Juice (1992)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Let's be realistic.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Not only was this movie really entertaining, but it was a raw story of how some new york teens go about wanting and having respect. It also shows how friends can backstab each other, which not only happens in new york, but happens everywhere. I could definitely relate to being from NYC. Such a good movie, I definitely recommend watching this movie.

I hate rap, hip/hop, pop, techno, dubstep...but Juice is set during the days when rap was taking off and there was actually some technique used and talent behind it. So this is one of the few cases where I did not mind there being rap music. 2Pac is one of the few rappers I like and he sets the screen ablaze. Juice follows four teenagers from Harlem: Q, Bishop, Raheem and Steel (Epps, Shakur, Kain, Hopkins) who try to get power and respect they call "juice." Q follows his dreams of becoming a successful scratch-n-mix deejay and deals with his love life, while Bishop tries more violent activities that break his friends and the streets where they live. After a heist gone wrong, Bishop slowly grows into an out of control madman. Epps as Q and 2Pac as Bishop are the main characters that were fantastic. Both are developed and carried out so well, both were Oscar-worthy. Especially 2Pac, whose portrayal of an inner-city psychopath was so original and so convincing, he really deserved an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. It is one of the best acting performances I have ever seen. What I really like about this is that it is purely character driven. Those are the best movies to watch and the best things to read. In fact, this is almost Shakespearean-like. I could see making Juice into a Shakespearean play, with enough modifications to make it seem more sophisticated and complex.

Juice is yet another hood film that presents itself honestly and with a good sense of realism. It doesn't capitalize on anything but the reality and the dangers of growing up in a city lead by gun violence and senseless murders. In the mix of it all are four Harlem boys all portrayed effectively by Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, and Khalil Kain.The boys call themselves "The Wrecking Crew," and are trying to survive with what they have in a dangerous town. They spend most of their time at an arcade or a record shop when they cut school a little early, most of the time being harassed by the police or a gang in the process. One day, one of the boys named Bishop (Shakur) buys a gun, and convinces the other three members to come along in stickup. They rob the store, and from that moment on things go from bad to worse for the boys.There is a subplot involving another one of the gang's members nicknamed "Q" (Epps) who is an aspiring DJ, and has a big DJ competition the night of the planned robbery.Writer and Director Ernest R. Dickerson has worked as the cinematographer on various Spike Lee films, and this marks his very first shot behind the camera. While Juice is passable and well-made, it suffers by comparison with film's made by Lee like Do the Right Thing and School Daze. It also can be compared to Boyz N The Hood, another excellent hood film by John Singleton.I believe because of Spike Lee films and works of John Singleton is the reason why Juice has slipped through the cracks. It has a following, but because of strong critical acclaim surrounding the other pictures and this one just having mixed reviews is the reason why this isn't remembered as well as the other films.The moral of Juice is great about a psychological change one person can go through in a matter of time, the message about gun violence, and strong friendships being tested. However - this is taken in a more clichéd manner than any other hood film I've seen. We don't know a whole lot about the characters, and we don't know about they're raised. We don't get the parental backstory which is what Boyz N The Hood was cluttered with.I'm recommending Juice for its morals, its sense of realism, and its subject matter. However, the delivery is a little askew, and the four boys aren't developed as well as they could be. This is still one more realistic hood film that many should make time to see, but this film only reaches the level of average to decent while all of Singleton's films surpassed the above average mark.Starring: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson.

I must admit that my rating of 10 stars is very gracious. My reason? Simply a biased love affair with Hip Hop and the nostalgia that radiates the screen as I piece together my own memories. When I first saw this movie I was living outside Baltimore in 1992. Memories of me standing outside in the crisp air of winter days waiting for the bus brings the chills to me now. Headphones upon my ears as Cypress Hill, BlackSheep, Public Enemy or even Naughty by Nature blasted beats, vinyl scratches and a feeling that Hip Hop was truly mine. Every generation had their music. Genres and sub-genres of compositions taking claim by the youth of every decade. And for us who grew up on the Urban Ghetto blasting symphonies will recall this movie. The clothes, the language the swag of youth. High top fades, overalls with one strap down, sagging jeans, the boots, the hoodies, this and that. Memories. Word. If you don't care for Hip Hop nor grew up during those early years in the 1990's you wont understand. Yes this movie lacks the greatness of being an Oscar contender. I understand as far as being a film where plot and storyline is a must, that this movie lacks in many fields. But for me this movie is a piece of history of a time and a people. Its where my heart is.