Straight Outta Compton

Having been a kid when NWA really hit it big (I think I was only about four or five at the time), I didn't know a whole lot about them. I mean I knew who they were and remember hearing of the events surrounding them but that's about it. Of course, when I was a little bit older I listened to some of their music and liked it. So when I heard they were making this movie I really wanted too see it and find out more. I'm happy to report that Straight Outta Compton was amazing! It's honestly one of my favorite movies of the year so far.

The movie chronicles the rise and fall of legendary hip hop group NWA- Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube's actual son. He's the spitting image of his father.), DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.), and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge).

One of the many things I love about this movie is the incredible performances. One that really stood out to me was Jason Mitchell. Of course, the ones I knew the most about were Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. But I didn't know a whole lot about Eazy-E other than the fact that he was in the group and sadly passed away from AIDS in 1995. I was sobbing when it came to this part in the movie. I knew it was coming but it still hit me right in the feels. And to anyone who gets mad at me for not posting a spoiler warning- Seriously? This happened 20 years ago! Anyway I would love to see him and the rest of the actors get some kind of recognition come award season. But with the way the Academy is who knows if that will happen.

Director F Gary Gray does a good job developing this story and showing both the good and the bad side of these guys. But you can understand where they were coming from. They did gloss over a few things though. But I enjoyed the movie so much that I was willing to let that go. 

The movie also covers a lot of what was going on at that time, including the Rodney King case and all the police brutality. It's really sad to think that in all those years since these events occurred, not a whole hell of a lot has changed. 

My only criticism of the movie is that it felt a little rushed in the second half, mainly towards the end. You got the feeling that there was more that was suppose to be there. From what I've heard, the original cut was suppose to be three and a half hours long but they ended up editing it down to two and a half hours. I really hope they release the longer version on DVD/Blu-Ray. 

Even if you're not a fan of hip hop, Straight Outta Compton has something for everyone. I highly recommend it. 

My Rating: 9.5/10