Review of Straight Outta Compton (2015) by Kirk V — 21 Feb 2016

An important, topical biopic of rap pioneers N.W.A. and their meteoric rise in the late 1980s. Thirty years later, some of the film's most powerful images and messages carry significant weight. But as a film, things get muddy and messy, jumping all over the place rather haphazardly, focusing on certain characters and ignoring others.

Uneven at best, some moments are indelibly potent, while others feel like outtakes from a bad Sir Mix-a-Lot video.