Straight Outta Compton

Me myself I don't really like rap or hip-hop. But it's nice to know what these men went through on the road to fame and success. Yeah it was a rocky road and they're not the best or Perfect People but they still are people who had real life stories to tell. No they're not my heroes, they are still people which perspective. I recommend this movie to anybody with an open mind who wants to see a portrayal of what it was like to grow up in this situation.

Don't mind the one star ratings they're just spam

When reading other reviews about this movie, I really get frustrated due to the lack of understanding about what this movie is really about. A lot of empty reviews only giving 1 star due to "explicit sexual content, and black men who does not respect the law".

What people does not seem to understand is that this is a movie about the rise, and fall of the biggest rap group ever, how they evolved and what power, money, and fame can to a man (and in this case, his relationship to his friends). As much as anything, this movie really is a lot about the abuse that a lot of black males experienced from the police in the 80's (which is still a very relevant topic).

Personally I am a big fan of N.W.A, without that being the reason I am rating this movie 9/10. It is a really interesting true story about some of THE great rap artists of our generation. Great performances by actors who looks a lot like the original group, as well as Paul Giamatti. Great directing, the movie has a really nice action curve, keeping things interesting throughout the movie, and really gives the public a good insight of the life of some of the biggest stars in the world during the 80's/90's.

This is the first time i have ever written an review on IMDb, even though I have a lot of strong opinions about movies, but I really had to come to this movies defence. This is one of those movies I am really expecting to see a 8,3 star rating or something similar, and it really frustrates me to see a lot of people giving this movie unnecessary hate. GREAT MOVIE, if you like N.W.A, it is really worth your while, and if you are not, it is still worth a watch just because of the really intriguing true story that "Straight Out Of Compton" is.

9/10 movie

11/10 will watch again

First of all, I am a white man, 58 years old. opinions will always vary on quality of movies, but I am shocked at many of the comments/reviews I've seen for soc (straight outta Compton). To say one needs to know ebonics and ridiculous things such as that........is racist. I was shocked at how good the acting was. Oshea Jackson was the weak link in my opinion; but paul giamatti, and the guy who portrayed easy-e were amazing. I was prepared for a typical bio (especially music bios) where the story is way ahead of the acting. Guy playing dre was excellent as well. So I was pleasantly surprised. This is an outstanding movie. One need not have knowledge of the hip hop culture/industry, any more than one needs to know about southern America to watch and appreciate steel magnolias or fried green tomatoes (ok,, I'm dating myself here). I don't like the sound of u.s. southern accents, but that doesn't mean those flicks are not great. So please. To the point that many like to mention about the vulgarity: it was real life depiction! movies about 1600 England have a certain dialect. Same with this. people in different parts of the u.s. speak very differently. This should not be a drawback, but rather a very realistic telling of what happened. Open your minds, not everything is Ellen and Seinfeld. I have lived in l.a. since 1982 and I found it to be very interesting on many levels. Great writing, directing and acting. If it is very very odd for you, then perhaps you'll learn something watching it. I highly recommend this film.

Even as a white kid from suburbia, I remember being exposed to the exhilarating and raucous sound of N.W.A. when I was four or five. My mother would play one of her brother's personally mixed CDs, filled with novelty songs, parodies, and vulgar rap songs I probably shouldn't have been heard at such a tender age, in car rides with me. Songs like "Straight Outta Compton" and "F*** the Police" were ingrained in my head, and I remember especially finding telling social relevance in the line, "searchin' my car, lookin' for the product - thinking' every n**** is sellin' narcotics" from the latter song despite being so young.

I may not have ever experienced racial injustice in my life, but I was at least aware of racial double standards at a young age. With that, one of the purposes of F. Gary Gray's biopic on the acclaimed, pioneering rap group N.W.A. is to get us angry at the injustice that occurred in the 1980's and 1990's and remind us that this kind of hate still frighteningly occurs today. It hits us in the face and stomps on the audience hard, as if its strapped with brass knuckles and decked out in the latest Nikes, portraying the race relations in Los Angeles as they were - ugly and disgraceful.

This portrayal only fits that of N.W.A.'s music and character. Comprised of five talented, street-smart young men, N.W.A. was a rap group predicated on detailing their harsh reality and controversial opinions in a brutally honest manner. Featuring the lyrical talents of Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson, Jr., son of Ice Cube and a spitting image of his father), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), in addition to the lyrical and producing talents of MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown, Jr.), N.W.A. went from a Compton area bunch to a nationwide supergroup in what seemed to be overnight. Armed with the guidance of acclaimed music producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) and their desire to rap the truth and the strength of street knowledge, "Straight Outta Compton" details the rise of the group in addition to subsequent beefs, contract battles, and multiple tragedies that faced the talented young men in their prime.

F. Gary Gray directs this film with complete conviction. He and writers Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff work to capture the major events in N.W.A. in a manner that, while all-encompassing, gets to the heart of each emotion and the significance of every conversation. Gray and company don't mess around in detailing the sure power and magnitude of this group through concerts, riots, and nationwide recognition, and they do so in a manner that's investing from the very first time the group is questioned by police for doing nothing wrong.

"Straight Outta Compton," again, much like the music of N.W.A., hooks you with its bravado and swagger. We see the incredible charisma and charm of these five men, we hear their hard-hitting lyricism and their strong production, and we feel their simultaneous pride for their city and condemnation of its flaws, such as systemic racism and discrimination. From Gray's assured direction, it continues with the performances, all of which unanimously strong. Eazy-E was a character I wasn't really expecting to see developed as much as he was, but with the writing at hand and Jason Mitchell's emotionally potent and tender performance, he becomes the standout in a sea of great acting.

Each actor brings something to the table here; Jackson, Jr.'s aggression is unmatched, particularly in a telling scene involving Priority Records, Hawkins is the conviction and the even-tempered soul through all this madness, Hodge is the wit and the sporadic humor of the group, and Brown, Jr. is the backup to all the characters in the film whenever they need it. Mitchell is the tender and enigmatic one, someone who isn't easily defined, has trouble rapping and performing occasionally, but someone who also comes with big ideas for the group he knows, loves, and wants to make huge. Finally, let's not forget Giamatti, in his second Oscar-worthy performance (first being in "Love & Mercy") of the year, who gives a performance just as emotionally investing and captivating as that of Mitchell's, particularly when the two are having a heart-to-heart.

As entertainment, "Straight Outta Compton," for this past summer, is unmatchable in its level of fun and human interest. As social commentary, despite being set a few decades back, the film is frighteningly current in its issues and its ideas. While it may follow some typical tropes of a biopic (the "rise and fall" structure), nonetheless, the sleekness and universal strength of everyone and everything in this project make it rise above those shortcomings into something truly worthwhile. Finally, as a piece of hip-hop history, and film in general, it's an indisputable must-see.

For all the people who wrote 1/10 reviews. You have got to be kidding me. There are so many people, who write uselessly negative reviews, and for what? Aggressive, throwing stuff like, I'd rate it negatively if I could, and such. Talking about the NWA like they are 5 happy misogynists, having sex all the time, depraved bums and are proud of it. Talking about them sinning and having sex all the time. Listen to yourself. This film shows the dark side of the 1990's. Look how people were treated back then. This film shows what shit people went through back then. This shows who they were. So what is they had sex. Look where they came from. This is trying to show how much of a shit-show America was back then. This film is trying to tell you about that. The 80's and 90's weren't having a new brand systematically destroy America. America was destroying itself. These men were rappers. These men came from the streets. They grew up in a shit-show, and so they rap about it. They don't rap to prostitute their way to become millionaires. Look a little closer and stop focusing on all of the sex scenes for fucks sake. It's X-Rated, what do you expect? It's the history of the NWA. Nothing is ever completely white and pure. For all of you that say that this film shows 5 misogynistic men, fucking their way through life and destroying America. These people were rascals, sure. These people were thugs sure. These people rapped about their troubles. For the people that rated 1/10. You are very close minded, and are not aware of identities. Draw conclusions, not from the sex scenes and the swearing, but the story.