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Not Bad ! I got a chance to peep out the movie Set It Off a couple of week's ago when the Gavin Seminar was in town... We had a special advance showing at Oakland's Jack London Theater.. A lot of people were hyped on seeing the movie.. In fact they had to shut the theater down when more than 400 people tried to bumrush the door after the 600 people theater filled up... So much for giving out more tickets then there are seats for an event... So how was this flick written and directed by F Gary Gray ? It wasn't bad.. I guess the best way to describe it is it's like a female version of Dead Presidents.. Here Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett and their two partners, played by Vivica Fox and Kimberly Elise are finding themselves having to desperately fight their way out of what seems to be some unfair and unsurmountable circumstances... The movie depicts one of the women [Vivica Fox] being fired from her bank teller job after a violent bank robbery in which she witnesses some one getting their head blown off.. Home girl had held down her job for two years with no problems..suddenly she looks up and sees a dope fiend played by rap artist WC, from around her way pointing a gun in her face demanding money.. Because she's a sensative and caring sister she tries to persuade the crack addict to drop the gun.. He flashes on her and starts bucking fools...including the woman who was actually being waited on.. The blood spills all over Fox's face...and this within the first minutes of the flick... The resulting situation of this tragedy has the insensative bank president firing Fox on the spot because she knew the dope fiend and because she tried to talk him out the robbery instead of immediately ringing the silent alarm... This whole thing sets the stage for the rest of the movie... Each woman finds themselves involved with some heart wrenching scenario.. Jada Pinket's younger brother who she is trying to send to college gets shot by the police in a case of mistaken identity and the character played by Kimberly Elise finds that protective services is going to keep her kid because she had to bring him to her job..after realizing she had no money for a baby sitter.. The 4 women including Queen Latifah who plays a lesbian in the movie decide the only way to beat this unfair system is to 'set it off' and rob banks.. The movie revolves around this concept and to be honest it is quite violent at times.. It's funny and it's a bit of a tear jerker.. Me personally, I'm growing a bit weary of these 'I-goota-escape-the ghetto' movies... They tend to leave me depressed..I'm sick of seeing Black folks constantly either being crimnals or being killed.. However, the overwhelming majority of folks I saw the movie with thoroughly enjoyed it....so ya might wanna check things out.. I gotta give props to Queen Latifah..she was dope.. Also Dr Dre was in the movie playing the role.. Also Blair Underwood comes through as the love interest for Jada Pinket.. The movie is aaaaiiight! It's worth your duckets. If you don't like the movie definitely get the soundtrack.. cause that's the bomb.
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