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| Corey Hawkins stars in Straight Outta Compton |
Damn Straight
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton tells the astonishing story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war. Directed by F. Gary Gray.
"Damn, that shit was dope." The music and stories are familiar; but Gray paints an intimate portrait, that captures the human side of N.W.A.. 147 minutes literally flies by, boosted by charismatic, convincing performances by Corey Hawkins, O'Shea Jackson, Jr. and Jason Mitchell as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy-E. It pulls a few punches, but in doing so (more effectively) reaches a broader audience. Cube observes, "Speak a little truth, and people lose their minds." NWA spoke volumes, and Straight Outta Compton proves they weren't thugs, but super-talented young artists with a message (and some straight-up awesome beats/music.)
Grade: B+
