Honest review of Christmas in Compton.
I believe that David Raynr tried to sincerely craft a film that honored the values of family, hard work and integrity over the quick buck. I believe he wanted to see positive black role models in his film, while also creating something that he hoped would find an audience. Unfortunately, and I say unfortunately because I hoped for something different, he fails epically, and perhaps most disappointingly, he does it with such irony.
The rest is a plot review and contains spoilers:
Derrick Hollander (Omar Gooding) wants to be in the music business. He discovered a kid rapper in Compton that was then stolen under his nose by the evil record label owner Tommy Maxell, played as only Eric Roberts can viciously play him. Derrick now works for his dad, Big Earl (Keith David – why is this man in this movie? I know Keith gotta eat but give him real roles, Hollywood!) at a Christmas Tree lot. He is also now managing a girl group called 'Suga Stuff' in hopes to secure another deal .with the same Tommy Maxell that already screwed him over. Why is he going right back to Tommy? I have absolutely no clue. This is just one of many glaring plot holes in the movie. I am also not sure how owning a random lot in the middle of Compton selling Christmas trees is supposed to bring in much money throughout the year(especially when they start giving them away at the end) except for the month of December, but hey, I guess they needed a back drop and this is it. Raynr seeks to make a film about positive experiences for black men, yet his lead is untrustworthy, unlikeable, a thief, lazy, and downright stupid. None of these traits would be that bad if he somehow learned his lesson or was made to pay for his mistakes at some point in the movie. However, he never does. He defrauds his father, commits assault and theft at Tommy Maxell's home, and after his father has a mild heart attack and leaves him in control of the Lot, runs from responsibility and quickly hands over the daily duties to a pretty girl who just started working at the lot all because he is lazy and sexually attracted to her. By the end of the movie when he has hit rock bottom he finally devises a plan to secure enough funds to buy back the lot, yet STILL fails. More people have to work in order to bail Derrick and his father out of trouble. A hustler with a heart of gold sells 10,000 'Suga Stuff' cds for him, and the group themselves do the smart thing and go up to the radio station on their own , getting their song played on the radio. Even the crooked fence Delicious (Miguel Nunez) comes through, putting the girls single on ITunes and selling a bunch of copies. Derrick, who is supposed to be their manager, does absolutely nothing to benefit these girls. We never see any proof of his hard work, we only see him get bailed out again and again by other people, and this is why the message of the film falls flat. Derrick's character is essentially the stereotypical problematic black youth that refuses to grow up and accept responsibility. We are told he at least finished college, but ultimately none of that matters, because his actions on screen show he is absolutely worthless.
I haven't even gone into the terrible ethnic stereotypes. There are far too many Korean jokes, but none are more offensive than the one that finds the Korean kid singing on stage. It is not funny, it is extremely insulting. I hope the director finds a place to cut that scene from the movie, as it has absolutely no value. The name choices of characters are a throwback to a time that I hoped we were past in black cinema. Pookie, Delicious, Squeaky, Tre, Steve Ho? David Raynr has taken us back indeed. The film needs to lose about 20 minutes of worthless clutter. There is far too much going on with nothing to say. I shudder to think that this is what is supposed to pass for a positive black film experience in 2012. I applaud David Raynr for making a movie, but I am disappointed it comes off as such a betrayal to his people.
I believe that David Raynr tried to sincerely craft a film that honored the values of family, hard work and integrity over the quick buck. I believe he wanted to see positive black role models in his film, while also creating something that he hoped would find an audience. Unfortunately, and I say unfortunately because I hoped for something different, he fails epically, and perhaps most disappointingly, he does it with such irony.
The rest is a plot review and contains spoilers:
Derrick Hollander (Omar Gooding) wants to be in the music business. He discovered a kid rapper in Compton that was then stolen under his nose by the evil record label owner Tommy Maxell, played as only Eric Roberts can viciously play him. Derrick now works for his dad, Big Earl (Keith David – why is this man in this movie? I know Keith gotta eat but give him real roles, Hollywood!) at a Christmas Tree lot. He is also now managing a girl group called 'Suga Stuff' in hopes to secure another deal .with the same Tommy Maxell that already screwed him over. Why is he going right back to Tommy? I have absolutely no clue. This is just one of many glaring plot holes in the movie. I am also not sure how owning a random lot in the middle of Compton selling Christmas trees is supposed to bring in much money throughout the year(especially when they start giving them away at the end) except for the month of December, but hey, I guess they needed a back drop and this is it. Raynr seeks to make a film about positive experiences for black men, yet his lead is untrustworthy, unlikeable, a thief, lazy, and downright stupid. None of these traits would be that bad if he somehow learned his lesson or was made to pay for his mistakes at some point in the movie. However, he never does. He defrauds his father, commits assault and theft at Tommy Maxell's home, and after his father has a mild heart attack and leaves him in control of the Lot, runs from responsibility and quickly hands over the daily duties to a pretty girl who just started working at the lot all because he is lazy and sexually attracted to her. By the end of the movie when he has hit rock bottom he finally devises a plan to secure enough funds to buy back the lot, yet STILL fails. More people have to work in order to bail Derrick and his father out of trouble. A hustler with a heart of gold sells 10,000 'Suga Stuff' cds for him, and the group themselves do the smart thing and go up to the radio station on their own , getting their song played on the radio. Even the crooked fence Delicious (Miguel Nunez) comes through, putting the girls single on ITunes and selling a bunch of copies. Derrick, who is supposed to be their manager, does absolutely nothing to benefit these girls. We never see any proof of his hard work, we only see him get bailed out again and again by other people, and this is why the message of the film falls flat. Derrick's character is essentially the stereotypical problematic black youth that refuses to grow up and accept responsibility. We are told he at least finished college, but ultimately none of that matters, because his actions on screen show he is absolutely worthless.
I haven't even gone into the terrible ethnic stereotypes. There are far too many Korean jokes, but none are more offensive than the one that finds the Korean kid singing on stage. It is not funny, it is extremely insulting. I hope the director finds a place to cut that scene from the movie, as it has absolutely no value. The name choices of characters are a throwback to a time that I hoped we were past in black cinema. Pookie, Delicious, Squeaky, Tre, Steve Ho? David Raynr has taken us back indeed. The film needs to lose about 20 minutes of worthless clutter. There is far too much going on with nothing to say. I shudder to think that this is what is supposed to pass for a positive black film experience in 2012. I applaud David Raynr for making a movie, but I am disappointed it comes off as such a betrayal to his people.