Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Great movie!! The ending song is one of my favorites by Ice Cube. I don't agree with the reason why there are liquor stores and gun stores on every block. It's called supply and demand. Don't buy them and they won't be there. Typical playing everyone but yourself. Explains why Reagan was shot at in the beginning.

This is a very interesting movie from the 90s. The story is well develop and so as the characters. I'm glad I own it. This is the underrated gem from the 90s. I have a friend who doesn't like this movie but it's just opinions like everyone think differently. This movie deserve a watch, get it on Blu Ray or DVD if you really enjoy this film as I do.Score: 10.5/10

John Singleton's debut film was seen as remarkable back when it was released in 1991, screening at Cannes and making Singleton the youngest director to ever be nominated for the Academy Award and the first African-American. And Boys n the Hood still stands up today.Set from 1984 to 1991 in South Central LA Boyz n the Hood follows three friends, Tre Styles (Desi Arnez Hines/Cuba Gooding Jr.), a smart kid who wants to lead a normal life, Ricky Baker (Donovan McCrary/Morris Chestnut), an aspiring American Football player and Ricky's gangbanger half-brother "Doughboy" (Baha Jackson/Ice Cube).The main characters three different aspects of black life - Tre is the academic, Ricky is athletic and Doughboy falls in with a bad crowd and serves as an example of what could happen to Tre and Ricky. Although Tre and Ricky have ambition and potential they can't escape the gang warfare infecting the area.Singleton gets the atmosphere of the area - the constant police presence and shootings, the young men that roam in cars and gangs and the drug addiction of some the residents of the area. A powerful image early in the film is showing children's drawings of the gang and police violence.Some of the dialogue is a bit too blunt and heavy handed but I willing to put it down to Singleton's youth at the time as he was trying to get his point across. The same goes for the more melodramatic scenes but this was because of extreme personal circumstances that the characters have to go through.Boyz n the Hood is a highly influential film in the 'hood subgenre' and it is clear it set up some of tropes that many of it ilk followed.

Tre (Cuba) goes to live with his Dad (Lawrence Fishbourne) outside of LA. He grows up next to his 2 best friends who are brothers in a neighborhood where hearing cop sirens and gunshots was a regular occurrence. Watching the struggles and constant bombardment of violence that these kids grew up facing was eye-opening. Violence was a constant reality for even the "good" kids.The acting was great. Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding Jr were phenomenal. This is the first big role for both of them and their performances set them both apart as both exceptional actors.