Reel critics

She said:

“Baby Boy” surprised me. Since I did not have any idea what this movie

was about nor had I seen John Singleton’s “Boyz N the Hood,” I walked in

with no expectations. The movie turned out to be an engaging, well-acted

drama with a story line that, while it can be called somewhat

predictable, was easy to follow.

Tyrese Gibson (former model turned music host turned movie actor)

stars as Jody, a 20-year-old who has fathered two children with two

different mothers but still lives with his own mother, brilliantly played

by A.J. Johnson. It becomes obvious as the story unfolds that Jody is

having problems growing up. He won’t marry either of the women he has

fathered children with. Nor can he find a stable job. In essence, the

whole story is Jody’s struggle between accepting his responsibilities and

becoming a man or remaining an irresponsible teenager.

Yvette, played by Taraji P. Henson, does an excellent job playing the

mother of one of his children and his more “serious” girlfriend. You can

see the pain and disappointment in her face when she realizes Jody is

once again lying to her, yet she can’t stop herself from staying with

him. She says it’s love. I rolled my eyes thinking “it’s obvious this

love is only one-sided.”

I would recommend this to anyone who likes movies that involve

personal struggles and a “coming into one’s own” theme, but this isn’t

what you’d call a good “first-date” movie; strong sex scenes, cursing,

and violence permeate throughout. It’s definitely an adult film that

leaves an aftertaste in your mouth as you walk out of the theater.

* ANGELA LEE, 31, is an avid moviegoer. She recently received her

master’s degrees at UC Irvine.

‘Baby Boy’ worth it despite blatant message

He Said:

I am going to recommend “Baby Boy” but this movie is not for everyone.

It is violent and explicit. There is strong sexuality and nonstop

cursing. I am a big fan of John Singleton and thought “Boyz N the Hood”

was one of the best movies of the 1990s. Baby Boy is not as good as Boyz

N the Hood.

The movie opens with our protagonist, Tyrese Gibson’s Jody struggling

against the filmmaker’s message: Inner-city, African American males are

caught in a nowhere world between boy and man. A whole generation has

struggled to literally survive past high school but have not matured into

men. Singleton examines this theme through Jody’s relationship with the

women in his life, his mother and babies’ mamas. These relationships are

as complex as they are dumbfounding. Jody blames his lack of direction

and motivation on women while in truth he’s a lazy guy who refuses to get

a job and grow up. This point is repeatedly beat over the audience’s head

and slows the pace of the picture. Like Oliver Stone, Singleton will

never be accused of being subtle.

The pace picks up immediately from the moment Snoop Dogg’s character,

Randy, burns across the screen. Snoop Dogg is a fantastic screen presence

and it is a shame we have to wait half the movie to explore his

character. Ving Rhames superbly plays the new boyfriend of Jody’s mother.

In Rhames’s Melvin, Jody sees all that is wrong with himself and his

relationship with women. While Jody sees the problem, he is unwilling or

unable to change. This is not an easy movie to watch and it will leave

you with more questions than answers.

* CRAIG VON FREYMANN, 33, Is an avid surfer who enjoys the quality of

life and numerous leisure activities the city offers.