elliottyoung

First off, anyone claiming that this film is a rip-off of "Beverly Hills Cop" is WRONG. That's an unfair assessment. Just because Eddie Murphy is portraying a police officer, it doesn't automatically become a variation of another character with the same occupation. Besides, how many times has Robert De Niro played a criminal? If one were to compare his roles as a criminal in "Cape Fear", "Heat", and "Casino" all of them would be different characters even though they fall under the umbrella of criminal types. Not to mention there are different types of criminals in the same way there are different types of law enforcement jobs. With that being said, the lead actor plays a much more serious cop who specializes in hostage negotiating. There are no improvisational riffs and voices like Axel Foley, but rather a more straight forward, no nonsense, artful negotiator with rough edges. This allows the audience to take the role more seriously, and therefore the story as well. Without having a comedic lead constantly relieve the tension of real violence and danger, Murphy gets a chance to approach Roper dramatically with only a touch of comedic charm on occasion, and it works! It proves he's able to be a leading man even without the tools of comedy at his disposal, which proves he's an ACTOR. The supporting cast is phenomenal as well. When each member of the ensemble perfectly fits what they're meant to be for a story, now the screen can cook with fish grease! To top it all off, the action sequences are exciting in a standard Hollywood way, and who doesn't love that? "Metro" is what the industry would consider a popcorn movie, and if another actor lead it, I don't think it'd be as easily dismissed by certain people in this thread. Imagine never having seen "Beverly Hills Cop", and then watch this movie again. I guarantee you'll be able to see why it's underrated. It's well done.

Anyone complaining about the very presence of black people in roles they don't care to see them in by labeling unconventional casting as "woke" is pure racism. The usage of that word alone is a resentment of black agency beyond film because it implies that casting black actors, or women of color, is a liberal agenda that should be discouraged in our culture. White actors, especially males, have been made priority since the beginning of film history, and when hollywood finally begins to cast more non-white artists instead of a token here and there...you get angry? It's ridiculous. Get over it! Change is here. Movies and television will reflect the new tolerance for the previously othered and excluded in America.

First of all, this film is not "pointless", nor is it a waste of time. It's a film that not only pays homage to real life Black Soldiers who were used and abused during the unjust Vietnam War, but for film historians, there's a tinge of homage to the Treasure of Sierra Madre when it comes to how the plot unfolds. Furthermore, for everyone complaining that the music is misused.....you know NOTHING about the relevancy of black music in each era of American history because if you did, you'd know that not a single track used throughout the film was irrelevant to black reality in the Vietnam era. As far as the age discrepancies, fine, that's fair, but how many films have you seen in your life where age accuracy hasn't been on the money? As far as the acting is concerned, everyone did a fine job, especially Delroy Lindo. This is a quality product that deserves at least one viewing, and it's time to stop letting mainstream voices, who are not aware or sensitive to other cultures, dictate what deserves to be seen, and what doesn't. THINK FOR YOURSELF. PS, Spike Lee makes movies as love letters to his cultural base. So YES, he will incorporate historical facts, that are normally ignored by everyone else, into his love letters because that's what commemoration and celebration is all about. If you resent that style, stop watching Spike Lee movies. Are all of his films masterpieces? Maybe not. But whose are? Bottom Line....Da 5 Bloods was a respectable effort by all involved.