic on the acclaimed, pioneering rap group N.W.A. is to get us angry at the injustice that occurred in the 1980's and 1990's and remind us that this kind of hate still frighteningly occurs today. It hits us in the face and stomps on the audience hard, as if its strapped with brass knuckles and decked out in the latest Nikes, portraying the race relations in Los Angeles as they were - ugly and disgraceful.
This portrayal only fits that of N.W.A.'s music and character. Comprised of five talented, street-smart young men, N.W.A. was a rap group predicated on detailing their harsh reality and controversial opinions in a brutally honest manner. Featuring the lyrical talents of Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson, Jr., son of Ice Cube and a spitting image of his father), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), in addition to the lyrical and producing talents of MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown, Jr.), N.W.A. went from a Compton area bunch to a nationwide supergroup in what seemed to be overnight. Armed with the guidance of acclaimed music producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) and their desire to rap the truth and the strength of street knowledge, "Straight Outta Compton" details the rise of the group in addition to subsequent beefs, contract battles, and multiple tragedies that faced the talented young men in their prime.
F. Gary Gray directs this film with complete conviction. He and writers Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff work to capture the major events in N.W.A. in a manner that, while all-encompassing, gets to the heart of each emotion and the significance of every conversation. Gray and company don't mess around in detailing the sure power and magnitude of this group through concerts, riots, and nationwide recognition, and they do so in a manner that's investing from the very first time the group is questioned by police for doing nothing wrong.
"Straight Outta Compton," again, much like the music of N.W.A., hooks you with its bravado and swagger. We see the incredible charisma and charm of these five men, we hear their hard-hitting lyricism and their strong production, and we feel their simultaneous pride for their city and condemnation of its flaws, such as systemic racism and discrimination. From Gray's assured direction, it continues with the performances, all of which unanimously strong. Eazy-E was a character I wasn't really expecting to see developed as much as he was, but with the writing at hand and Jason Mitchell's emotionally potent and tender performance, he becomes the standout in a sea of great acting.
Each actor brings something to the table here; Jackson, Jr.'s aggression is unmatched, particularly in a telling scene involving Priority Records, Hawkins is the conviction and the even-tempered soul through all this madness, Hodge is the wit and the sporadic humor of the group, and Brown, Jr. is the backup to all the characters in the film whenever they need it. Mitchell is the tender and enigmatic one, someone who isn't easily defined, has trouble rapping and performing occasionally, but someone who also comes with big ideas for the group he knows, loves, and wants to make huge. Finally, let's not forget Giamatti, in his second Oscar-worthy performance (first being in "Love & Mercy") of the year, who gives a performance just as emotionally investing and captivating as that of Mitchell's, particularly when the two are having a heart-to-heart.
As entertainment, "Straight Outta Compton," for this past summer, is unmatchable in its level of fun and human interest. As social commentary, despite being set a few decades back, the film is frighteningly current in its issues and its ideas. While it may follow some typical tropes of a biopic (the "rise and fall" structure), nonetheless, the sleekness and universal strength of everyone and everything in this project make it rise above those shortcomings into something truly worthwhile. Finally, as a piece of hip-hop history, and film in general, it's an indisputable must-see.
- StevePulaski
- Aug 14, 2015
- Permalink
I never liked rap, I don't, and I never will.
But as a metalhead, I liked the movie.
But as a metalhead, I liked the movie.
- jack_o_hasanov_imdb
- Aug 25, 2021
- Permalink
Their stories are told well, vivid and emotional. It helps fill in the blanks if you remember this time period on what really happened.
I laughed I cried and sang along. It was a beautiful piece of art. Loved the quality of acting definitely Oscar worthy!
The movie did a great job putting their songs and feelings into context with the political climate as well as the internal struggles that they had as a group.
I have much more respect for these guys because they have definitely come a long way merely by believing in themselves and standing up for their dreams and the social causes that they believed in.
Although I am not from Compton (Oakland), I love how they portrayed both the good and the bad within the city and showed how Compton and cities like it tend to not be like other places and therefore cannot be judged as such.
I am definitely going to see this movie again this weekend (opening weekend) so that my dollars count even more.
I left the theater feeling misty thinking about Eazy and his family and what this movie really means to his memory. My heart was overjoyed because the truth is out about them and I think audiences today will be able to reflect on the criticism of that time with new and different eyes knowing all that is taking place in our world today.
This movie is coming out at the best time and I think that so many people will be able to relate to fighting for the underdog, voicing the untold story, and achieving more than you could ever dream possible. Love Love Love it.
I laughed I cried and sang along. It was a beautiful piece of art. Loved the quality of acting definitely Oscar worthy!
The movie did a great job putting their songs and feelings into context with the political climate as well as the internal struggles that they had as a group.
I have much more respect for these guys because they have definitely come a long way merely by believing in themselves and standing up for their dreams and the social causes that they believed in.
Although I am not from Compton (Oakland), I love how they portrayed both the good and the bad within the city and showed how Compton and cities like it tend to not be like other places and therefore cannot be judged as such.
I am definitely going to see this movie again this weekend (opening weekend) so that my dollars count even more.
I left the theater feeling misty thinking about Eazy and his family and what this movie really means to his memory. My heart was overjoyed because the truth is out about them and I think audiences today will be able to reflect on the criticism of that time with new and different eyes knowing all that is taking place in our world today.
This movie is coming out at the best time and I think that so many people will be able to relate to fighting for the underdog, voicing the untold story, and achieving more than you could ever dream possible. Love Love Love it.
- facebookonly22222222
- Aug 13, 2015
- Permalink
I didn't personally grow up with NWA's music but I'm aware of how impactful this group was to the music industry and I think this film will please fans of the NWA.
Straight Outta Compton is about the formation of the well known rap group NWA, their impact on the music industry and the difficulties they faced as a group.
Whilst the film is about the NWA, it mainly focuses on three of its members: Ice Cube, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre. I really enjoyed Straight Outta Compton. I loved how it showed scenes of them writing and performing their music. It conveyed the passion they had for music whilst living in a dangerous area. I thought F. Gary Gray managed to show the dangerous aspects of Compton in a great way. The editing of the film was done really well. The first half didn't feel like it was slowing down which left me fairly engaged with the story. The second half is where the film did get more dramatic and that's where I thought it started to slow down a bit but despite that I never felt bored. I think the issue with the film is its accuracy. Since Dr. Dre and Ice Cube produced this film, I think a fair amount of events weren't depicted as it would them look bad which does make sense. However, I do wish the film had been more honest with its story.
The performances in this movie make the film really good. I enjoyed seeing some of the cameos of musical artists at that time. The casting for that was really done since so many of them resembled the look of the real life people and managed to act like them. O'Shea Jackson Jr., who is Ice Cube's son, plays the role of his father really well. Corey Hawkins does an excellent job as Dr. Dre and Jason Mitchell really surprised me with his performance as Eazy-E. Another surprise was Paul Giamatti who played the group's manager. He also did a very good job portraying Jerry Heller.
Straight Outta Compton really worked for me. I loved F. Gary Gray's approach to this story and it addressed a few issues that still place in the world today. I still wish it had more honesty but I was thoroughly entertained by the story and the performances.
Straight Outta Compton is about the formation of the well known rap group NWA, their impact on the music industry and the difficulties they faced as a group.
Whilst the film is about the NWA, it mainly focuses on three of its members: Ice Cube, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre. I really enjoyed Straight Outta Compton. I loved how it showed scenes of them writing and performing their music. It conveyed the passion they had for music whilst living in a dangerous area. I thought F. Gary Gray managed to show the dangerous aspects of Compton in a great way. The editing of the film was done really well. The first half didn't feel like it was slowing down which left me fairly engaged with the story. The second half is where the film did get more dramatic and that's where I thought it started to slow down a bit but despite that I never felt bored. I think the issue with the film is its accuracy. Since Dr. Dre and Ice Cube produced this film, I think a fair amount of events weren't depicted as it would them look bad which does make sense. However, I do wish the film had been more honest with its story.
The performances in this movie make the film really good. I enjoyed seeing some of the cameos of musical artists at that time. The casting for that was really done since so many of them resembled the look of the real life people and managed to act like them. O'Shea Jackson Jr., who is Ice Cube's son, plays the role of his father really well. Corey Hawkins does an excellent job as Dr. Dre and Jason Mitchell really surprised me with his performance as Eazy-E. Another surprise was Paul Giamatti who played the group's manager. He also did a very good job portraying Jerry Heller.
Straight Outta Compton really worked for me. I loved F. Gary Gray's approach to this story and it addressed a few issues that still place in the world today. I still wish it had more honesty but I was thoroughly entertained by the story and the performances.
- ronakkotian
- Sep 7, 2020
- Permalink
"Straight Outta Compton" has the similar taste of the other Music business,Wall Street business and the merchandise business movies which could easily satisfy and inspire the young audience to live their Katharsis of being a successful man or woman in the future, like the depicted successful people in these biographical genre movies. Because of theming this advantageous fact, usually these kinds of movies reaches the box office success in a short time (The Recent Example is The Wolf of Wall Street ). In addition to that, if you choose real biographic characters who live in ghettos and climbing the huge wall of the world's top in a while, definitely sell. Especially to young needy teenagers and young people eager to try everything to break the societies pressures and taboos.
The expectation on the box office is important of course. "Straight Outta Compton" will possibly gain the success on box office.But some effectiveness' can make the audience feel uncomfortable about watching it again or remember it as their one of all time favorite classic. At least I will criticize the defectiveness that I have determined after I watched the movie until the end.
The Subject of the biographic approach of Rap All-Stars is a perfect and unique idea. The originality can't be questioned. However the catharsis that I have mentioned before could not work for all cinema audience, I found the directing, acting and narration superficial.This was not the first biographical movie that has disappointed me with its narration and process of progression. And I think that won't be the last for sure.That's another argument.The main point is some biographies made by commercial concerns and cosmetic structure, harms them sometimes.This is the Rap Music's fathers' story,the action scenes could be more efficient on the contrary of matching some action b-movies, the classical and vigilant music agent profile played by Paul Giamatti, gave me the feeling of the same type which I ran across in other Music based movies.The actors who play the role of The Rap creators are good. The lack of the Katharsis begins with their shallow depiction, so that I definitely think that Dre or Ice Cube or Eazy E's lives depiction with other characters and crowded casting had created that mess and caused the defectiveness. Because almost 2 and a half hour movie isn't enough to depict the whole family of rap's beginning and the depiction of separate lives of them could make a better order in the narration. Linked to that criticism of the shallow narration, the documentary trace additions which would be a good idea on a biographical Movie, was used ineffectively in my opinion. For Example The Rap's born documentary series on VH1 would be watchable for all kinds of documentary lovers, so I believe that in the movie this magazine coverage documentary style is used by showing the social struggles of the Rapper's since their youth, the police's tough attitudes to the Black Citizens in their Neighbourhoods and putting the actual footage of the fights and plundering in the ghettos. However the idea of Half magazine and half crime narrated documentary style using in a movie, is very hard job and I realized that some parts were good adopted from this kind of E! or VH1 documentaries but some parts seemed weak because of several things that make the distinction between Documentary Movie and Cinema Movie, which would cause dead ends on the narration of Cinema Movie.
For instance the lack of voice narration as a result of the director's obligation of staying out of magazine words, the time-lapse difference between a documentary and a movie,the slow timing usage to tell the story in the movie on the contrary of a rushing biographical documentary and doing it with telling the audience the story of at least 5-6 rap stars in such a slow occasion, had killed the spirit of the "Magazine-Documentary- Biography" triplet style depiction. But I still believe that "Straight Outta Compton" could easily be the first and unique example of the future styles of direction and maybe could create a new unique genre as well.
The expectation on the box office is important of course. "Straight Outta Compton" will possibly gain the success on box office.But some effectiveness' can make the audience feel uncomfortable about watching it again or remember it as their one of all time favorite classic. At least I will criticize the defectiveness that I have determined after I watched the movie until the end.
The Subject of the biographic approach of Rap All-Stars is a perfect and unique idea. The originality can't be questioned. However the catharsis that I have mentioned before could not work for all cinema audience, I found the directing, acting and narration superficial.This was not the first biographical movie that has disappointed me with its narration and process of progression. And I think that won't be the last for sure.That's another argument.The main point is some biographies made by commercial concerns and cosmetic structure, harms them sometimes.This is the Rap Music's fathers' story,the action scenes could be more efficient on the contrary of matching some action b-movies, the classical and vigilant music agent profile played by Paul Giamatti, gave me the feeling of the same type which I ran across in other Music based movies.The actors who play the role of The Rap creators are good. The lack of the Katharsis begins with their shallow depiction, so that I definitely think that Dre or Ice Cube or Eazy E's lives depiction with other characters and crowded casting had created that mess and caused the defectiveness. Because almost 2 and a half hour movie isn't enough to depict the whole family of rap's beginning and the depiction of separate lives of them could make a better order in the narration. Linked to that criticism of the shallow narration, the documentary trace additions which would be a good idea on a biographical Movie, was used ineffectively in my opinion. For Example The Rap's born documentary series on VH1 would be watchable for all kinds of documentary lovers, so I believe that in the movie this magazine coverage documentary style is used by showing the social struggles of the Rapper's since their youth, the police's tough attitudes to the Black Citizens in their Neighbourhoods and putting the actual footage of the fights and plundering in the ghettos. However the idea of Half magazine and half crime narrated documentary style using in a movie, is very hard job and I realized that some parts were good adopted from this kind of E! or VH1 documentaries but some parts seemed weak because of several things that make the distinction between Documentary Movie and Cinema Movie, which would cause dead ends on the narration of Cinema Movie.
For instance the lack of voice narration as a result of the director's obligation of staying out of magazine words, the time-lapse difference between a documentary and a movie,the slow timing usage to tell the story in the movie on the contrary of a rushing biographical documentary and doing it with telling the audience the story of at least 5-6 rap stars in such a slow occasion, had killed the spirit of the "Magazine-Documentary- Biography" triplet style depiction. But I still believe that "Straight Outta Compton" could easily be the first and unique example of the future styles of direction and maybe could create a new unique genre as well.
- mhikmetaltug
- Sep 19, 2015
- Permalink
How real is "Straight Outta Compton" when the movie totally omits the fact that Dr. Dre beat the hell out of his full-time/part-time girlfriend/singerMichel'le?
According to Michel'le in interviews and in her Lifetime movie, Dr Dre repeatedly physically abused her on an ongoing basis.
She was a significant presence in Dr. Dre's early years and yet no mention of her at all in the movie? She does not exist because representing her would make Dre look like the horrible person he is and not the glorified hood rat this movie portrays him as.
According to Michel'le in interviews and in her Lifetime movie, Dr Dre repeatedly physically abused her on an ongoing basis.
She was a significant presence in Dr. Dre's early years and yet no mention of her at all in the movie? She does not exist because representing her would make Dre look like the horrible person he is and not the glorified hood rat this movie portrays him as.
This is not an Oscar winning feature. It is definitely well made and brings back fond memories to the day and age when rap-music took a rebellious turn, But in the end it is just another biopic.
I was impressed though by the acting of O'Shea Jackson Junior playing his Ice Cube, the eerie likeliness to his father in posture and demeanor gives the movie a deeper sense of realism. Also worth mentioning is a fantastic Giamatti as agent Jerry Heller. I think he will get a leading male Oscar within the next three years if he keeps his game up so to speak.
I do believe Dre and Cube were the heart and soul of NWA and are musical en lyrical masters of their trade, in this movie however they are portrayed as saints. I enjoyed reliving past memories and a bit more insight in the story of NWA, Cube and Dre, the score is dope. I Say two and a half hours well-spent. Word...
I was impressed though by the acting of O'Shea Jackson Junior playing his Ice Cube, the eerie likeliness to his father in posture and demeanor gives the movie a deeper sense of realism. Also worth mentioning is a fantastic Giamatti as agent Jerry Heller. I think he will get a leading male Oscar within the next three years if he keeps his game up so to speak.
I do believe Dre and Cube were the heart and soul of NWA and are musical en lyrical masters of their trade, in this movie however they are portrayed as saints. I enjoyed reliving past memories and a bit more insight in the story of NWA, Cube and Dre, the score is dope. I Say two and a half hours well-spent. Word...
- Snorreplop
- Jan 8, 2016
- Permalink
- Julian2209
- Aug 22, 2015
- Permalink
Well I don't know why so much hate on RAP, this music isn't all about bitches, drugs and more stuff because as you can see ICE CUBE never sold drugs or shot somebody. He just wrote about what happened in streets , how the cops react to all of them. Ice cube had good notes at school! The movie says a lot of things and almost everything, its true. 1/10 reviews it's just HATE! You guys should get some info before judge anything.
The movie was good! The actors are very similar and makes the movie more interesting. And the live shows was amazing!
You know you are good when people start to hate.
The movie was good! The actors are very similar and makes the movie more interesting. And the live shows was amazing!
You know you are good when people start to hate.
I'm a hip-hop head and grew up in the NWA era, even if I wasn't a hip-hop junkie I don't think I would love this movie any less. When I first saw the trailer I wasn't quite sold. The movie was wonderful. I cannot find too many things I didn't like about it. If I were too nitpick, then I would say they painted Dre & Ice Cube too positively. I'm pretty sure there were less flattering things about them. But judging this from just how well it was written, acted and directed, I would have to say this was flawless.
Obviously there are five members of the group, and the film chose to focus more on the three most popular members, which I did not have a problem with. Because the movie was carried out so well, it did not affect the overall story of the group as a whole. What made this so wonderful for me is that almost every pivotal scene in the movie, I remember being a part of it, because I remember where I was when each moment was happening. When certain songs were shown being made or when the tragic news of Eazy-E was reported. It took me down memory lane of my own life, not too many films can do this.
And the music of course is a major part of the story and it was well executed. Now let's talk about the cast. What a well-put together cast! This movie had humor, tragedy and everything in between. It was sold by this wonderful cast. Basically Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson was born to play this role, literally and he knocked it out the park. But the two that held this glue together was Paul Giamatti playing Jerry Heller and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E. The chemistry between those two was amazing. I would love to see someone from this cast get an Academy Award nomination. In my opinion, this is a great contender for Best Film for the Oscars.
As a hip-hop junkie and a lover of great films, I would like to say thank you to the creators of this movie for reminding me why I love Hip-Hop so much.
Obviously there are five members of the group, and the film chose to focus more on the three most popular members, which I did not have a problem with. Because the movie was carried out so well, it did not affect the overall story of the group as a whole. What made this so wonderful for me is that almost every pivotal scene in the movie, I remember being a part of it, because I remember where I was when each moment was happening. When certain songs were shown being made or when the tragic news of Eazy-E was reported. It took me down memory lane of my own life, not too many films can do this.
And the music of course is a major part of the story and it was well executed. Now let's talk about the cast. What a well-put together cast! This movie had humor, tragedy and everything in between. It was sold by this wonderful cast. Basically Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson was born to play this role, literally and he knocked it out the park. But the two that held this glue together was Paul Giamatti playing Jerry Heller and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E. The chemistry between those two was amazing. I would love to see someone from this cast get an Academy Award nomination. In my opinion, this is a great contender for Best Film for the Oscars.
As a hip-hop junkie and a lover of great films, I would like to say thank you to the creators of this movie for reminding me why I love Hip-Hop so much.
OMG! I never go into movies with high expectations, but this one I did, and I'm glad I did because it completely MATCHED my high expectations! The story was beautifully told, casting and portrayals on POINT! The actors made me feel laughter, sadness and anger! I left out of that theater proud.
I will be taking my parents to go see this with me so they can know the people I was born into listening to. They only watch them now on commercials and love watching them in movies, but never knew their background on where they came from and how they got started. They always took me to go see history so I figure I will return the favor and take them to see some of mine. The crazy part is, the story that's told is STILL relevant to what is going on today.
Amazing job. I have nothing bad to say about this story at all. Simply incredible. 10 points!
I will be taking my parents to go see this with me so they can know the people I was born into listening to. They only watch them now on commercials and love watching them in movies, but never knew their background on where they came from and how they got started. They always took me to go see history so I figure I will return the favor and take them to see some of mine. The crazy part is, the story that's told is STILL relevant to what is going on today.
Amazing job. I have nothing bad to say about this story at all. Simply incredible. 10 points!
- the_remixer08
- Aug 13, 2015
- Permalink
I was reading some of the reviews about this amazing movie and wanted to laugh. "Oh my gosh, it has sex, drugs and violence. Boo hoo!" I mean, do people do any kind of research before shelling out their $10? This movie takes place in Compton in the mid 80s. This wasn't Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, this was a rough, hardcore area where blacks didn't know if they would be arrested and assaulted by cops or shot at by gangsters anytime they stepped out the door. "Straight Outta Compton" is one of the most remarkable rags to riches stories about a group that changes the face to music, movies and pop culture on a grander scale.
The movies introduces us to the five members of N.W.A.: Ice Cube, Easy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and MC Ren. We see how the group formed, how they met manager Jerry Heller, the recording of their first album, the flack they received on tours, their constant battle over censorship and freedom of speech, their lives of excess and partying, the trouble they experienced by law enforcement for just standing there, the battle of egos, inner band turmoil, and eventually the splitting up of the group. If you are a fan of hip hop, you know how much of an influence N.W.A. had to the rise of West Coast Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap. At this time, the only real way to hear new music was the radio, and due to their controversial lyrics, they never got any airplay, but the media helped create buzz and popularity almost indadvertedly by talking about how controversial the group was and how people didn't like their music. That resulted in the band becoming multi-platinum superstars. In fact, the band didn't just grab the black audience, but was highly popular with white men, who started turning away from rock music, which was facing a decline due to cheesy hair metal production, to this new, powerful, anti-establishment credo that rock once represented. Yes, there is drug use, sex and violence, but this was the life these guys knew, and no matter how far you go, you never forget your roots or completely leave them.
The actors all do an excellent job in their roles. The only real veteran in this film is Paul Giamatti, who does his usual solid performance, this time as the sleazy, manipulative manager Jerry Heller. Interestingly enough, Giamatti was in another music biopic this year, Love and Mercy, about another influential Southern California band (The Beach Boys). Both bands, very much from the same area, had such a influence to their periods of time and represented completely different worlds of Southern California youth life.
Even if you're not a fan of hip-hop, I still think you need to this as their effect on pop culture in general is still prevalent today. Also, on a sadder note, the issues of police brutality on minorities still is a glaring problem that makes F the Police sound just as fresh as it did in 1988.
The movies introduces us to the five members of N.W.A.: Ice Cube, Easy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and MC Ren. We see how the group formed, how they met manager Jerry Heller, the recording of their first album, the flack they received on tours, their constant battle over censorship and freedom of speech, their lives of excess and partying, the trouble they experienced by law enforcement for just standing there, the battle of egos, inner band turmoil, and eventually the splitting up of the group. If you are a fan of hip hop, you know how much of an influence N.W.A. had to the rise of West Coast Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap. At this time, the only real way to hear new music was the radio, and due to their controversial lyrics, they never got any airplay, but the media helped create buzz and popularity almost indadvertedly by talking about how controversial the group was and how people didn't like their music. That resulted in the band becoming multi-platinum superstars. In fact, the band didn't just grab the black audience, but was highly popular with white men, who started turning away from rock music, which was facing a decline due to cheesy hair metal production, to this new, powerful, anti-establishment credo that rock once represented. Yes, there is drug use, sex and violence, but this was the life these guys knew, and no matter how far you go, you never forget your roots or completely leave them.
The actors all do an excellent job in their roles. The only real veteran in this film is Paul Giamatti, who does his usual solid performance, this time as the sleazy, manipulative manager Jerry Heller. Interestingly enough, Giamatti was in another music biopic this year, Love and Mercy, about another influential Southern California band (The Beach Boys). Both bands, very much from the same area, had such a influence to their periods of time and represented completely different worlds of Southern California youth life.
Even if you're not a fan of hip-hop, I still think you need to this as their effect on pop culture in general is still prevalent today. Also, on a sadder note, the issues of police brutality on minorities still is a glaring problem that makes F the Police sound just as fresh as it did in 1988.
I am definitely no film critic but one thing I can tell: This is NOT a bad movie. It caught my attention the fact that this movie has so many bad, unfair reviews. Many claim this movie is vulgar, obscene, as if it was a kids movie. It's not! They also claim it's violent, which they wouldn't say about American Sniper, which is a lot more violent, but with white heroes. Or they claim there is nudity, as if they never saw The Heartbreak Kid with Ben Stiller. It doesn't promote drugs as much as Pineapple Express and it doesn't promote violence even a fraction of how The Godfather does. So this reviews are absurd, apparently made by white police officers who feel offended by "F The Police".
I was checking some of the reviewers who gave it one star and found some weird thins. For instance, many of them have either no other movie reviewed or have one other review made the same day they made the review for this movie, which is a little suspicious. There is one of them who gave Amelie one star also. If that is not proof of a mental issue I don't know what is.
Now my review: This movie has a good rhythm in most but not all the time. It might not be the most truthful account of what happened but, hey! It's NOT a documentary. The subjects of this movie are also the producers and they chose what they wanted to portray, which they have the right to do. Besides you should never judge a movie by how truthful it is to the real story but how consistent in it self it is and how the story is told. It's an interesting movie and it makes you interested in the real-life characters. Now I want to see a documentary about these guys, cause I understand this is a movie and I'm curios about what was really going on with them. It's NOT boring but it's not a Michael Bay film. The acting was not impressive, but it wasn't distracting.
I was skeptical but when I saw the first 10 minutes I was hooked.
I was checking some of the reviewers who gave it one star and found some weird thins. For instance, many of them have either no other movie reviewed or have one other review made the same day they made the review for this movie, which is a little suspicious. There is one of them who gave Amelie one star also. If that is not proof of a mental issue I don't know what is.
Now my review: This movie has a good rhythm in most but not all the time. It might not be the most truthful account of what happened but, hey! It's NOT a documentary. The subjects of this movie are also the producers and they chose what they wanted to portray, which they have the right to do. Besides you should never judge a movie by how truthful it is to the real story but how consistent in it self it is and how the story is told. It's an interesting movie and it makes you interested in the real-life characters. Now I want to see a documentary about these guys, cause I understand this is a movie and I'm curios about what was really going on with them. It's NOT boring but it's not a Michael Bay film. The acting was not impressive, but it wasn't distracting.
I was skeptical but when I saw the first 10 minutes I was hooked.
- gabrielurena
- Oct 30, 2015
- Permalink
Straight Outta Compton tells the the story of the most influential group in hip-hop and rap, that group being N.W.A or as Eazy-E so gracefully puts it N****s With Attitudes. Directed by F. Gary Gray, Straight Outta Compton is, without a doubt, his best work behind the camera. However, by traditional standards, that isn't saying much. Gray is no stranger to N.W.A, Ice Cube or Dr. Dre having directed numerous music videos featuring their music. While the film is a very nice "fairy tale" telling of a story filled with tension, violence and rage, it lacks the balls to tell the actual story. Instead, the film picks and chooses what to tell and what to leave out, very strategically as well considering the film is two and a half hours plus. Starting with the streets of Compton, we are introduced to each character with a bang. Each of them getting their own introduction as if they were folk heroes or something, whether it is petty crime or writing rap lyrics, the film shows these characters with a sense of heroism to them no matter what they're doing. The best performance out of the group would have to be Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre. Hawkins delivers in every scene he's in, making it a true standout performance among actors that sometimes feel like they're in over their heads, more specifically Jason Mitchell, who plays Eazy-E. Mitchell feels more like a caricature of the late rapper rather than an actual actor portraying a real life counterpart. The film moves quickly enough and focuses long and hard on all of the partying, the women, the guns and the drugs, so much so that you start to wonder whether the film is a N.W.A music video tribute. Despite the falsehoods, the glorification and the shaky performances, Straight Outta Compton works well as an entertaining film. The only downside of this film is its haphazard statement on Police Brutality. While that is as prevalent as a topic can get for a film from 2015 about N.W.A, that was not the highlight of the group. The highlight of the group was the fight against the censors. A fight that they won, obviously. Despite that truth, the film wallows in trying to be a message about police brutality rather than a film about these men, their flaws and their triumphs, their ups and their downs. Unfortunately, it leaves us knowing nothing new about these people and at two and a half hours, we should leave this film knowing every little detail about them. Instead, we're left wanting more out of them. Overall, Straight Outta Compton ends up being an entertaining film about some of America's favorite rap artists instead of an important one.
When I saw the film was going to be well over two hours, I will admit I thought they were too overzealous, but every minute of this movie was entertaining.
The fact that a movie that tells the history of hip hop's most infamous group, and is on the level of such biopics as Oliver Stone's The Doors just shows you were hip hop has gone since the beginning of NWA.
Usually biopics like this get boring when the third act hits, but not Straight out of Compton. It keeps your heart pumping to the very last minute.
He's not gonna go down in history as the world's greatest thespian but you could do no wrong with Ice Cube Jr. Mimicking daddy-o (Ice Cube's son plays his dad and looks just like him). He had it down, but so did the kid playing Easy E, but the real credit goes to F. Gary Gray who made music videos for members of NWA. The writers and producers which included Ice cube also contributed to how entertaining this movie was. It feels like everyone cared about the project.
Straight out of Compton is a positive spin on the NWA story, showing how five guys from the neighborhood who only wanted to make music for the kids on their block ended up taking over the world. It's has this "this could be you" vibe and overall is an uplifting story about living your dreams on your terms. It's no different than any other rock star's story and that's one of the reasons it's amazing.
Also like how the story gave equal time to members DJ Yella and MC Ren. I was expecting the Big three players in the band to overshadow them, but the film treated these two with respect.
What a great story. It was totally worthy of the 2 hours and 42 mins spent in the theater. Every minute counted.
I'm thinking good enough to get nominated for something in awards season.
The fact that a movie that tells the history of hip hop's most infamous group, and is on the level of such biopics as Oliver Stone's The Doors just shows you were hip hop has gone since the beginning of NWA.
Usually biopics like this get boring when the third act hits, but not Straight out of Compton. It keeps your heart pumping to the very last minute.
He's not gonna go down in history as the world's greatest thespian but you could do no wrong with Ice Cube Jr. Mimicking daddy-o (Ice Cube's son plays his dad and looks just like him). He had it down, but so did the kid playing Easy E, but the real credit goes to F. Gary Gray who made music videos for members of NWA. The writers and producers which included Ice cube also contributed to how entertaining this movie was. It feels like everyone cared about the project.
Straight out of Compton is a positive spin on the NWA story, showing how five guys from the neighborhood who only wanted to make music for the kids on their block ended up taking over the world. It's has this "this could be you" vibe and overall is an uplifting story about living your dreams on your terms. It's no different than any other rock star's story and that's one of the reasons it's amazing.
Also like how the story gave equal time to members DJ Yella and MC Ren. I was expecting the Big three players in the band to overshadow them, but the film treated these two with respect.
What a great story. It was totally worthy of the 2 hours and 42 mins spent in the theater. Every minute counted.
I'm thinking good enough to get nominated for something in awards season.
- subxerogravity
- Aug 13, 2015
- Permalink
- grehfeldt17
- Feb 2, 2016
- Permalink
and this will decide whether you like the movie or not. Note: like - not love or hate. This movie is neither as good as the hype, nor as bad as the blow hards. Its rests somewhere in-between.
I was very surprised by the time-line. In '89 I was listening to this music - a lot. Anyone young and into rap music at the time had this in their play list with 2 Live Crew, Public Enemy, Sir Mix A Lot, Stesasonic, 3rd Bass amongst others. But you have to understand I was also listening to De La Soul, Faith No More, and the Beastie Boys. I'd like to think now, looking back, I have a bit of perspective at NWA's relevance at that time. If we were left believing this movie - NWA had no peers, and no matter what people think, they did. Back to the point, it is astonishing how fast NWA made their bones, got distribution, and made it to every corner of the US of A. I should know, I was in a backwater corner - might as well of been living in a tree house by comparison to the urban vistas of this film.
What's good? The music is good. Dialog, and performances often have snap, humor, and a legit feel. There is some good acting, and you can tell a lot of work went into these performances. SouttaC is well produced - it has all the trappings: sound, shots, lighting, glitz, glamor - absurd % of hot chicks with flesh flying high in many an over the top scene. This shouldn't be overlooked, or under appreciated. People completely out of the NWA loop will also learn a thing or two about the members and events. But this movie is not made for educational purposes, and a lot of the material is not presented in a way that improves the film.
This movie has omissions - smoking, and smoking and, smoking and drinking. Yea, it is implied - but the reality of this behavior is flat not the film. There are also way too many throw away lines that are supposed to indicate other huge absences: like Cube's film career.
Who edited this? Was the director by the editors side? Maybe that was the problem - this movie has more chop than a fickle lake shore. Many (all?) of the heavy dramatic scenes fall flat, because suddenly everyone is crying, angry, yelling, fighting, bouncing - with no set up! How the hell is a viewer supposed to buy into these lives, when the films tempo and presentation of material is all over the place? Good guys, bad guys, grey guys - whatever! As in all movies, it comes down to the script. Very unlikely that the script was written how this film is edited, which leads me to believe this movie was attempted to be saved in post instead of extensive preproduction. It felt as though preproduction focused on character building, not character development, and integrating them into a cohesive work of art. Predictably, the last 20 minutes of the film is painful to watch, in large part due to the strict chronological unfolding of events. Many viewers will give this a pass due to content - I won't; it is bad film making.
Perhaps most disappointing is the formulaic approach: From out of nowhere, rise to fame, we are a brotherhood, money causes issues, band members fall out, everything goes wrong for the bad guys, but the good guys come out on top. What is this? A well produced episode of inside the music, or history of rock and roll? Reduced to it's essence, this is a pretty damn bland film - that never chooses exactly what it wants to be.
Love NWA? - you gonna like this movie. Hate NWA, rap culture? Then F off! Crazy how people go Way out of their way to hate and attempt to $#|+ on things they have opinions about. My attempt? Objective analysis. Did I mention the editing in this movie is terrible?
My rating - 6.5/10, rounded down
I was very surprised by the time-line. In '89 I was listening to this music - a lot. Anyone young and into rap music at the time had this in their play list with 2 Live Crew, Public Enemy, Sir Mix A Lot, Stesasonic, 3rd Bass amongst others. But you have to understand I was also listening to De La Soul, Faith No More, and the Beastie Boys. I'd like to think now, looking back, I have a bit of perspective at NWA's relevance at that time. If we were left believing this movie - NWA had no peers, and no matter what people think, they did. Back to the point, it is astonishing how fast NWA made their bones, got distribution, and made it to every corner of the US of A. I should know, I was in a backwater corner - might as well of been living in a tree house by comparison to the urban vistas of this film.
What's good? The music is good. Dialog, and performances often have snap, humor, and a legit feel. There is some good acting, and you can tell a lot of work went into these performances. SouttaC is well produced - it has all the trappings: sound, shots, lighting, glitz, glamor - absurd % of hot chicks with flesh flying high in many an over the top scene. This shouldn't be overlooked, or under appreciated. People completely out of the NWA loop will also learn a thing or two about the members and events. But this movie is not made for educational purposes, and a lot of the material is not presented in a way that improves the film.
This movie has omissions - smoking, and smoking and, smoking and drinking. Yea, it is implied - but the reality of this behavior is flat not the film. There are also way too many throw away lines that are supposed to indicate other huge absences: like Cube's film career.
Who edited this? Was the director by the editors side? Maybe that was the problem - this movie has more chop than a fickle lake shore. Many (all?) of the heavy dramatic scenes fall flat, because suddenly everyone is crying, angry, yelling, fighting, bouncing - with no set up! How the hell is a viewer supposed to buy into these lives, when the films tempo and presentation of material is all over the place? Good guys, bad guys, grey guys - whatever! As in all movies, it comes down to the script. Very unlikely that the script was written how this film is edited, which leads me to believe this movie was attempted to be saved in post instead of extensive preproduction. It felt as though preproduction focused on character building, not character development, and integrating them into a cohesive work of art. Predictably, the last 20 minutes of the film is painful to watch, in large part due to the strict chronological unfolding of events. Many viewers will give this a pass due to content - I won't; it is bad film making.
Perhaps most disappointing is the formulaic approach: From out of nowhere, rise to fame, we are a brotherhood, money causes issues, band members fall out, everything goes wrong for the bad guys, but the good guys come out on top. What is this? A well produced episode of inside the music, or history of rock and roll? Reduced to it's essence, this is a pretty damn bland film - that never chooses exactly what it wants to be.
Love NWA? - you gonna like this movie. Hate NWA, rap culture? Then F off! Crazy how people go Way out of their way to hate and attempt to $#|+ on things they have opinions about. My attempt? Objective analysis. Did I mention the editing in this movie is terrible?
My rating - 6.5/10, rounded down
- urthpainter
- Aug 16, 2015
- Permalink