Dre, working as a DJ can dish out great rap tunes naturally and has a like minded friend in Cube who complements with perfect lyrics. Once they decide to make it big with help from Eric, their friend, they start a band, N.W.A which ascends to the top with their reality rap that honestly talks about life in the hood. When their manager, Jerry’s business methods begin polarizing the band, they face their worst crisis yet.
Language:
English
Running Time:
147 min
Rating:
R
Release date:
14 August 2015
Directed by:
F. Gary Gray
Produced by:
Ice Cube
Tomica Woods-Wright
Matt Alvarez
F. Gary Gray
Scott Bernstein
Dr. Dre
Written by:
Jonathan Herman
Andrea Berloff
S. Leigh Savidge
Alan Wenkus
Starring:
Jason Mitchell
O’Shea Jackson, Jr.
Corey Hawkins
Paul Giamatti
Aldis Hodge
Neil Brown, Jr.
Alexandra Shipp
Corey Reynolds
Music by:
Joseph Trapanese
Shot by:
Matthew Libatique
Editing by:
Billy Fox
Distributed by:
Universal Pictures

What’s Hot

  • Being a musical biopic of the N.W.A, the story is devoid of compromises as it reprises the hate and that underlined their period which warrants applause for the engaging screenplay that allows music to take center-stage.
  • The team deserves special mention for being bold enough to show more of the mistakes and sufferings of the N.W.A despite members of the hugely successful band producing the film. This makes the movie unbiased, authentic, raw and you feel it growing on you.
  • The hip hop music featured in the movie, both slow and hard core ones are undoubtedly the main attraction for the energy that literally teleports the audience back to the era in focus. Their usage to tell part of the story is really enjoyable.
  • The original Ice Cube’s son and popular rapper O Shea Jackson Jr. plays the younger version of his father and excels at it being a recognised exponent of hip hop himself. He steals the show as the impatient young man desperate to make it big, but not willing to lose what’s rightfully his.
  • Casting is a definite plus for the movie with Eric, Dr Dre, Suge Knight, Jerry – you name it, all of the characters looked the part and played it even better. Eric was the pick of the lot with his seamless transition from a drug peddler to an amateur rapper to a record company owner, but being the same old guy all the while.

What’s Not

  • Apart from the well orchestrated songs, the level of detailing needed to suit the period when the story happens was inept. Glaring examples are the purported scenes meant to show the wild parties they had which looked nothing like the 90s The actual footage from N.W.A archives shown at the end made it obvious.

Badges

Music
Screenplay
Acting

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

An unforgettable piece of history in hip hop's meteoric rise, N.W.A's life and soul is brought back to glory with this impeccable biopic, Straight Outta Compton that is honest by nature and made convincingly with the help of foot tapping music and maverick acting!