SuperFly

Everything about this movie is just too predictable and looks like much thought wasn't put into it. There were just too many irrelevant scenes in this movie which didn't need to be screened.

The worst part about this movie is that it seemed like an advert for the Lexus sports car the main character drove as the panning and camera angles were irrelevant.

Overall, it was a subpar movie.

This is a loud slick noisy update of the 1972 Blaxploitation Super Fly. The tunes lack the funk of the original and I welcomed the burst of Curtis Mayfield's title track.

Trevor Jackson is cool but bland as the Atlanta drug pusher Youngblood Priest. He wants to make that one big score and get out with his two girlfriends.

To do this he makes a connection with the Mexican cartel, stay one step ahead of rival gang Snow Patrol and then he has to deal with crooked cops who want a piece of the coke pie.

Priest has been made more nicer and morally centered in this version, he was not so nice in the original.

Despite looking more lavish than the original. Director X has stuck to his music video aesthetics. I think all those shots of women in strip clubs looks sleazy for all the wrong reasons.

The film is really too long, the crooked cops were just cartoonish, I am surprised no one caught them out earlier. The script is full of holes but it is a watchable that improves as it goes on.

Priest is a cool, careful, calculating drug lord in Atlanta. He has operations and connections all over without the unwanted attention like his two girlfriends, Georgia and Cynthia. He has a respectful rival in Snow Patrol leader Q although Q's right hand man Juju is itching to take him down. After Juju's failed shooting, Priest's brother Eddie tries a drive-by without Priest's knowledge. Meanwhile, Priest goes around his source Scatter (Michael Kenneth Williams) by connecting to the Mexican source Adalberto Gonzalez (Esai Morales). He returns to a looming gang war with Snow Patrol and corrupt cop Detective Mason (Jennifer Morrison).

I like the opening scene which sets up Priest's character really well. After that, he needs to do an exposition of his life and his operation. The movie tries to be slick. At times, I find the attempt fun but other times, it seems unnecessary and silly. For example, Morrison is overplaying the role and she's not capable of the attempt. It's silly to try unless it's done right. The other problem is that Priest is presented as a calculating smart dealer but he misses several obvious things in his plan. It's obvious that Scatter would figure it out and come after him sooner or later. A smart man would take him out right after making the connect with Mexico. As for Q, he knows that his lie could never hold up especially at the gallery. He should have offered him a piece of the action since he needs the sales anyways. Also I don't understand the exact calculations of the third act. Wouldn't a shoot out at his furniture store draw attention to him? Wouldn't it be better to go after Snow Patrol at their mansion? It would have been great action to have a shoot out at the mansion. Speaking of action, there is one big car chase scene in the movie which reminds me of a 90's action B-movie shot on the streets of Toronto. That's to say it looks dated and doesn't have the intensity of the top rank modern car chase. It also looks like they tried their best with limited resources and skills. There is lots to like about TV and music video Director X but he may need some help making the jump to full length films.

I do not recommend this movie. I watched it and wanted to scratch my eyes out. Low IQ gangsters, terrible music, poorly written. Some Scenes look like they were shot on an old soap opera set. No redeeming value in this film.

The original Super Fly is credited as being one of the original Blaxploitation movies along with Sweet Sweetback's Baadassssss Song and Shaft. All of which are considered essential movies in the genre.

This remake hits all the right notes and it updates it for today's audiences but it doesn't really bring anything new or noteworthy to the mix. It's stylish and honestly feels more like an extended music video in some parts. Now part of that could very well be because of the director and his background. But that's good for music videos and not for a feature length movie.

But the real issue is this movie has no real reason to exist. It's a remake that really is the same exact story as the original. I get why they wanted to make it but it doesn't bring anything really new to the mix.

As a stand alone movie it's just kinda okay. As a remake it's just a tepid retelling of a much better story.