Tupac Shakur Movie:

Editorial Review:
Director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Rosewood) made an earnest effort in this, his second, film to say a great deal that is true and relevant about living and loving in a violent, difficult time in American history. Janet Jackson plays a beautician and poet who withdraws into herself after her boyfriend is murdered by gangsters. The late Tupac Shakur plays a postman who tries to get through to her, and the two travel on a course through urban America, connecting with family and community. Singleton has so much on his mind that the film comes out a terrible muddle, but there is a certain integrity peeking through the fog. Shakur makes a startlingly good impression in his film debut, and Jackson strips away her star veneer to play something like a real person--and entirely succeeds. Maya Angelou wrote the poems that pass as those penned by Jackson's character, and she also appears in the film. --Tom Keogh

Poetic Justice [Region 2] Reviews:
I thoght it was just alright it could been better.
2008-07-24 - I thought that janet jackson part in the movie didn't really give a strong plot really at all. I felt that Tupac acting was better than Janet and the part with Regins King.If your bored at home it's worth watching if nothing else is on tv. Bring back the 90's feel .

Beautiful
2008-03-29 - This movie is highly under-rated. It is a "love conquers all" story that is beautifully written. The film is a surprise which covers the break-up of a seemingly cute-and-cuddly couple Iesha and Chicago and the coming together of the mis-matched Lucky (2pac) and Justice (Janet Jackson). While many love stories are unrealistic, this story speaks the truth and includes many heart-breaks,deaths, arguments, and hurdles along the path to happiness. Additionally, this film speaks to the true talent of the late Tupac Shakur. Some of the background story lines (such as the focus on the salon owner, Jesse) are a bit lame, distracting, and a waste of time, but if you forget them and focus just on the 4 main characters you'll see how powerful this movie is.

Pathetic Junkstice!
2008-02-07 - This movie was one of the worst wastes of film and time that I have ever seen.

Back in 1993, it may have seen like a good idea to put then-pop princess Janet Jackson with rapper on the rise 2pac Shakur on a story loosely centered around South Central LA (one scene shows the devastation of the then-recent riots). Sadly, this film is a great mess of nothing, showing the fluke of "Boyz in the Hood's" success.

First of all, Miss Jackson is no actress and much of the film doesn't even make sense. It is never clear why she is so sad and angry. Characters and situations come and go without rhyme or reason, no one in the film (unless you are among the cult of Tupac worshippers) is remotely sympathetic. Janet spouts Maya Angelou's (who appears in a cameo) poetry (trust me, no "Still I Rise" here-this sounds like stuff taken out of her trash can) and goes to Oakland from LA with a motley crew of ignorant, screaming, cursing characters. Incidentally, the Last Poets (the true fathers of rap) make a cameo, but we don't get to hear them!

When I saw this at a theater in Columbia, SC upon its release, the teen and twentysomething audience booed, cursed, and loudly demanded their money back at the end. Wise kids. If you have the stomach to do so, you'll see why.

"Poetic Justice?" Pathetic Junkstice is more like it.





Poetry Malfunction
2008-02-05 - POETIC JUSTICE has two great performances by Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, who have chemistry enough to burn down the screen, but it suffers from ho-hum direction by auteur John Singleton, and most of all, its ridiculous poetry by former Poet Laureate Maya Angelou just makes you cringe. Even Janet Jackson sounds embarrassed by it, and she's supposed to be the one writing it. In one scene she lounges discontented in a big bed covered with colorful pillows and batik cloths, from above the camera pans down every angle of her curvaceous--yet discontent--body, while the soundtrack has her reciting the words of one of terrible poems, "I'm a woman---phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, That's Me." Janet can't even bring herself to say them and, in her career as a pop star, she's had to deliver some pretty banal lyrics. Not to mention the little inter-songs she puts on her LPs, of her just giggling or making quasiorgasmic sex sounds a la THE VELVET ROPE. But "Phenomenal Woman That's Me" defeats even Janet Jackson. Her famous "wardrobe malfunction" at Superbowl XXXVIII eclipsed for a minute or two her most humiliating moment, but as soon as the fuss died down about that, she still had "Phenomenal Woman" to live down. I have one question for you Maya Angelou. Why, why, why did you do this to young, lovely, tyro actress Janet Jackson? Those poems you wrote for Justice (the name of Janet Jackson's character) to recite belong in infamy.

Not Singleton's Finest Moment, But Still Worth Watching
2007-07-11 - It's clear what Singleton attempted to do with this one, and I'd say it was a noble effort. Of course the script could've been tighter and the climax stronger and more rewarding, thus resulting in a more worthwhile film. However, in the film's defense, the charismatic Tupac shines while convincingly helming the sole well-conceived role. He's the best reason -- perhaps the only reason -- viewers should join in on the film's road trip to Oakland. He's subtle but confident, forceful but not heavy-handed, complex but genuine -- all the things that have also made him a legendary (and sorely missed) rapper. On the other hand, regarding Ms. Jackson... Well, I'll attempt to simply and kindly take the high road and say she probably shouldn't attempt to act again (unless she takes some drama classes). Janet simply doesn't get it. She doesn't understand the craft. She "acts" throughout the entire movie, something a skilled and experienced performer would never be caught doing. Perhaps Singleton was just too smitten with her to inform her that performing requires more than just emoting and script recitation. I understand that fans of Janet's music will invariably take issue with my comments, but if they'd simply separate her on-screen skills from her (heavily studio-enhanced) musical skills, I believe they'd have to agree with me. And it doesn't help that Janet's character (Justice) isn't a well-written, fully-developed and focused role; that's Singleton's fault -- not Janet's. Also, in the movie, fans of Maya Angelou will enjoy her cameo and the verses she wrote for Janet's character, a poet. And the fan(s) of Regina King will appreciate the challenging, range-revealing character stretch she takes on: she portrays a sassy, shallow, one-dimensional young lady with an attitude (that's something we've never seen her play before). Overall, Poetic Justice isn't one of Sigleton's finest moments, but again, revisiting Tupac's performance makes it entertaining and somewhat worthwhile.