Juice
3/4
Starring: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Cindy Herron
Rated R for Strong Language and Some Violence
Very little of what happens in "Juice" is original. However, it is presented with enough style and energy that it feels fresh. Director Ernest R. Dickerson knows the formula but keeps us wondering whether or not he's going to follow it or flaunt it. That keeps things edgy and the suspense high. It may not be a great movie, but it works.
Q (Epps), Bishop (Shakur), Raheem (Kain) and Steel (Hopkins) have been best friends since the second grade. On paper, they're still in high school, although they never go. Instead, they spend their days hanging out and hustling for easy money. One day they decide to pull a heist, and Q's entry into a DJ competition will provide the perfect alibi. Things go wrong when Bishop shoots the teller, and soon his best friends have become witnesses. Now Q has to find a way to stay alive before Bishop decides that he needs to be eliminated.
"Juice" has more in common with a movie like "Menace II Society" than some sort of exploitation flick. It's smart about its characters, and it understands how seductive violence can seem at first glance. It also understands how violence and crime can rot even the strongest bonds. "Juice" might be called an anti-gang-movie gang movie. It starts out espousing the values common in such movies (money, respect, women, etc.) and then shows how destructive such pursuits can be.
The performances are strong, easily carrying the film when the screenplay falters during the final act. Omar Epps, who would later go on to fame as a supporting character on "House," is excellent as the conflicted Q. Epps's expressive eyes display a quick intelligence. Q is very smart, able to strategize, plan his next move, and anticipate Bishop's. At the same time, he's still a scared kid who is in way over his head. As Bishop, Tupac Shakur does his best to save a badly written role. There are times when he goes over the top, even for such an energetic character. But it's in the quieter moments that his talents truly shine. Bishop is constantly bullied by a rival gang and we get a sense of vulnerability that makes him sympathetic. But like Q, he's also smart, and that makes him dangerous. Able support is provided by Jermaine Hopkins and Khalil Kain as the other members of the quartet, but this is really a mano-a-mano between Epps and Shakur. Also worth mentioning is Cindy Herron, who plays Q's lover Yolanda. She has a natural screen presence and appeal that makes her stand out.
As good as the first half of the movie is, the second half falters. The screenplay, which was so insightful and fresh, gets lazy. Dickerson and his actors do what they can, but they can't hide how clunky the film becomes. It works on a basic level, to be sure, but a stronger script would have made things more gripping. And for a movie that is supposedly about respect (or "juice," as it's called in the film), it's importance to the characters is not well conveyed. Rather, the guilt and unpredictability are what really stand out in this movie.
"Juice" isn't exactly easy to recommend, as the second half has some obvious shortcomings and the ending is ridiculous. But the performances kept me engaged, the suspense remained high, and I was never sure how the film would end up. So on the whole, I liked it.
Starring: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Cindy Herron
Rated R for Strong Language and Some Violence
Very little of what happens in "Juice" is original. However, it is presented with enough style and energy that it feels fresh. Director Ernest R. Dickerson knows the formula but keeps us wondering whether or not he's going to follow it or flaunt it. That keeps things edgy and the suspense high. It may not be a great movie, but it works.
Q (Epps), Bishop (Shakur), Raheem (Kain) and Steel (Hopkins) have been best friends since the second grade. On paper, they're still in high school, although they never go. Instead, they spend their days hanging out and hustling for easy money. One day they decide to pull a heist, and Q's entry into a DJ competition will provide the perfect alibi. Things go wrong when Bishop shoots the teller, and soon his best friends have become witnesses. Now Q has to find a way to stay alive before Bishop decides that he needs to be eliminated.
"Juice" has more in common with a movie like "Menace II Society" than some sort of exploitation flick. It's smart about its characters, and it understands how seductive violence can seem at first glance. It also understands how violence and crime can rot even the strongest bonds. "Juice" might be called an anti-gang-movie gang movie. It starts out espousing the values common in such movies (money, respect, women, etc.) and then shows how destructive such pursuits can be.
The performances are strong, easily carrying the film when the screenplay falters during the final act. Omar Epps, who would later go on to fame as a supporting character on "House," is excellent as the conflicted Q. Epps's expressive eyes display a quick intelligence. Q is very smart, able to strategize, plan his next move, and anticipate Bishop's. At the same time, he's still a scared kid who is in way over his head. As Bishop, Tupac Shakur does his best to save a badly written role. There are times when he goes over the top, even for such an energetic character. But it's in the quieter moments that his talents truly shine. Bishop is constantly bullied by a rival gang and we get a sense of vulnerability that makes him sympathetic. But like Q, he's also smart, and that makes him dangerous. Able support is provided by Jermaine Hopkins and Khalil Kain as the other members of the quartet, but this is really a mano-a-mano between Epps and Shakur. Also worth mentioning is Cindy Herron, who plays Q's lover Yolanda. She has a natural screen presence and appeal that makes her stand out.
As good as the first half of the movie is, the second half falters. The screenplay, which was so insightful and fresh, gets lazy. Dickerson and his actors do what they can, but they can't hide how clunky the film becomes. It works on a basic level, to be sure, but a stronger script would have made things more gripping. And for a movie that is supposedly about respect (or "juice," as it's called in the film), it's importance to the characters is not well conveyed. Rather, the guilt and unpredictability are what really stand out in this movie.
"Juice" isn't exactly easy to recommend, as the second half has some obvious shortcomings and the ending is ridiculous. But the performances kept me engaged, the suspense remained high, and I was never sure how the film would end up. So on the whole, I liked it.
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