Rating:
Director: Kevin Bray
Producer: Matt Alvarez, Ice Cube
Writer: Ronald Lang, Ice Cube
Director of Photography: Glen MacPherson
Cast: Ice Cube, Mike Epps, Eva Mendes, Tommy Flanagan
| ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS Rating: Director: Kevin Bray Producer: Matt Alvarez, Ice Cube Writer: Ronald Lang, Ice Cube Director of Photography: Glen MacPherson Cast: Ice Cube, Mike Epps, Eva Mendes, Tommy Flanagan |
|
Review by: Warren
Curry
3/10/02
Call me naive, but I'm still fairly optimistic that one day I'll wake up in a world where studio executives and producers will stop looking so much to music video directors as a talent pool to helm their projects. In All About the Benjamins, Kevin Bray clearly demonstrates that he couldn't tell a story to save his life, nor does he have any idea how and why the concepts of pacing and composition are vital to his success as a feature filmmaker. Not that this film would've stood a chance with John Ford or Akira Kurosawa behind the camera, but after seeing this movie I question if Bray has even heard of the two directors I just mentioned.
Ice Cube stars as bounty hunter Bucum Jackson who works the streets of Miami in his Tim Hardaway jersey, but just can't seem to make enough money to sustain his habit of buying $600 tropical fish. His next task is a remarkably routine one; he needs to bust Reggie Wright (Mike Epps), a small-time hood that Bucum has sent away several times before. This time, however, it's not going to be so easy as Reggie has accidentally got himself mixed up with a group of diamond smugglers. Reggie could easily avoid these dangerous criminals, except for one thing: They are in possession of the man's wallet, which contains a $60 million winning lottery ticket.
When Bucum tries to nab Reggie, he too finds himself caught in the midst of the smuggling ring. Bucum and Reggie begrudgingly join forces and go after the smugglers led by the dastardly and vicious millionaire Williamson (Tommy Flanagan). Reggie's girlfriend Gina (Eva Mendes) also gets involved and this motley crew is eager to tangle with the bad guys. Will Reggie get his lottery ticket? Will the villains get their comeuppance? And what's going to happen to the diamonds? Believe me, you don't care.
Ice Cube co-wrote the weak script and it mainly attempts to be a showcase for the comic exchanges between he and Epps. The actors do share some funny moments, but not nearly enough of them. Cube (somewhat ironically) reminds me of Mark Wahlberg (another rapper-turned-actor) in that their range is extremely limited, but if you only need them to hit one note, they are more than capable. Epps plays Reggie with energy to burn, and he'd immensely benefit from a director who knew how to rein in his zeal.
Visually, we get the requisite billion cuts per scene and seemingly every action sequence, no matter how pedestrian, is covered with an all-important slow motion shot. Wow, does it ever add flair to the exciting chase scenes! My feeble mind just couldn't grasp the initial image of Ice Cube heroically hopping a four-foot fence, so I'm glad the film cut to a slo-mo reinforcement in order for the dynamic action to fully resonate. Thanks, Kevin Bray -- Sergio Leone sure could've picked up a few pointers from you.
I wasn't expecting a masterpiece, but I certainly was anticipating something a bit more palatable. A film like this makes me wonder if soon Hollywood will start programming computers to direct their product. Why not? A machine could've definitely exhibited as much filmmaking personality as what exists here. And maybe the geniuses who punched in the formula would've actually had the good sense to eliminate 5 or 10 of the slow-motion shots.
Ice Cube may have come "straight
outta Compton," but with All About the Benjamins he
races straight into mediocrity.
Agree? Disagree? Talk about it in the forums.
|
|
|
|
|