UNLIMITED STREAMING
WITH PRIME VIDEO
TRY 30-DAY TRIAL
Home > Drama >

Original Gangstas

Original Gangstas (1996)

May. 10,1996
|
5.7
|
R
| Drama Action Thriller Crime

A violent street gang, the Rebels, rule the streets of Gary, Indiana. The Rebels shoot Marvin Bookman, a store-keeper, for giving the police information about a drive-by shooting they committed. Marvin's son, former NFL star John who created the Rebels, returns to Gary to be with his father and, with a little help from his friends, to destroy the Rebels his way.

...

Watch Trailer

Cast

Similar titles

Reviews

Cubussoli
1996/05/10

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

More
ThiefHott
1996/05/11

Too much of everything

More
CrawlerChunky
1996/05/12

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

More
Janis
1996/05/13

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

More
FlashCallahan
1996/05/14

A violent street gang, the Rebels, rule the streets of Gary, Indiana. The Rebels shoot Marvin Bookman, a store-keeper, for giving the police information about a drive-by they did. Marvin's son, former NFL star John who helped to create the Rebels, returns to Gary to be with his father and, with a little help from his friends, to destroy the Rebels the Blaxploitation way.....It was always going to be a one off film, getting the most celebrated stars of the Blaxploitation genre, and having them in one film, referencing their success, and seamlessly branching into the sub genre that Boyz N Da Hood started back in 1991.But it's nothing more than seeing your favourite stars of yesteryear all being in one big vanity project, with a little bit of Death Wish thrown in for good measure.It's all stuff we've seen before, old versus new, the youngsters haven't got the respect like they did in the good old days, and of course, the setting has hit the doldrums with poverty and crime.But it's fun to see all these stars in one film in a genre that made them famous.It's a curiosity for sure, but just about worth watching.

More
Predrag
1996/05/15

This is something like a re-union party of the so-called blaxploitation film stars, which shows the whole world that those guys and ladies are still sexy and strong enough to teach some lessons to the young, disrespectful punks in the neighborhood of the city of Gary, Indiana. That's all about the story, which is as uninspired as any B-action flicks. "Original" gangstas come back to town, to fight against the "new" gangsters that rule the street with terror. The charm of the film lies in the cast, which looks a dream team for any fans of the 1970's blaxploitaion films. Here they are back in good form: Fred Williamson ("Black Caesar"), Jim Brown ("Slaughter"), Pam Grier ("Coffy"), Richard Roundtree ("Shaft") and Ron O'Neil ("Superfly") and you got also players like Robert Forster (who in the following year makes a smashing collaboration with Pam Grier in "Jackie Brown") and Wings Hauser in his very unlikely role. It is a gift from the heaven for the movie fans like me.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

More
utgard14
1996/05/16

Somewhat disappointing homage to 70's blaxploitation films. Has a lot going for it with a cast full of great actors from that genre and a director who did some solid work there too. But ultimately it doesn't work well. Despite the violence and language, it's nowhere near as gritty, tough, and sexy as those 70's films. Also, and this sounds like a cheap shot, the fight scenes are comically bad. One could argue that perhaps this was an intentional part of the film paying tribute to the likes of Rudy Ray Moore but that would be a huge stretch. The fights don't appear to be choreographed so the actors just move each other around and throw professional wrestling punches instead. Still, the cast and director are worth recommending you check it out.

More
manuel-pestalozzi
1996/05/17

This movie is correctly graded as a B picture. And yet it is more: an honest hommage to a real, existing town in the throes of death. Before I picked up Original Gangstas as a cheap video cassette, I did not know that the town of Gary existed. I didn't even know a town like Gary could exist (this proves once more: maybe we Europeans are kind of naive in the ways we evaluate the US's wealth and power and its effects.). Now I know better.There is a certain similarity between this film and Jules Dassin's legendary documentary/crime movie The Naked City of 1948. Both use a style that wants to "tell a city". With the title credits the town is introduced to the viewers, with aereal footage, ordinary street scenes and a voice-over that tells something about the history of the town and a few selected buildings (the bakery, the cinema etc.). It is really educational. Very good location shooting gives a vivid impression of the specific urban wasteland. Gary becomes a real place. I also had the impression that the mood of the people who are forced or willing to live in present day Gary is accurately recorded: A mixture of anger, shame and - above all - fear. People are desperate, they don't see a future and the affiliation of youngsters to a gang appears for many to be the only way to survive.In the story the main character played by Fred Williamson (also the producer and a Gary native who certainly put some very personal feelings into this movie) descends on the town as an aging "knight in shining armour". He assembles his old, middle aged buddies (plus Pam Grier!) and stages a war against the gangs. I did not care much for the story and its action scenes with unvariably high death tolls, but I must admit that this movie realistically highlights in a specific place a specific problem that is disquieting and difficult to solve.

More