ALL EYEZ ON ME

Plot:

Even as early on as his childhood, Tupac Shakur (Shipp) was taught by his mother Afeni Shakur (Gurira), who was a member of the Black Panthers, to be strong, outspoken, keep your head up and be heard. After experiencing the unwanted relocation from New York, leaving behind his good friend Jada Pinkett (Graham), to California he sets out to become a rapper and begins his career as an MC with the rising group Digital Underground. From there he becomes a solo rap artist who would soon become famous but with the fame would come various tumultuous events like him getting robbed and shot, accused and convicted of rape to which on both cases he believed he was set up by some of his fellow cohorts lead by notorious thug Nigel (Hardrict) along with his former rap buddy Biggie Smalls (Woolard). Upon his time in prison, the money becomes dried up and his label has turned their back on him, and so with no other options he turns to Suge Knight (Santana) to post his bail to have him released but for the price of his freedom he must sign to Suge's label as an artist. Now having become an official member of Death Row Records, he becomes their biggest top selling performer, making him a mega star but still he is unable to avoid the perils of the violence that surrounded him and the notorious record label, to which it would lead to his untimely death.


Reel Talk:

They billed this as the untold story of Tupac Shakur but it really did not expose anything that Tupac fans did not already know. It was more like a showcase for his music at best which fans will be able to groove along to. The film is a noticeably long two hours and twenty minutes with scenes that could have easily seen the editing cut. Even though the actors' performances were good with some even exceedingly good like, Danai Gurira as Afeni, Cory Hardrict as Nigel, Dominic Santana as Suge and there were scenes that Demetrius Shipp Jr. even had you thinking that you were actually watching Tupac himself. Overall, it was not a great film nor bad film, just an alright film. It will be best if you don't try to compare it with other bio-films because it may not live up to the standards, but if you are a true Tupac Shakur fan or new found admirer, just go and enjoy the film.

Starring: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Jamal Woolard, Kat Graham, Danai Gurira, Dominic Santana, Cory Hardrict and Hill Harper
Directed by: Benny Boom
Rated: R

I give it 3 corn dogs.

By; THE REEL HUSTLER