Starring: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Joe Torry, Tyra Farrell
Director: John Singleton
Producers: Singleton and Steve Nicolaides
Screenplay: John Singleton; Poems by Maya Angelou
Music: Stanley Clarke
Released by Columbia Pictures
A date at a drive-in turns bloody. Justice (Janet Jackson) is sitting in the back seat of a car making out with her boyfriend when suddenly a gunman fires a bullet through the window and into his skull. Following that incident, she swears off men and concentrates on her poetry and her job at a local hair salon. On a weekend when Justice is supposed to go to a hair show in Oakland, her car breaks down. Stuck with no other option, she's forced to take up the offer of her friend, Iesha (Regina King), who is car-pooling to the Bay Area in a postal van with her boyfriend, Chicago (Joe Torry), and his friend, Lucky (Tupac Shakur). When Justice meets Lucky, the chemistry is toxic. This is a guy she turned down when he made a pass at her in the salon, and neither of them is pleased to see the other again. Nevertheless, as the miles roll by, Justice and Lucky start to get along, even as the relationship between Iesha and Chicago crumbles.
Boyz 'N the Hood will forever stand as one of the definitive tales of urban violence. Tough, gritty, and uncompromising, it earned John Singleton, the driving force behind the film, immediate recognition and praise. Boyz is a movie whose devastating impact does not diminish with repeated viewings. Because of that film, Singleton's next directorial effort has been awaited with anticipation. With the arrival of Poetic Justice, the wait is over. Unfortunately, this movie does not live up to expectations. Perhaps following a debut as spectacular as Singleton's, the only direction is down. Poetic Justice is not a bad movie, but it lacks the power and energy that suffused Boyz 'N the Hood.
To his credit, Singleton doesn't attempt to re-tread the same path he took for Boyz. Guns and violence in South Central LA are still in evidence, but they serve as a backdrop, not the fulcrum, for the main story. Much of Poetic Justice takes place outside LA. However, in trying to get away from the material that made Boyz 'N the Hood so memorable, Singleton strays too far into the realm of the tried-and-true love story.
The problem with Poetic Justice is that there's little unique or special about it. Singleton may be trying to put a different spin on this romance, but it ends up like the same old thing. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl don't get along. Over a long trip, boy and girl discover that the other really isn't all that bad. Boy and girl fall in love. This has been done ad nauseum.
As Lucky, Tupac Shakur gives an effortless and entirely convincing performance. Janet Jackson isn't as impressive. She's okay when it comes to scenes that don't require displays of extreme emotion. However, whenever there's a need for heartfelt rage or sorrow, we're treated to an amateurish display. The tears look fake and the pouty expression doesn't convince. For Justice to be real, a more solid performance is necessary.
Some of Poetic Justice is quite good, if unspectacular, and the dialogue has a consistent ring of truth. Singleton has chosen to give us an interesting contrast to the slow-but-steady development of Justice and Lucky's relationship. As they grow closer, the other couple in the movie, Iesha and Chicago, move apart. The mechanics of the birth of one relationship out of the ashes of another holds the viewer's attention.
Singleton starts off the movie with a twist and a bang, giving us a compelling first fifteen minutes. The first thing that we see is a close-up of the face of a shaven-headed Billy Zane as he speaks to a raven-haired Lori Petty. These two are dressed in sumptuous clothes and sipping champagne, yet the caption on the screen says that the action is taking place in South Central Los Angeles. What's going on? Singleton doesn't take long to reveal the answer, nor does he give us much of a breather before the main story gets kick-started into action.
Even as the beginning is the strongest segment of Poetic Justice, the ending is the weakest. Once the action reaches Oakland, there's a sudden unraveling of plot lines. The movie loses its focus. Although it's difficult to tell, I get the feeling that there was quite a bit edited out at this point. What we see is coherent enough to suggest something more solid than what is presented.
Boyz 'N the Hood made you think long after the final credits had rolled. Poetic Justice will be relegated to the recesses of your consciousness five minutes after you leave the theater. This is entertainment, not an event. For an ordinary film, that might be enough, but somehow we expect more from John Singleton. Maybe it's our expectations that are at fault. Then again, maybe not.
© 1993 James Berardinelli