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donjaymor
Reviews
All About the Benjamins (2002)
Missing ingredients...
I saw this movie in full a few years ago after buying an Ice Cube 4 pack films DVD, and this one was apart of it. I remember watching parts of the movie many years ago and then changing the channel or something. This movie's plot is actually pretty good, even some of the action scenes were good. While I like the chemistry between Ice Cube and Mike Epps characters, there is something missing in the story overall and I can't put my finger on it. The plot seems to be just put together after having a good story line to work from, I think the script could've used more time or more minds to give the execution more depth. I wasn't too blown away by some of the music in the film either, but was fun to watch, and of course, I'm a fan of Ice Cube movies so it's all good.
Undercover Brother (2002)
I got some laughs out of this one
This film always came off to me as a Spoof-comedy type of film. I assume to some degree it was the intention because Eddie's character seemed much like characters from those 70's blaxploitation films. The comedy was pretty funny, at times a little corny, but Eddie Griffin and Chris Kattan know how to deliver humor in their roles convincingly. Aunjanue Ellis has come a long way from this film, although I didn't think she was funny here, I guess her character is supposed to be serious anyways, I liked her performance opposite Denise RIchards. The fight scene between Denise and Aunjanue's characters was kind of silly and I thought it could've been choreographed a bit better, even though it's just a spoofy-type of comedy. I got a sense of Shaft and Foxy Brown with the characters of Eddie and Aunjanue, which was cool and funny to watch as they developed throughout the film, to acting on their growing affections for one another near the end. 2002 had some interesting film releases like Undercover Brother, after such a devastating tragedy that occurred later in the year prior.
Friday (1995)
Hood Comedy at its finest
I remember Friday from my childhood, and loved all the humor surrounding Craig and Smokey on their dull yet adventurous Friday. I was lucky to have been a millennial kid growing during the days the TGIF, so I could relate to that vibe of Friday being chill and laid-back, as Craig says mimicking Smokey "It's Friday, gon' get you high." It's too funny the way this film's plot was written and executed. The chemistry between Ice Cube and Chris Tucker was so natural, even with the other actors, it felt as I was actually there, in the film. This is one of my favorites, and after all these years, never seems to get old.
Glitter (2001)
After all, this film glitters.
Watching this film 20 years later left a refreshing take on my view of the story's plot than it did back in 2001. I understand the story more so now than my first viewing, and can appreciate Mariah's potential as a budding actress at that time. I must say, I didn't realize then how good Da Brat and Max Beesley were in this film. At the end of the day, the film's script and execution could've used more 'beef' but a decent plot and film to showcase Mariah and that voice.