Reviews

I read Ebert and I usually like Ebert, but something tells me he and a bunch of over-rated movie reviewers screened Bad Boys II at home alone in their giant home theatre rooms with a troth full of snacks while fighting hypoglycemic attacks. Because if they had heard the audience reactions like I did they'd give this movie at least a 'B' for entertainment value alone. Okay Academy Award stuff? No! But is Bad Boys II a great action, drama, funny as heck flick? Hell yeah! Is the movie shameless non-stop-action? Hell yeah again, Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) still protect the streets of Miami, but now they've stumbled onto a ring of Cuban drug dealers smuggling high-potency Ecstasy into the local clubs. Drug lord Johnny Tapia played by Jordi Molla a wickedly wonderful villain. Now we got a real good thriller with brilliant comic relief. I heard people cracking up all throughout the movie. Nothing is cooler than spontaneous eruption of laughter in a theatre with a well-mixed audience. It happens a lot in Bad Boys II. The well-mixed crowd was rolling in the isles. Every bad boy one-liner works in this action flick. I'm a Black guy living in a predominately white suburb my Asian and White friends are laughing as loud as me.

Martin Lawrence & Will Smith have way better chemistry than Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. You know why? Because Martin and Will are funny! Roaring funny! And after 90 minutes you think this movie is ready to stop? Hell naw! `See that's that bullsh*t!' As Mike Lowrey played tough by Will Smith would say. But naw it ain't over, its time to invade Cuban airspace to rescue one the finest women on the big screen today, hot star Gabriel Union (`Deliver Us From Eva,' `Bring It On'). Add that with an adrenaline rush of explosions, excessive gore and chase scenes right up there with The Matrix Reloaded, then you got yourself a damn good gotta see summer blockbuster. Led by perennial hot-dog director Michael Bay he did: "The Rock," "Armageddon," and "Pearl Harbor". Michael Bays got a real show off cinematography style of directing just right for this high testosterone action flick. The camera kinetically does it's best to keep up with the Bad Boys action. And when it does it's only for slo mo tracking of a bullet from gun to forehead that makes CSI look like a six-grade frog dissection class. Bad Boys II is mo'faster, mo' furious, and 2 exhilarating to see just once. Holla!

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mutha... and we can dig it! I'm a cool black man, old enough to remember the original Shaft with Richard Roundtree. I saw white folk diggin' it then, and I see them diggin' it now. So squash all that about only blacks will like it. But I see the critics are snappin' because Samuel L. Jackson (Shaft 2000) didn't get his sexual blackploitated ass in motion on the big screen. Well all I can say is it's Shaft's "Duty to please that booty." But may the next Shaft will please the critics and title the movie, "Shaft's Big shaft," Show that playa'- playa' side of the sex machine to all the chicks. Shaft! DAMN RIGHT! Opening scene: Shaft doggy-stylin' a hot 20yr old white honey just for sport and play, while the another, a sultry strawberry blonde honey sneaks in his pants pocket to steal his wallet. Of course Shaft pulls out his "other big gun" just as his the first honey screams with x-tasy. Shaft points it at the bright eyed strawberry blonde thief, she drops it and smiles like a sweet child in a candy store and says, "Cream on Top?." Anywayzzz, critics! Who needs them? Samuel L. Jackson is a 20 million dollar caliber actor. Probably gettin' paid like Vanilla Ice. I like his new approach to one of the great film icons of the last millennium. He's smart, he's cool, just what you'd expect from a man whose uncle and mentor is John Shaft. Thumbs up to Singleton, you did it again bro! Yawl should check out Singleton's 1995 joint on video called, Higher Learning, starring Omar Epps, Tyra Banks, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Rapaport. Now back to the excitement! That actor (Jeffrey Wright) the one who played the Dominican drug lord, "Peoples Hernandez" was mesmerizingly good, not since Al Pacino's, "Scare Face" have I seen such smoothness in a Hollywood depicted underworld criminal. Good supporting cast too with Busta Rhymes, and of course the sweet, fine Vanessa Williams. (Who stayed respectably clothed, I liked that too). I loathed Christian Bale as the sleazy racist sadistic rich guy too. I might just have a reflex reaction and smack him if I saw him in real life. Shaft (2000) gets 7/10 stars in my book. And yea, a more romantic Shaft would be cool too. Word up! ;-)

I checked this movie out only because Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable-Kendall from The Bill Cosby Show) was gonna be in it. I heard her beauty is really showcased here. Well I was all for that right? But what I found was a striking movie, beautifully told. Oh yea, and Lisa Bonet definitely brakes that goody-two-shoes image. A goddess in the making. Cinematography was excellent. Rourke, and DiNero are great. Must see.