Monday, August 13, 2018

BlacKkKlansman Movie Review

John David Washington stars in BlacKkKlansman

Born Ready

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It's the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream. Produced by the team behind the Academy Award-winning Get Out.


Washington declares "With the right white man, we can do anything." But truth be told, Denzel's oldest son doesn't need any help. He literally carries BlacKkKlansman all by himself, delivering one of the most charismatic performances of the year in the process. Unfortunately, it almost gets lost in an overlong (135 minutes) preachy film, that's a lot more serious than the trailer makes it out to be. Making matters worse... Lee's erratic direction, which features abrupt direct cuts and numerous dramatic closeups, that are anything but. Still, a must-see for Washington (and Corey Hawkins' sterling cameo as Kwame Ture.)

Grade: B-