Viewed at Pacific Place Theaters
Rated R; approximate running time of 96 minutes
Genre: Action
Written by: Ronald Lang and Ice Cube
Directed by: Kevin Bray
Cast: Ice Cube, Mike Epps, Tommy Flanagan, Carmen Chaplin, Jeff Chase, Anthony Michael Hall, Lil' Bow Wow, Eva Mendes, Valarie Rae Miller
WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW.
The Digest
Reggie Wright (Mike Epps) is pretty much a loser. He is in and out of jail for various cons and get rich quick schemes. His nemesis is a bounty hunter by the name of Bucum Jackson (Ice Cube). Bucum is hot on his tail any chance he gets. Bucum usually catches Reggie; sends him to jail; waits for Reggie to get out in a few weeks and violate his parole then starts the whole process over again.
Both Bucum and Reggie are tired of this. Bucum wants to open his own P.I. firm and Reggie is sick of jail. Through bizarre circumstances they are able to help each other out. Reggie, with Bucum hot on his tail, runs up a driveway and hides into a car. What Reggie doesn't know is that it is a getaway car and the two people driving it just killed four people and stole 20 million in diamonds.
The police think that Reggie is involved and want him arrested. Even though Bucum doubts that Reggie had anything to do with it he wants to capture him because the bounty has just been upped and he wants revenge on the bad guys for shooting at him after he followed Reggie into the driveway. Reggie on the other hand needs help from Bucum because he managed to let the bad guys get ahold of his wallet. The bad guys want to kill Reggie because he knows too much and they are using his wallet to track him down. Reggie wants his wallet back because he has a winning lotto ticket in it worth 60 million.
Whew!
The Dish
There isn't much to say when it's the same ole same only this time it's set in Miami instead of Los Angeles. This is another vehicle for Cube to cuss and Mike Epps to play the dozens. His dialogue again consists of one-liners and caps on the actors surrounding him. I was going to write this long diatribe about how that whole thing is played and it's time for him to leave that "character" behind. Then in the middle of my thoughts the name Rodney Dangerfield popped into my head. While I don't find Rodney especially funny, I don't recall ever lamenting over the fact that all of his movies served the same purpose - to provide a way for him to express himself and his talent. It just so happens that his talent is capping on people. Why should Mike Epps be any different? It's not that I don't find him funny, sometimes he cracks me up, I'm just tired of him playing the same character over and over again. But I suppose that I should be happy that the brotha is working and leave it at that.
The only real standout was Eva Mendez as Reggie's girlfriend Gina. On a personal level, she and my best friend Roya are almost dead ringers for one another. That was pretty bizarre for me. Beyond that, she took her fairly small part and made it memorable in a sea of forgettable performances.
I'd like to be able to discuss Anthony Michael Hall, but apparently I blinked and missed him.
The Discussion
I think I'm going to dub Cube, "King of Ghettoplotation" and this is not a bad thing. He just seems to have a knack for bringing the "ghetto-ist" movies to the screen. These movies serve their purpose - mindless entertainment aimed at a black audience. I wish he would use his clout to make something a little more substantive. He writes, produces, acts and provides music his Cubevision movies and he has even directed once or twice. He is a very talented brotha. I lament that he is wasting some of his talents, but given that these movies come out of his production house, he is obviously doing what he wants to do and has creative control over his well - creativity. He is in an envious position.
The Directive
Benjamins reminded me of Money Talks and Bad Boys. Not great, but an entertaining 90 minutes of mediocrity with enough amusing scenes that compel you to watch parts of it every time it comes on.
Spend your Benjamins on a matinee.
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