Review of Rize (2005) by Joe B — 29 Mar 2006

[font=Book Antiqua][color=lemonchiffon]A very late review of [i]Block Party[/i]...I knew I was forgetting a movie between [i]Calendar Girls[/i] and now! Thanks Wiww.[/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=lime]Best Moments of [i]Block Party[/i]:[/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-[/color][/font][font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]"He has immaculate arpeggios"- The Roots' drummer describing Chappelle's piano playing prowess on a certain song. Awesome.[/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-Erykah Badu's giant 'fro waving in the breeze so much that she finally pulled the damn thing off to show her cute, short, braided hair. [/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-The really white and dorky trumpet player boogying down. Gooooooo, holler![/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-The Ohio marching band playing "Jesus Walks" with Kanye West[/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-"I'm looking for a MEX-I-CAN"[/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-The guitar player's kick ass [u]Thriller[/u]-esque blue leather suit[/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-Mos Def playing straight man on the drums [/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#00ff00]-[b]The Roots[/b]. Period.[/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=red]Hmmm. [i]Rize[/i]. Well. Um. Apart from my opinions on "krumping" itself, the film was much too long and too repetitive. Got old, and quickly. [/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=lightblue][i]Inside Man[/i]. [b]8:fresh: s (prod. value)[/b][/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=lightblue]A Spike Lee joint, surprisingly. Not a big fan of the guy. This was a cool movie, however. Got drawn out at the end, enough so that it almost garnered the film an enjoyability 8 from me. But the portrayal of New Yorkers was too funny (and damn accurate), so I had to give it a 9 for its enjoyability factor. That said, the portrayals are very stereotypical- so if someone who wasn't from New York said it was accurate, I'd probably tell them they don't know what the hell they're talking about. But since I do know that there are a number of nice, polite, even quiet New Yorkers (maybe in Long Island? ha), I'm allowed to laugh at the loud, obnoxious, simple, badass characters in this film. If you laugh, I'll kick your ass you son of a bitch. Ha. Just kidding. Get it? Irony.[/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=#add8e6]The plot is interesting, easy to figure out as you go but still has a few twists to keep you guessing. Clive is nummy, and very good. Denzel smiles a lot, which softens that angry look of his. Jodie's a "magnificent c***", as Christopher Plummer calls her (I hate that word, but that made me laugh). Well put together cast, though I do think Willem Dafoe was wasted on a two-dimensional character. Could have thrown anyone in that role, really. Did I mention Clive? Mmm. OH! The push-pulls. Two, one repeated...Spike obviously is a big fan. As am I, but just having one in the beginning would have sufficed. I like them to be smooth and incorporated (see: Mr and Mrs Smith), not so obvious. That's what he was going for, and I didn't care for it. There was also a "weeeeee!" crazy moving-without-walking kind shot of Denzel zooming down the street...cool, but kind of out of place. [/color][/font].

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#add8e6]Good thriller, enjoyable (esp. for a New Yorker), decent character study, fun. Hey, but what's with the absence of Clive's motives? There was a comment towards the end which I thought explained it, but on further thought it wouldn't make sense. [/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=#add8e6][u]Fave quote[/u]: "We'll go see your father. I have to talk to him about this game."[/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=wheat]I'm in class. Of course. "Here. Always here."- Klinger, [i]M*A*S*H [/i][/color][/font].

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[font=Book Antiqua][color=wheat]Our teacher sounds like John Goodman, it's amusing. Pixels, transistors, LCDs, binary...they all sound funnier said by John Goodman. Ow. This seats hurt my butt so bad. Only three more hours in it *rolls eyes*. [/color][/font].