Review: 'The Invisible Man', Elisabeth Moss Takes On An Unseen Predator In Universal's Taut, Timely Horror Remake

If only Universal's failed Dark Universe plan had begun with Leigh Whannell's terrifically nervy and audacious The Invisible Man. A loose reimagining of H.G. Wells' classic book, the film could've given the studio's dud of a cinematic universe the spark it needed to thrive, driven by pinpoint direction and a modern spin that evokes "Me Too", privacy concerns, and gaslighting.  Whannell's third solo directing gig after Insidious 3 and the wildly underrated Upgrade (a superior version of Venom), this edgy psychological horror frays the senses as intensely as anything experienced in A Quiet Place.

That tension begins to churn at our gut during a killer slow burn of an escape sequence, as Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss, unhinged and lovin' it) slowly creeps out of the gigantic, isolated home of her abusive boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a tech mogul with a very specific specialty. The next few minutes are a masterclass in the use of sound and darkness to create fear, every step Cecilia takes is nearly silent, but made to feel heavy as a drumbeat. By the time she scales the walls and races out into a lonely, dark street to await the arrival of her confused sister Alice (Harriet Dyer), our skin is crawling.

What emerges is that Cecilia has been living under the violent specter of Adrian for so long, and yet nobody seems to have realized it. Alice had no idea, and the same goes for her cop friend James (Aldis Hodge) or his college-bound daughter Sydney (Storm Reid). Adrian has controlled every aspect of her life, which explains why the promising architect has done nothing with her career, and why she's afraid to leave James' home even to check the mailbox. Even when Cecilia, or "C" as her friends annoyingly call her, begins to think herself safe following news Adrian has killed himself, she doesn't seem to fully trust it.

Of course, Cecilia's instincts prove to be spot-on, and before long she's the victim of unseen attacks. Actually, that's overstating it. She becomes the victim of an annoying, manipulative pest who starts out by silently moving things around the kitchen, causing her to burn breakfast, then quickly builds up to isolating Cecilia from her friends and family. The way this is done is so surgical, so cruel, we can see the patterns in the way real-life abusive men drive their victims away from the people they rely on for support. The more Cecilia screams that Adrian is alive, the more broken from reality everyone thinks her to be, because who could possibly believe such a story? What is he? A ghost? Somehow he faked his death? The gaslighting going on here is truly epic stuff, and far more terrifying than the invisible stalker's footprints or their hot breath emerging out of nowhere on a cold night. Whannell, who has been freaking folks out since he and James Wan launched the Saw franchise, knows there are limits and keeps Cecilia's confrontations with her unseen foe to a minimum. He flips the tables (literally, at one point) at just the right moment so things don't get repetitive, and we stay on board with Cecilia's attempts to prove she isn't crazy.

One of the few drawbacks is so much of the movie's second half was given away in trailers. Not all of it, mind you, there are a few red herrings and bloody plot twists (one death scene is a real jaw-dropper) that throw a monkeywrench into our expectations. But nearly everything directly involving Cecilia is out there, and that's a shame. Eventually, The Invisible Man lives up to its title and the big question becomes "how" as much as "who", and the reveal is pretty weak even if it makes some logical sense. When you're talking about classic movie monsters, satisfying is probably a better way to go than logical, and this just comes across as an easy answer to a pesky plot point that might've been left unanswered.

We can probably leave it unsaid that Moss is great, once again, at playing a woman on the edge. Her performance carries Cecilia through maddeningly unstable to in a desperate fight, not just for survival but to prove her own sanity. While definitely a "showy" role, what Moss delivers actually mirrors Whannell's approach to the film, which is to keep its themes and Cecilia's backstory of abuse as understated as possible. Trusting the audience to engage with these aspects is one of the most visible reasons why The Invisible Man is a big win for Universal and Blumhouse as they redefine what it means to be "monster" in today's world.

3.5 out of 5

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Trailer For 'The Invisible Man' Ups The Terror And Reveals One Woman's Worst Nightmare

So many TV spots later we have the official trailer for Blumhouse's upcoming The Invisible Man, and it's more of the same in the most terrifying way. This is how you do a remake, you find what made the original scary and put a modern twist on it. They've taken the lamest of the Universal monsters, who's mainly been portrayed as a malicious prankster and pervert, and turned him into a sociopathic abusive ex-boyfriend who's obsessed with our main character. Add to that he's faked his death, which is of course being blamed on her, and you have something that's terrifying, thought-provoking, and as realistic as an invisible man can be.

The Invisible Man Hits Theaters February 28th, 2020

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'The Invisible Man' Trailer: Elisabeth Moss Is Terrorized By An Unseen Force

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Many would say flight. Some would say super-strength. But what the power to become invisible?  The ability to go through life unseen seems especially geared towards those with a dark sensibility. Such was the case with H.G. Wells' classic The Invisible Man, and the same holds true with Blumhouse's upcoming reimaging of the iconic horror.

Fresh off of yesterday's first-look images, the trailer for The Invisible Man has arrived, promising a fresh and timely take from writer/director Leigh Whannell. Elisabeth Moss stars as a woman who is terrorized by her abusive ex, who has somehow defied death and returned turned as...well, an invisible man.  The film co-stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Harriet Dyer, and Storm Reid.

SYNOPSIS: Cecilia receives the news of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s suicide and begins to rebuild her life for the better. However, her sense of reality is put into question when she begins to suspect her deceased lover is not actually dead.

The Invisible Man hits theaters on February 28th 2020.

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'Clemency' Trailer: Alfre Woodard And Aldis Hodge Lead The Sundance Award-Winning Drama

Although she has one Oscar nomination, a Golden Globes victory and a handful of Emmy wins in a sea of nominations, I think we still think of Alfre Woodard as a character actress. The truth is she makes everything look effortless, whether it's co-starring as a villain in Luke Cage or headlining the searing emotional drama Clemency, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Clemency stars Woodard as a prison warden in a failing marriage who strikes up an unexpected bond with a death row inmate. Woodard is joined by rising star Aldis Hodge, who has been killing it lately in Brian Banks, Hidden Figures, and even What Men Want. Somehow he was good in that, too.  The rest of the stellar cast includes Wendell Pierce, Richard Schiff, and Danielle Brooks.

SYNOPSIS: How do you salvage your marriage when you are struggling to salvage your soul, your sense of self, and your sense of right and wrong? Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard) is a prison warden who, over the years, has been drifting away from her husband while dutifully carrying out executions in a maximum-security prison. When she strikes up a unique bond with death-row inmate Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), a layer of emotional skin is peeled back, forcing Bernadine to confront the complex—and often contradictory—relationship between good intentions, unrequited desires, and what it means to be sanctioned to kill.

Written and directed by Chinonye Chukwu, Clemency opens on December 27th, giving Woodard the high-profile slot of an awards contender.

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Review: 'Brian Banks', Mediocre Drama Fumbles Inspiring True Story And Aldis Hodge's All-Pro Performance

The timing was always curious for the inspirational drama Brian Banks, about the standout high school football player whose clear path to the NFL was derailed by a false rape allegation. At the height of the #MeToo era to present a film that highlights a claim that proved to be a complete lie is problematic, and certainly detrimental to any long-term hopes of box office success. Along with a melodramatic, quasi-spiritual narrative, mediocre production values, and a surprising lack of energy given the material, Brian Banks already has a lot going against it. In its favor is Banks' story of perseverance in the face overwhelming injustice, and an all-pro performance by Aldis Hodge that should have everybody talking.

Hodge, an actor best known for roles in Straight Outta Compton and Hidden Figures, gives a deeply soulful performance as a young man who has seen his entire future snatched away. A linebacker with a nose for the football, Banks was a sought-after prospect coming out of high school, ultimately committing to play for USC and legendary coach Pete Carroll. Banks' tough upbringing in Long Beach is largely skipped over but when he says "Football made me feel free" in cheesy voiceover, we know what he's talking about.

Banks' upward trajectory is shot down by a rape accusation from fellow high school student Kinnesha Rice (Xosha Roquemore). He's quickly railroaded by a system that saddled him with the worst lawyer ever, tried him as an adult at the age of 17, and then slapped him with a 6-year prison sentence after a "No Contest" plea was supposed to avoid jail time. Most of this is seen in flashback as the bulk of the story takes place after he's been released. Now 22 years old, his status as a registered sex offended derails any hope of playing football anywhere, because he can't be near any schools or parks, and finding work is impossible. He can't even take his new female friend Karina (Melanie Liburd) out on a date.

Most of this is told through a minimum of context by director Tom Shadyac who, perhaps unsurprising given his own life-altering circumstances, prefers to focus on Banks' inner struggle to free his mind from captivity. His weeping mother (Sherri Shepard) frequently pops up to dispense random words of wisdom, but has little else to offer. However, she's nothing compared to the saintly presence of an uncredited Morgan Freeman (who played God for Shadyac in Bruce Almighty) as Banks' mentor inside of prison. While I admit Freeman's smile can light up a movie he still needs to do more than magically appear to convince me he's changed anybody's life.

A shaky legal drama emerges as Banks turns to attorney Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) and the California Innocence Project for help in retrying his case. A lot of bland legalese about the need for new evidence is breezed through, with Banks repeatedly looking for ways to get Justin's attention. While overlong, there are a couple of good exchanges, in particularly a tearful scene in which Banks, who has just got Kinnesha to stupidly admit guilt on tape in front of an investigator, finally manages to convince Justin that his case is worthy. Not because of the evidence, but because he is innocent and worthy of justice despite a legal system that makes it intentionally difficult to fight back. Hodge is terrific here, as he is throughout, and I kept wishing he had a better movie to show it off with.

The re-emergence of Kinnesha, if you know the real-life story, sounds too incredible to be true. Unfortunately, it isn't made to seem even remotely believable in the film, and instead looks like a cheap narrative shortcut. This is compounded by the simplistic portrayal of Kinnesha as the worst stereotype of a poor black woman; a trashy gold digger with a bunch of kids looking for her next baby daddy.  This depiction is especially problematic given the movie's timing. Doug Atchison's script isn't saying rape accusers shouldn't be believed, but this is where the lack of complexity becomes an issue. The women are all underserved badly in this film, while Banks is generically inspiring in a sports drama sort of way. Brian Banks should portray his story as unique because he is unique, even if the unfairness he faced sadly isn't.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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'The Invisible Man' Cast Adds 'Straight Outta Compton' Star Aldis Hodge

Vanished are the days of Johnny Depp leading Universal's remake of The Invisible Man. Nobody wants to see Depp in anything right now, so the role has gone to Elisabeth Moss in what looks to be a timely, feminist spin on the classic monster movie. Now the film has two more cast members to join Moss and the previously-cast Storm Reid.

According to Deadline, Straight Outta Compton's Aldis Hodge and The Inbetween actress Harriety Dyer have joined The Invisible Man, which I'd guess will get a new title at some point. No info on their characters is available but we do know a lot more about Moss's since she was first mentioned for the film back in May. She'll play “Cecilia, who receives the news of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s suicide. She begins to re-build her life for the better, but her sense of reality is put into question when she begins to suspect her deceased lover is not actually dead.”

As for Reid, who was most recently seen in Ava DuVernay's When They See Us, she plays Sydney, “capable and mature for her age. She’s an outgoing lover of fashion who aspires to see the world, and she initially likes having Cecilia around as a role model, but grows mistrustful of her when strange things begin to happen around the house.”  There's no info on Hodge or Dyer's characters.

Hodge broke out with 2017's Straight Outta Compton, in which he played rapper MC Ren. Most of that cast has gone on to bigger things and Hodge is no different, landing roles in Hidden Figures, What Men Want, and the title role in pro football biopic Brian Banks.

Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man opens March 13th 2020.

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'Brian Banks' Trailer: Aldis Hodge Stars As The Wrongfully Convicted NFL Prospect

On the surface, the inspirational drama Brian Banks may seem like an odd choice for director Tom Shadyac. For years, Shadyac was the guy who delivered goofy comedies such as Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty, Ace Ventura, and Evan Almighty. But in 2007 he suffered a severe trauma and changed his life in a profound way, giving up most of his possessions and dedicating himself to philanthropy. Taking all of that into account, perhaps this isn't such a strange move for him after all.

Brian Banks stars Straight Outta Compton's Aldis Hodge as the titular college football star who had his future stolen from him when a woman falsely accused him of rape. Banks spent a decade in prison before help from the California Innocence Project helped clear his name. Upon release Banks set out to achieve the NFL career that was denied him. Joining Hodge are Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Melanie Liburd, and Xosha Roquemore.

Brian Banks takes the field on August 9th.

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Review: 'What Men Want' Starring Taraji P. Henson

I thought it was quite weird that Hollywood would choose to remake an old Mel Gibson comedy. What Women Want was kind of a forgettable 2000 hit. It had me thinking what or who is this for? The world feels so far away from that time to make a movie like this even if you flip it and remix it into something else. So we’re here in February 2019 and the remake is real, What Men Want starring Taraji P. Henson as a woman trying to overcome a male-dominated world vs the old set up of a male chauvinist learning how to not be trash to women.

So in the story of What Men Want Henson plays Ali Davis, a successful sports agent who navigating a pretty hostile work environment for women. After being passed over for a huge promotion because she can’t connect to male clients, Ali is at a loss at what to do and full of frustration. After a run-in with an entertaining psychic named Sister (Erykah Badu), Ali gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts and chaos ensues as it goes.

Let’s get right to it, this movie is pretty sloppy. It feels like it goes for a lot of easy jokes that don’t really land well. It goes more for slapstick and goofiness then a set up of smart or really interesting situations. Taraji is a good actress and can do drama as well as comedy and she’s good as Ali even though I never really get what her arc is supposed to be. I don’t totally get what she’s supposed to learn but in the end, it’s how to be a better friend I guess? A lot of the movie Ali spends time with her overworked assistant Brandon (Josh Brener) which she mostly berates a lot. The old movie’s main focus was making the main character treat women better but for this movie, Ali just mostly learns that men are a mess, but her need to learn to be a better friend is shoehorned into the last act. Her relationship with single father Will (Aldis Hodge) is cool and he's clearly eye candy for the women this movie is marketed to. He does well with the little he has to do in the movie. Tracey Morgan has some decent moments as Joe “Dolla” Berry, an unsubtle play on LaVar Ball so you’ll get some laughs. Sometimes this movie is one that has laughs that are just silly and some just because the movie is just so messy. For some reason the movie has two low points for our main character like they didn’t know what to do to get Ali to her point of actualization to better herself to, you know third act mumbo jumbo but when watching it just makes you feel why? How come they couldn’t come to a decision but maybe, in the end, I might not be the audience for this movie at all. I couldn’t let a lot of stuff go. If you really want to see a romantic comedy go check this out, but if you really want to see Taraji and enjoy yourself go in with low expectations.

1.5 out of 5

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'What Men Want' Red Band Trailer: Taraji P. Henson Can Read Men's Dirty Thoughts

Let me give you a tip, ladies. You don't want to know what men are thinking. You might exclaim "What is HE thinking!?" all the time, but it's not something you actually want to find out. It's a cesspool up in our heads. As Taraji P. Henson finds out in the new red band trailer for What Men Want, a gender-flipped remake of the hit 2000 film that starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.

Henson plays a woman sick of the all-boys' club at her employer and has an encounter with a psychic that gives her the ability to read the minds of men. What's interesting is that Henson is pretty wild and vulgar already, but finds that even she can be appalled by what rattles around in men's brains. So she decides to use this newfound gift to her advantage, which we see in a star-studded poker match (featuring Shaquille O'Neal, Mark Cuban, Tracy Morgan, and others) and in a hookup with Straight Outta Compton's Aldis Hodge. That last one definitely does not go as planned.

While this is directed by Hairspray and Rock of Ages' Adam Shankman, the film is produced by Will Packer and the team behind Girls Trip.

What Men Want opens February 8th 2019.

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Armie Hammer Joins Felicity Jones In 'On The Basis Of Sex', Aldis Hodge Suits Up For 'Brian Banks'

The big year for Armie Hammer continues as he joins Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex, which centers on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Hammer will play her husband, Marty Ginsburg, as they team up to bring the first gender discrimination case in front of the Supreme Court. Ginsburg's nephew Daniel Stiepelman wrote the script with Mimi Leder (Deep Impact) directing. Hammer has already been seen this year in Free Fire and heard in Pixar's Cars 3, but it's as part of Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name that he's looked at as a potential Oscar contender.

Look out for this next one. Straight Outta Compton and Underground's Aldis Hodge will star in biopic Brian Banks, based on the high school football All-American who was falsely accused and convicted of rape. Banks was only a junior in high school when he made a commitment to play for USC, but he never got the chance as he was suspended following the rape allegations. He was railroaded by the system and convicted, spending five years behind bars and five on parole before the California Innocence Project got his conviction overturned in 2012. He managed to play a few preseason NFL games for the Atlanta Falcons before being cut. Greg Kinnear will play defense attorney and CIP co-founder Justin Brooks. Tom Shadyac will direct, making this his first narrative feature since 2007's Evan Almighty. Lee Daniels had previously set out to tell Banks' story but it appears that project is dead.  [Deadline]

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Review: 'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Starring Tom Cruise And Cobie Smulders

Despite the misleading title, rest assured that Jack Reacher does indeed go back. And so does Tom Cruise, stepping once again into the shoes of author Lee Child's military vigilante for Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, and it's easy to see why he did. The first film hardly set the world on fire but it was a capable bruiser that allowed Cruise to be the silent badass, compared to the death-defying stuntman he plays in Mission: Impossible. 'Never Go Back' switches up the rules a little bit, but basically this is still just Cruise beating people up for two hours, which as it turns out isn't such a bad thing.

Based on the 18th book in Child's popular series, 'Never Go Back' is riddled with action movie cliches from top to bottom, but that's also part of its charm. Even the opening sequence, which finds Reacher having beaten up a bunch of local yokels who were running a kidnapping ring, features the kind of sleazy Sheriff character you've seen a million times before. There are others that fit the archetypal model; from the maniacal assassin (Patrick Heusinger) decked out in a black leather trench coat, to the shady corporate fat cat sitting in his office masterminding a grand scheme. If you've come looking for original ideas then this isn't the movie to see.

This time around Reacher finds himself in the middle of a rote conspiracy plot involving a military contractor's selling of U.S. weapons to local warlords. When a couple of Army soldiers investigating the crime turn up dead, the woman who sent them, Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), is framed on an espionage charge. Good thing she's friends with Reacher, who she has been tracking and flirting with over the phone as he wanders America "in search of trouble" as she puts it. He busts her out of military prison so easy it might as well have been guarded by Beetle Bailey, and they go on the hunt for evidence to clear her name.

There's friction and sexual tension between Reacher and Turner; both loners used to doing things their own way. But it's also refreshing to have Smulders' character not just be along for the ride. She's as tough as Reacher on every level and more motivated to get the bad guys than he is, although that's as far as it goes. Another nice addition is Danika Yarosh as Samantha Dayton, a teenager who may or may not be Reacher's previously-unknown daughter. The paternity mystery is a little bit silly, but it offers up some of the film's few light moments as Reacher struggles with just potential fatherhood. He hasn't even gotten the gig full-time yet and he can barely cut it.

Cruise turned to his The Last Samurai director Ed Zwick for this one and it's virtually indistinguishable from what Christopher McQuarrie did before. He's read the notes saying to always shoot Cruise from the ground up so he doesn't look like a munchkin, and the sound editing gives each punch a sickening, bonecrunching "crack".  In IMAX every impact rattles you, like it was you on the receiving end of Reacher's fists. The violence is actually more brutal this time, so how the heck were both movies rated PG-13? That's the kind of power Cruise commands, folks.

Missing is the offbeat tone provided by Werner Herzog's utterly unfathomable villain in the first movie, replaced by one who is more of a physical match for Cruise. Not that we ever think for a second that Reacher is in any danger. The guy is practically inhuman for all the punishment he manages to walk away from. Are we sure he's not Wolverine underneath that smallish leather jacket and white tee? But Jack Reacher: Never Go Back isn't about the threat he faces; it's about the protection of those he cares about. One of the appealing things about Reacher is that he isn't a detective. He's not solving any mysteries or putting together clues. His solution to any problem is to punch it until it stays down for good. I think it's that simplicity Cruise enjoys most, and as long as he wants to escape into the world of Jack Reacher this franchise will stick around.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Review: N.W.A. Biopic 'Straight Outta Compton' Starring O'Shea Jackson, Jason Mitchell, and Corey Hawkins

"The World's Most Dangerous Rap Group" was always more than just a clever gimmick used to sell albums; it actually meant something when applied to N.W.A. The seminal west coast rap group was more than just a threat to the complacent hip-hop status quo of the late ‘80s; they literally had people in this country fearing for their very lives. With every controversial, incendiary lyric aimed at the police or a corrupt system failing black youths they were a voice for those who had been ignored for far too long. Despite a few flaws inherent to nearly all music biopics, the long-developing Straight Outta Compton pulls no punches in capturing the volatility of the era and the group's often violent rags-to-riches story.

In the wake of the rash of police brutality cases exposed across the country, Straight Outta Compton feels especially timely and relevant. It was the veritable battlefield of drugs, poverty, and police misconduct on the streets of L.A. that forged the group into a band of brothers ready to inflict some lyrical punishment. The film begins, surprisingly, with an action sequence involving Eric "Eazy-E" Wright (Jason Mitchell) as he flees a crack den to escape an invading SWAT team. Whether or not he was literally bounding over rooftops like a secret agent is up for debate, but the scene sets up that these guys were hardly saints, and did whatever it took to survive. That mentality would soon carry over to their rap careers, as well. We're soon after introduced to Andre Young aka Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), who struggles with a tumultuous home life made more difficult now that he's about to become a father. And then there's group firebrand, O'Shea Jackson aka Ice Cube (played by his son who bears the same name), who soaks in the world around him like a sponge; the Bloods 'n Crips gang battles, the police brutality, and the complete ignorance (possibly willful) of the situation by those who live just a few blocks away.

Produced by Cube, Dre, and Eazy-E's widow, the film largely focuses on those characters and how they built N.W.A. into rebellious force for social change, with music as their weapons of choice. Backed by Eazy-E's drug money, Dre's killer beats, and Cube's forceful brand of braggadocio, the group quickly went from ghetto celebrities ranting about life on the streets, to a national sensation performing in front of thousands of screaming fans. To do it they put their faith in shady record producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), who as any fan of the group knows had ulterior motives the whole way through. Getting short shrift in the film just as they did in real life are MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.), who are mostly relegated to comic relief status. 

The film is at its absolute best early, establishing the relationships and creating the dynamic, hard-hitting sound that would make them the adoration of millions, the enemy of law enforcement, and the boogeymen to terrified parents. What separates this from becoming just another episode of "Behind the Music" is the simmering racial tension that seems primed to explode. Facing harassment from police at every turn, even before live shows, the group would channel that rage into their brutally blunt music. In one particularly memorable scene, the group is slammed face down into the pavement by a group of cops, literally outside the door of their record studio. It would become the impetus for their controversial call-to-arms, "F**k Tha Police", a track that had the FBI eyeing the group as a terrorist outfit.

Directed by F. Gary Gray, the film has an irresistible raw energy, powered by the group's thunderous beats and aggressive spirit. Of course the soundtrack is phenomenal, going beyond the group's discography to capture the sounds they were influenced by and others they directly influenced. What will stand out most are the eerily perfect casting choices, beginning with O'Shea Jackson who is definitely his daddy's son. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in terms of look, sound, and temperament. It's amazing to watch Hawkins grow more comfortable into the role or Dre. While he doesn't look like the super-producer at all, the confidence he exudes and single-minded focus is pure Dre. The rest of the cast are adequate, with Mitchell's Eazy-E uncannily reminiscent of the late rapper. Unfortunately for Giamatti, the only real veteran of the cast, his Heller is pretty much depicted as a sleazebag from start-to-finish so he doesn't get as much to work with. Better are the minor cameos by Keith Stanfield as Snoop Dogg and Marcc Rose as a burgeoning 2Pac. And special notice should be given to R. Marcus Taylor as Suge Knight. His looming, darkening presence drives much of the film's tension as he quietly tries to rip the group apart with quiet promises of big money, and threats of violence. 

Ultimately, Straight Outta Compton takes on a very familiar note. The parties, the girls, the money...they all lead to dissension, paranoia, and back-stabbing. Clocking in at over 140 minutes, there's still a lot of ground that doesn't get covered and way too much superficiality, especially following the group's eventual dissolution. There isn't much background given to much of the group, with the exception of Dre, and it's hard not to wish for more of a chance to learn who they were outside of being rappers. We see glimpses of what they would ultimately accomplish; such as a scene where Cube is busying typing away at his Friday screenplay, and plenty about Dre's time with Death Row records. But the personal events that helped shape the group's members into who they would become are sorely missing. 

The simple fact is that rap biopics are few and far between. Biggie Smalls had the mediocre Notorious a few years ago, and that's really about it. Sure, there was 50 Cent's wildly fictional Get Rich or Die Tryin', which was still pretty terrible, and Eminem's 8 Mile isn't really his story but another fictional account of a rapper making it big. So Straight Outta Compton is in rarefied territory, but even if it wasn't N.W.A's story would still be hugely entertaining and compelling. That it also proves to be an important commentary on race; as important as any recent civil rights drama, puts Straight Outta Compton in a class all its own. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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MC Ren and DJ Yella Roles Cast in N.W.A. Biopic 'Straight Outta Compton'

Y'know what, Mc Ren and DJ Yella never really got the credit they deserved for their contributions to legendary gangsta rap group, N.W.A. Ren in particular was instrumental in writing many of group's hard lyrics, while Yella co-produced the beats alongside Dr. Dre. And even now as the biopic Straight Outta Compton was being cast the focus was solely on Ice Cube, Dre, and Eazy-E, but now the other two are starting to get their due.

Universal Pictures has announced relatively unknown actors Aldis Hodge and Neil Brown Jr. have taken the roles of Ren and Yella, respectively.  Hodge had a starring role on the TNT series Leverage and had a role in The East opposite Brit Marling, while Brown has appeared in Fast & Furious and Battle: Los Angeles. They join O'Shea Jackson Jr. as his father Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Ice Cube, and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E.

F. Gary Gray is directing Straight Outta Compton for release August 14th 2015.

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