Above the Rim (1994)

To be honest I think one of the reasons this movie gets a bad rap is bcz of its lead character, Leon as "Shep". While I know he's supposed to be the quiet, brooding, self-loathing type I don't think he plays it VERY WELL. I like when he gets kinda nutz and rude sometimes but he doesn't play the quiet weird type very well (its a hard emotion to portray visually I think). There's times when it just seems fake...I'm not really feelin the pain and hurt that he's felt since Nutso died.That bein sed, every other character and actor around him is on- point and vibrant and bleeds off the screen. Kyle AND his mom, coach, Bobby,OF COURSE Tupac, Motaw (I'm a soldier.....a SOLDIER!!), Bugaloo (u need a role model...), and TOTALLY UNSUNG in the movie is Bernie Mac as Flip (daffy duck with his beak blown off). Though Bernie's only in two scenes, its deadly accurate as that sad/strong/confident/weak homeless dude.Some ppl say that this movie is predictable and cliché but I'd have to say that, while certain parts are (Shep's joining the shootout, Bombers winning) I TOTALLY did not expect Mo to do what he did..and then for Bugaloo to do what he did in the end. When Mo pulled the gun I thought it was gonna end like Menace II Society and Kyle was gonna get it. Then I thought Shep wouldn't make it...I was wrong on both accounts.Anyways great movie...I like Leon, I just think maybe he's too confident himself as a person to play someone who's supposed to be WEAK (at first at least).

When i read some of comments that have been posted on this movie i felt as though something was missing. Someone needed to comment on this film who was actually a part of the culture that is being shown in this film. I am a black male who went to see this movie the weekend that it was released. As far as the hood is concerned, this is a classic movie. The cast was perfect, especially for the time of it's release. It was a movie set in the East Coast, but Tupac was a stand out star, and the entire soundtrack was done by Death Row. Shakur gave a great performance through out, along with Dwayne Martin. Leon was also featured in another film celebrated by the black community more than anywhere else, The Five Heartbeats. Not to mention Marlon Wayans doing what he always does. Wood Harris, who later goes on to "The Wire" fame, portrays a very aggressive character. The comedic legend Bernie Mac is featured in a good role also. I know that movies aren't black or white. They are just movies, but it is evident that there are a slew of movies that are celebrated a lot more in the black community than anywhere else. Menace II Society, Juice, New Jersey Drive, Above the Rim, Belly, Paid in Full, and this film are "Hood" classics. If you want to even begin to understand the logic behind some of the themes of this genre, then this is a very good movie to start with.

An absolute all rounder. The cast, the plot, the basketball all come 2getha 4 an absolute stunner of a film. The Medina/Pollack influence is clear (Fresh Prince), the film offers a realistic portrayal of life in the hood.Wayans is on a mental one the entire film, while Leon gives a far more sombre, dark performance as the traumatised player who could have had it all.Tupac......Tupac is Tupac and it don't get any better (or realer) than that. The film has some slight issues regarding the love interest (Kyle's mom and Shep)which I don't feel is entirely necessary, but my girlfriend thought it was cute so the film has the potential to appeal to all.But it, rent it, watch it, steal it, borrow it...do something to see this film and remember...."Recognise mother******!"

I bought the DVD of Above the Rim at my local Video Store when they were having a going out of business sale. I primarily bought it to see Tupac's acting since I've been a fan of his music. I watched this movie while working out on the treadmill, and it's great for that.Tupac's performance wasn't quite up to what I expected, I'm sorry to say. Perhaps I would have felt differently if I had seen the movie at the time of its original release, or at least before seeing the wonderful Tupac Resurrection. But the other actors are fine and somewhere in this basketball picture is a subplot that "has a heart". It's several steps above your typical "teenage hood" movie, and a solid 7. I also appreciated the DVD's "English Subtitiles". I wish that they could be made standard. (You appreciate it when you want to workout at midnight and watch a DVD when others want to sleep!)