I’ve not watched the numerous films that rap artists Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has made to date. As a matter of fact I think TWELVE was actually the first thing I’d seen him in. With the number of rap stars crossing over into films it never seems like they stretch much, almost always portraying thugs or drug dealers and the like. On rate occasion a few have made memorable performances but, like rap music, those that make a lasting impression are few and far between.
The same can’t be said of Jackson. Sure, his characters might be street wise but there is more depth to them than can be found in most exploitation films. And this film, while the slim plot might make one think it qualifies for that genre, is actually better than one would expect.
Jackson stars as Rich, a young street punk who’s out to make a name for himself in the world of gun running. The film opens with Rich and his crew tricking his competition into running from a club only to be caught in a hail of bullets. With this group gone, Rich is now the top dog in the world of gun running in Detroit.
Moving forward we get to see Angel (Val Kilmer) released from prison. His story is yet unclear to us, but he moves into a room and soon finds his way to Rich. The two have a history where Angel once saved Rich from certain death. He asks Rich for a gun which he is more than happy to provide. A few days later he returns to take Rich up on an offer to join his crew.
As these two stories merge a third part of the puzzle appears in the persona of Detective Rogers (James Remar), a veteran cop on the force who has made his single most important goal to shut down the gun runners in his town. Saddled with a pair of hot shot ATF agents who seem more intent on ridiculing him than in helping, Rogers trudges along following the leads which eventually take him to Rich.
As the film moves along we discover that Rich has made a connection with a powerful organization that can supply him with more guns than he could ever imagine. His connection is a beautiful woman named Gabriella (AnnaLynee McCord) who seems as interested in bedding down Rich as she does in establishing him with her bosses.
While each of these items comes together there is still something missing, some piece that we are yet unaware of that connects them all together. And this missing piece is the one part of this film that makes it rise above the common street thug films that usually arrive straight to DVD. I won’t spoil it and some of you may figure it out long before the final reel, but it does offer something that for many will be unexpected.
The film was written by Jackson, another plus that makes it a bit more ambitious than most. He does a good job here providing realistic characters that might on occasion fall back on the usual stereotypes but for the most part seem true to the story. The dialogue doesn’t rank with that of say Kevin Smith, but it flows naturally and is delivered by a cast that treats it like Shakespeare rather than a dime store direct to DVD feature.
I doubt that this film will come close to Oscar consideration but it does offer a solid story, entertainment for fans of the genre and some good performances. Kilmer, an actor who started strong and lately has become a staple of direct to DVD films, always turns in a performance that exceeds the material he is given. Who knows why Hollywood has seemed to shun him when it comes to major studio releases? Whatever the reason, he raises the quality of the films he stars in. And this is one that rises to meet his achievement on its own merits.
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