Search

Original Gangstas

1996, Movie, R, 99 mins

Original Gangstas: Review

ORIGINAL GANGSTAS
starstarstarstar
This jumped-up B-movie marks the birth of a new genre: Old Folxploitation. A bunch of superannuated hard-asses -- played by Blaxploitation legends Fred (BLACK CAESAR) Williamson, Pam (FOXY BROWN) Grier, Jim ( SLAUGHTER) Brown, Ron (SUPERFLY) O'Neal, and Richard (SHAFT) Roundtree -- decide they've had enough of foul-mouthed young gangbangers terrorizing the old neighborhood. So they buy a bunch of heavy artillery and show the little brats what's what. It should be great fun, but it's not. First, Larry Cohen (HELL UP IN HARLEM, IT'S ALIVE) is a clever writer but a pedestrian director, so the fact that he directed but didn't script is a worst-of-both-worlds deal. Second, the casting isn't the only evidence of the film's '70s roots: It looks like a low-budget Blaxploitation movie, full of dreary shots of people walking around interspersed with the kind of low-tech action that just doesn't cut it in the high-stakes '90s. Finally, it's great to see the old gang together again for the first time, but old is the operative word: The Original Gangstas are all portly and soft, with the notable exception of Brown, who looks as though every pound he's packed on is larded with pure meanness. leave a comment
Advertisement

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. NCIS
  2. Dancing with the Stars
  3. The Game
  4. Biggest Loser
  5. American Idol
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Tiger Woods
  2. Pamela Bach
  3. Heidi Klum
  4. Jake Gyllenhaal
  5. Reese Witherspoon
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
  2. The Blind Side
  3. 2012
  4. Old Dogs
  5. A Christmas Carol
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Desperate Housewives
  2. Nip/Tuck
  3. The View
  4. NCIS
  5. TODAY
more top videos