Movies Reviews
Movie Review: Get Rich or Die Tryin
By Lexi Feinberg Nov 10, 2005, 19:02 GMT
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, one of the biggest and most popular stars in hip-hop, is the charismatic driving force behind “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” a hard-hitting drama directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan about an orphaned street kid who makes his mark in the drug trade but finally dares to leave the violence behind and become the rap artist he was meant to be. In this drama enriched by ...more
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ is the latest addition to the tired gangster-turned-rapper genre. Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson stars in the semi autobiographical film, named after his debut hip-hop album that raked in the millions. But like many other men growing up in the slums, he had a difficult time breaking free, becoming a success, and living to see another sunrise. Why do we care about another movie about a person’s journey from rags to riches? In short, we don’t. Even director Jim Sheridan can’t keep the stink from rising out of this waste bin.
The story opens with a pack of thugs holding up a check-cashing joint. Marcus (50 Cent), Bama (Terrence Howard), and crew break in with guns waving in every direction, demanding tons of money. Marcus—the gangster with a conscience—makes it clear that they’re not going to kill anyone, just rob them of their savings and dignity. The plan goes awry when a woman comes out of the back room with guns blazing, sending the men running out with whatever they could grab. The scene ends with Marcus lying on a street in front of his grandparents’ house, with a masked gunman turning his body into a bullet buffet. After eight shots to the body, he gets a ninth one blasted into his face. An added bonus, if you will.
But somehow Marcus doesn’t die; perhaps he is a modern day superhero of sorts. Rather than acknowledging the miracle of his survival and using his life to do good things, he decides to devote his life to making rap music about violence, abuse, hatred and evil. Therein lies the biggest fault of Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, whose title says it all. The story is hyped to be “inspirational”, but call me crazy; I see nothing inspiring about Marcus’s life. He was raised in a bad area and faced a series of hardships including the early death of his mother (by murder, naturally), a father who he couldn’t pinpoint, and a life of violence. So what does he do? He becomes a gun-toting, stealing, drug dealer. He makes it clear that he would rather be a gangster than a working class fool making minimum wage.
Unlike the cartoon-character villain of the movie, dealer/demon Majestic (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), the movie relentlessly tries to paint Marcus as a good guy. As a child, he falls for Charlene (Joy Bryant), and is bummed when she moves to the suburbs. 10 years later he sees her again (despite the fact that she is older and totally unrecognizable) and proceeds to sweep her off her feet. They take long walks on the beach. They sing together as romantic foreplay. And when she tells him he is pregnant, he shows no signs of shock or fear, instantly stepping up like a man. Of course, this may have more to do with 50 Cent’s lack of emotional range than his masculinity. But the point is that even though he deals drugs to anyone who will buy and shoots people, he doesn’t cheat or kill without cause, so he's a beacon of goodness. Right?
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ is a highly unsympathetic movie that fights hard but never makes the cut. Jim Sheridan is one of the best working directors today, responsible for In The Name Of The Father and In America, but this story is one huge leap in the wrong direction. Part of the problem may be that unlike his previous films, he didn’t write this one—Terrence Winter did. Winter has won Emmys for his writing on episodes of "The Sopranos", but the dialogue in the movie is unbelievably trite. 50 Cent narrates the film uttering one vacant line after another, including the following pearl of wisdom: “I had it all, but something was missing”. His acting is laughable at best, especially in a scene where he says no lines but has to cry in response to a verbal lashing. There is nothing notably strong here, barring some powerful side performances, and that is why the movie falls apart. For a much better, similarly themed movie with actual entertainment value, check out Hustle & Flow. You’ll thank me later.
Copyright 2005 by CinemaBlend.com
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Older Talkback
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The film 'get Rich or Die Tryin'' directed by Jim Sheridan was uhhh.... actually I thought it would be a 'great' film (since Jim is a world-renowned director who directed 'In America') and I'd rather watch Stallone blast away ak 47s at poor saps... still I AM GOING TO watch 'G R o D T' cause I'm a big fan of 50 cent's music and G- Unit. I advise 50 to stick to video games, clothing, music cause acting is not his strong point...
The game should be better than the film.
Wow,you guys couldn't be any more racist could you? Like the guy above, I saw the movie and didn't get shot (I'm white). If you think all black people are out to kill white people, why the hell would you see this movei anyway? Next time, let's try and be a little more opened minded to other people's lives.
I think the movie good have been a lot better. I don't feel acting is 50 strong point either, but if he was going to be in another movie i would still go see it...just because i like his music.
This movie was off the hook, it wasn't just another movie with a rapper in it this movie had heart. It wasn't just a bunch of ppl get shot up in the hood, it showed someone when he was down and how he conqured the biggest battle of hif life proabably, I def recommened ppl to go see it. It's true to the heart!
Yo man, after seeing da film I recommend everyone 2 see da film!!!
Anywayz I really am not lying the moive's good (I feel dat the critic is a
white who's granddad or dad was prolly KKK)I BLACK NIGGAZZZZ!!!!
dis movie was good. at first, i thot it wuz gonna be courney but it wuz gonna be people at da movies so i wuld c it ne way. it wuz surprizinly difrent then i thot. 50 dnt dserve no oscar or ne thing, but da movie wuz tight. who eva played 50 momma is a badd badd b@#ch
your all idiots, you spell everything wrong, and you talk about this movie like its a sentimental peice of art. this is the dumbest thing i have ever seen, 50 cent promotes violence, plain and simple. i have listened to his music, mostly because i used to like it, but the idea that he should get his own games, music, and what ever the hell else their giving him is retarted. if this movie wanted to be more realistic, when the girl says shes having a kid, 50 cent should have said '..... oh, fo show... i'll go grab some eats from da mcdeez down da street, be back in 5' and then snubbed her for the rest of the movie. and yea that punk kid writing that the highlight of the night is not getting shot... its probably because he doesn't realize black people can use computers... also, saying that because a reviewer didn't like a bad movie his father, or grandfather, must be in the ku klux klan is worse then saying someone is lucky not to get shot by a black person because they are white. someone watching a movie in a bad naborhood where the crime rate and fatalities are MUCH greater then usual should be a little bit concerned. also after seeing a movie based around guns, drugs, and rap, i could understand a preppy kid being scared. its not the color of the skin, its standing out in a crowd that is filled with poor people who might rob someone who seems worth the risk.
Who cares to see another stupid movie about the world coming to an end or watch people fall in love unrealistically. Get rich or die tryin is the truth. It shows people how some youth grow up. Lets see a movie about a rich white girl growing up in Beverly Hills: BORING. we see that all the time on MTV. It's not for sympathy, i think the movie is tryin to show how young men and women can achieve their goals fighting for them. They know its not going to be handed to them so they fight for it. We can't ignore things that happen in OUR COUNTRY, this movie deffinitely shows that and i loved it! i would pay seven buck a million more times to see movies like this.
The comments of everyone in this talk back (except 'idiots') make me wish for the world to end.
The only thing keeping me from throwing myself off a cliff right this minute, is the fact that Get Rich or Die Tryin' tanked at the box office... I'm going to take this as a sign that there aren't as many of you imbeciles out there as these talkbacks would lead me to believe. I have to believe that, because if I don't... well there's that cliff waiting for me.
what are you saying JT? be blunt
when is the film coming out in england
Is this film out in Canada cuz I haven't seen it anywhere in theatres. If it does I'm definately gonn' go c it cuz 50 is the shit.
can i be in 50 cent movie
this movie is not worth seeing take my advice and dont see it
WELL I LOVE 50CENT... AND LOVE THIS FILM.. IT WAS BRILLIANT.. I WOULD DEFO GIVE THIS 10/10.. I'D WATCH IT LOADS OF TIMES. VERY GOOD!
the truth is that if you like it you like it, if you don't you don't. Who cares if Mr. 'Fiddy' cent is as good as acting as a fish who tries to walk on land.
He tried, some might say he failed, some might say that he did his best, some might say he could do better. WHO GIVES A HOOT? The plain ass truth is that he more successful then us and that we bothered to give comments on this film when we could have done something better, i feel like an idiot...
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WahNov 11th, 2005 - 04:44:55
I saw this movie in a theatre on 8 Mile in Motown last night. I didn't get shot (I'm white). That was the highpoint of the evening.
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