6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Marvin Bookman is a small shop owner in Gary, Indiana, USA. After he sees a drive-by shooting of Laurie Thompson's son by a local gang, he gives up the license number of the car to the police. The gang doesn't like this so they go to the store and rough him up. Soon, John Bookman comes to town to set the wrong things right. With the help of Laurie and his old friend Jake, they attempt to take back the streets and show the new breed of gang members what the true originals can do.
Starring: Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Paul Winfield, Isabel SanfordCrime | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In 1988, titans from the Blaxploitation era (including Isaac Hayes, Bernie Casey, and Jim Brown) reunited for “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” a parody production from director Keenan Ivory Wayans that triumphantly pantsed the absurdities of the subgenre and embraced some of its effortless cool. In 1996, director Larry Cohen, a player in the Blaxploitation game with movies such as “Black Caesar” and “Hell Up in Harlem,” reunited most of the gang for “Original Gangstas,” which drops any ounce of intentional silliness, attempting to stage a traditional vigilante actioner with old faces and fists. Results are uneven at best, but when “Original Gangstas” fails, as it often does, there’s always the thrill of seeing some of these meaty actors onscreen again, delivering poundings to a younger generation that’s been raised without rules and respect. For that alone, the feature is worth a viewing, but it takes considerable patience to get there, as Cohen isn’t too concerned with throttling supporting performances, and the messages of Aubrey Rattan’s screenplay are confusing, seemingly celebrating a thuggish mentality the protagonists of the story are struggling to extinguish.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers an older scan of "Original Gangstas" for its Blu-ray debut. Detail isn't impressive, only coming through memorably during select close-ups, and clarity is good with set decoration, showcasing town business and urban decay. Softness is present throughout and delineation isn't always consistent, but frame information is rarely threatened. Colors are adequate, best with louder period outfits, which register with bolder reds and yellows, while greenery and colder, concrete jungle hues are open for inspection. Skintones are natural. Source encounters a few single-frame red blemishes, and some speckling is spotted.
Big beats welcome listeners to the 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix, which does very well with soundtrack selections, providing a clear study of rap tunes and R&B offerings, supplying crisp instrumentation and respectful placement, never intruding on the performances. Dialogue exchanges handle with ease, maintaining balance with screaming performers and hushed scenes of mourning. Atmospherics provide a sense of street bustle, but surrounds are rarely memorable. Sound effects detail sharp gunfire and heavier explosions.
"Original Gangstas" fumbles its overall theme of frustration, offering an eye-for-an-eye showdown with The Rebels (and other gangs) without a necessary understanding of the cyclical nature of violence -- a message it teases at the top of the feature. Cohen crudely discards deeper analysis as the film rolls to an explosive finale, while his quest to sell a soundtrack filled with gangster rap song seems at odds with the screenplay's condemnation of gang life. "Original Gangstas" isn't a mess, but it gradually falls apart as it gives in to bloodlust and chaos, trying to remain within the parameters of a freewheeling Blaxploitation movie that riles up its audience with a display of vengeance. It's hard to discount the power of the actors in revenge mode, but initial meditation on the ravages of violence is eventually replaced with mouthbreathing ridiculousness.
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