Starring
Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Jamal Woolard, Kat Graham, Dominic
L. Santana, Lauren Cohen, Jamie Hector, Annie Ilonzeh. Directed by
Benny Boom. (2017, 140 min).
Fairly
or not, All Eyez on Me will inevitably be compared
to Straight Outta Compton. The
latter gave us a nearly-epic story with rounded,
three-dimensional characters. One didn't necessarily need to be
an NWA fan to appreciate their musical influence and cultural impact.
It also happened to be one hell of an entertaining film.
Surely
an artist as charismatic, influential and culturally polarizing as
Tupac Shakur is worthy of an equally compelling biography. But comparatively speaking, All Eyez on Me doesn't even come close.
It's
certainly not the fault of newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr in the lead
role. He looks and sounds uncannily like Tupac, right down to his
mannerisms and stage presence. However, his remarkable performance can't
overcome the film's fatal flaws. The most tumultuous aspects of his
life, career and conflicts (with both police & peers) are
touched upon - perhaps over-speculated - but seldom explored
in any depth before moving on, ultimately ending with his untimely demise.
 |
| Four-eyez on me. |
Despite
the movie's oppressive length, Tupac goes from zero-to-famous within
the first thirty minutes, and after that, we don't really learn much
about him beyond what countless tabloids have already told us. Not
only are most of Tupac's well-publicized conflicts presented almost
without context, the film suggests few of his issues were really his
fault. It's been well-publicized that the man was no saint, so why
does this film feel the inclination to consistently offer up Tupac as
a victim?
Aside
from Tupac's troubled mother, Afeni (Damai Gurira, in a surprisingly
empathetic performance), most of the other characters come across as
mere symbols of their real-life counterparts. Their relationships
with Tupac - good or bad - are dutifully documented, but never
revealing enough to engage the viewer. For example, it's long been
speculated that the rivalry between Tupac and Biggie Smalls was the
catalyst for both of their murders. Here, the complexities of that
dynamic relationship - if not the entire East-Coast-West-Coast
rivalry - are merely summed up in a few scenes.
In
the end, I don't feel like I know Tupac Shakur any better than I did
before. All Eyez on Me plays like a cross between a greatest hits
album and a book of Cliff's Notes, skimming the surface and covering
all the highlights without giving the viewer a comprehensive portrait of
its subject. Comparisons to Straight Outta Compton may indeed be unfair, but even on its own terms, this film is a massive disappointment.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES:
"Legends Never Die: The Making of All Eyez on Me";
"Becoming Tupac"; "All Eyez on Me
Conversations"; Demetrius Shipp Jr. Audition"
DELETED
SCENES
DVD
& DIGITAL COPIES
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEH...
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