Boyz N the Hood (2-Disc Anniversary Edition) | Hudhail Al-Amir, Lloyd Avery II

Boyz N the Hood (2-Disc Anniversary Edition) | Hudhail Al-Amir, Lloyd Avery II | How This is Not in AFI's Top 50 I'll Never Know

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Boyz N the Hood (2...

	Boyz N the Hood (2-Disc Anniversary Edition) Hudhail Al-Amir, Lloyd Avery II Sony Pictures, 2003 average customer review:based on 116 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The godfather of gangsta

This is definitely a monumental film. Boyz-in-the-Hood blew open the door for the director, several of the cast members, plus this particular genre.
Although it is a violent film, it's actually a story about family. A street-smart father (Furious) trying to raise his son (Tre) amid the extreme dangers of life in South Cental L.A.
I love the rapport that is established between the two. Furious is strict, perhaps overbearing, but only acts out of necessity. He is also very honest and involved in Tre's life in order to keep him out of trouble. I admire the tough questions Furious asks his son too, like "what do you know about sex?" or "what'd you use?" (such as condoms for safe sex).
Although this relationship if my favorite aspect, their are countless other great reasons to watch this movie. Like the chaotic but real look at urban life, where danger is constantly lurking. Or the enduring bonds that are formed between friends. The entire movie is packed with action, humor, and emotion.
Boyz-n-the Hood had a major impact on my life.

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How This is Not in AFI's Top 50 I'll Never Know

I love how films (Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction, Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, etc.) that wallow in violence, nihilism and utter vulgarity are championed among Americans for their eminent "authenticity" and "originality." The Academy itself plays no small role in propogating this dillusion, brainwashing the movie-going public through its vast propaganda machine and finally handing out awards to the directors of some of the most barbaric trash American cinema has ever witnessed.

Funny though how the rules of the game have a way of changing for films with black directors, with some of the best films of the last half century (Boyz N The Hood, Do the Rigtht Thing, X, etc.) being snubbed for their alleged inability to "appeal to everyone." Meanwhile the sludge served up by the likes of Tarantino and Scorcese is eagerly devoured by anyone within arms reach of a movie shelf.

Hilariously there are whole segments of the populace, tens of millions of them, that like to twist this state of affairs as reflecting some deep seeded racism amongst the rest of the citizenry. This should give you some idea as to the state of things in America when even the most trivial of incidents (OJ, Kramer, Don Imus) are cast in a practically apocalyptic light creating nationwide panic, despair and hysteria.

Simply put though American audiences don't ignore this film because they're racists. Rather, even more pathetically perhaps, they ignore it because it wasn't marketed to their demographic. This is something that ALL Americans regardless of race, religion, income are guilty of. This is hardly suprising though. Looks as if half a century's worth of ceaseless and limitless advertiseing campaigns has all but vaporized authentic individuality. Group aspirations now trump individual choice. Anyone that betrays the herd is tried, condemned and then excommunicated (Bill Cosby, Dennis Miller, Bill Richardson, shoot, examples from politics abound). After all, the herd is what matters most and who could possibly understand my herd better then another member of my herd? Better yet, how could I ever relate to anything that wasn't made by and for my herd?

Individuality, personhood...gone, insinerated, nuked off the face of the earth! As a result Americans tend to develope personalities akin to those of pre-packaged Star Wars characters. So few are willing to step outside of the little box they've been put in. I'm so sick of this country! I can't even live amongst all of you! I am at the end of my rope, I have like gone to the MATTRESSES over this, I am laying in my bed with a shotgun right now hoping that one day someone will come to my room and tell me that everything is all better.

This is just a wonderful movie and it's a shame that most folks won't get a chance to see it, or if they see it to give it a chance. Actually this movie is like the antithesis of the general mood prevailing in this country over the past few decades or so. Singleton rightfully bucks behavioralism and the whole 'product-of-my-environment' culture of early 90's urban America because (1) he knows that human beings owe themselves more than that and (2) because shaking off that way of thinking is the only way for folks in impoverished areas to obtain a better life and dignity for themselves.

More importantly though this is a response to the full frontal assault that's been waged on the American family and the American father over the past few years. Tre's father might not be able to insulate him from all the dangers going on around their household but through rigorous discipline he does impart a sense of responsibility in Tre, responsibilty to himself, to his father and to his neighborhood. Through their relationship the two of them are able to prevail over the despair and violence surrounding them.

Fishburne, Cuba and Ice Cube all turn out the best peformances of their careers though admittedly Ice Cube has never really had a film career even after all these years of trying so hard. Incredible performances, incredible film.

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Best look at the hood to date

Everyone I have talked to who has seen this movie says the same thing; "That was a really good movie!". It is much more. This movie came out of John Singleton's personal experiences with racism and crime in South Central, like Spike Lee with "Do the Right Thing". But this movie was one of the first of many urban-crime films to come (i.e. New Jack City, Juice, Menace II Society, Dead Presidents). Ice Cube, a rapper at the time, made his film debut as Doughboy, the drug dealer who does the most crime on the streets on South Central. Cuba Gooding, Jr. also made his debut as Tre, a man whose father (Laurence Fishburne) teaches him how to be responsible and making the right choices. The performances were great, The rare Soundtrack had cool songs like Cube's "South Central" song and this movie is best of many crime films, not like the gangster films though.

Singleton just put together the perfect movie to depict his old neighborhood, it's just a shame that none of his recent work is as good as Boyz N The Hood. If you are a fan of gangster films, or just good movies in general, you will like Boyz N The Hood.

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Boyz N the Hood

Singleton's urgent, moving drama deals head-on with a raft of tough subjects--the allure of thug life, inner-city poverty, racism--without losing its virtuous heart or universal appeal. Fishburne is terrific as the fiery, streetwise dad who schools Gooding's likable, college-bound Tre with some important life lessons. But the strongest performance belongs to rapper-actor Ice Cube, a troubled, combative teen with a criminal record who nevertheless remains loyal to his childhood buddies. Just 23 when "Boyz" hit theaters, Singleton earned two Oscar nods for his gritty, poignant story of strife.

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a career deferred withers & dries

john singleton was in hisearly 20s when he directed this movie and was supposed to become one of the great directors; unfortunately he has done nothing in the nearly 20 years since to justify that early bit of over-praise. what we DO have here is a good but uneven debut feature drawn from the experiences its creative team had lived thru in growing up in the LA ghetto, highlighted by solid acting turns by laurence fishburne, cuba gooding, and especially morris chestnut. like so much of the african-american community, singleton seems to be an artist of unfulfilled promise. sad.

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