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Set It Off (1996)
Released By: New Line Home Entertainment   Rating: R   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: New Line Home Entertainment
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Director: F. Gary Gray
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: John C. McGinley, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise
Published ID: 6710
UPC: 794043478727, 794043125515, 794043131585,
Plot: The sophomore film effort from music video director F. Gary Gray, Set It Off is a crime thriller about four women bank robbers from a housing project in L.A. Ever since her parents' death, Stony (Jada Pinkett Smith) has had to act as a parent to her little brother Stevie (Chaz Lamar Shepard). She works in various capacities to make a future for him at U.C.L.A. Cleo (Queen Latifah) is a butch lesbian who wants nothing more than to customize her classic car. Tisean (Kimberly Elise) is a painfully shy single mother to her son Jajuan, struggling to make ends meet. Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is the stylish bank teller who gets fired in the opening scene and ends up working with the other three at a janitorial service owned by irritating boss Luther (Thomas Jefferson Byrd). With Frankie upset from her unjust firing, Stony angry from the wrongful killing of her brother, and Tisean losing her baby to the child protective services, the four friends are motivated to rob a bank themselves. Looking for thrills, Cleo gets some guns from Black Sam (Dr. Dre in a cameo role), and they pull off their first job without a hitch. Their success starts a trend and they rob other banks in the area, all the while being investigated by Detective Strode (John C. McGinley). In a romantic subplot, Stony finds romance with wealthy Harvard-educated Keith (Blair Underwood) before the violent chase-scene ending. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
good
Added 1/27/2010

The only problem was that it didn't come with the original case. The disc was in perfect condition.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
they be racist
Added 1/26/2010

Why do they got to be black women who be smoking drugs and robbing banks? Like all black women got to be criminals just because we black? We got to be talking bad english and shown to not be knowing how to speak proper english like we be stupid? Why we got to be portrayed like we be all ghetto? This be a horrible movie, and the director, they be stupid. Not all black women be talking like they be stupid hoes.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Still a powerful film to this day.
Added 1/13/2010

Very pleased this is finally available on blu-ray. Not much difference in the director's cut compared to the DVD release. And its very unfortunate the blu-ray lacks any extra features with the exception of a 20-minute 'making of' special that was pieced together poorly. I would've loved to see the extra footage, commentaries, etc. from Latifah herself and more actors in the film. This film was heavily promoted in 1996 with material and footage which New Line should've included but didn't. Another criticism is the groundbreaking soundtrack and music videos from the film which was totally disregarded on the bluray. It would've been a treat to feature music videos in HD such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's "Days of Our Livez" and En Vogue's biggest hit with Dawn Robinson "Don't Let Go (Love)". Still, it's my favorite black cinema and fantastic to watch in HD nonetheless.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Set It Off
Added 1/6/2010

Stony, Cleo, Tisean and Frankie have been through a lot together while growing up in the projects of Los Angeles. They've been scammed by sleazy employers, slammed by heartless boyfriends, and slapped around by neighborhood cops. No matter how tough the going got--when one found herself in trouble, she had three life-long friends backing her up. Now comes the ultimate test. A tragic chain of events has brought these inseparable companions closer than ever. I was completely blown away by this movie. It was so breath-taking in its pace, the performances and the action, but it was also extremely moving.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Visceral, hard-hitting action film.
Added 12/29/2009

Set It Off is an explosive drama about four young black women, who are best friends. Living in the Los Angeles ghetto, each of them struggles with economic and emotional hardships. All of them suffer deeply, due to injustices perpetrated against them by their employers, trigger-happy cops, and the welfare bureaucracy. Fed-up with how life has knocked them around, and desperate to escape the ghetto, the four friends decide to resort to robbing banks together.

This film is very fast-paced, with gripping suspense throughout the course of the movie. There's scarcely a dull moment. This movie is overflowing with tire-screeching car chases, blazing gunfire, and volatile interactions between the characters. The breath-taking action sequences really draw you in to the precarious world, of the criminal quartet.

It's good that Hollywood finally decided to make a film, that has African-American female characters who make such a deep impact. They're just as rough, vulgar, and determined to change their lives for the better, as any of the male characters are. They're deadly serious about being willing to risk their lives, to take up criminal activities. The women in the film, don't depend on men to determine their course of action. They know that it's up to them alone, to work together to accomplish their bank heists.

The four actresses who played the main characters, all give strong performances. Especially Queen Latifah as the hardened butch lesbian, Cleo Simms. She really makes the viewer believe that Cleo can fearlessly handle just about anything, that she's up against. Jada Pinkett also gives a compelling performance as Stoney. Pinkett shows an amazing emotional range, and is able to convey the contradictory moods of Stoney with ease. Vivica Fox as Frankie, is vivid in her role, but not quite as charismatic as either Queen Latifah, or Jada Pinkett. Kimberley Elise as the desperate single mother, Tisean, gives a heartrending performance.

This film crackles with a heady intensity, that's rare in films with women as the main characters. These sistahs prove that they are forces to be reckoned with, as they fight for their dreams in a male dominated world. This cutting-edge action film, delivers jolt-after-jolt of exciting entertainment.


0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
good
Added 1/27/2010

The only problem was that it didn't come with the original case. The disc was in perfect condition.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
they be racist
Added 1/26/2010

Why do they got to be black women who be smoking drugs and robbing banks? Like all black women got to be criminals just because we black? We got to be talking bad english and shown to not be knowing how to speak proper english like we be stupid? Why we got to be portrayed like we be all ghetto? This be a horrible movie, and the director, they be stupid. Not all black women be talking like they be stupid hoes.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Still a powerful film to this day.
Added 1/13/2010

Very pleased this is finally available on blu-ray. Not much difference in the director's cut compared to the DVD release. And its very unfortunate the blu-ray lacks any extra features with the exception of a 20-minute 'making of' special that was pieced together poorly. I would've loved to see the extra footage, commentaries, etc. from Latifah herself and more actors in the film. This film was heavily promoted in 1996 with material and footage which New Line should've included but didn't. Another criticism is the groundbreaking soundtrack and music videos from the film which was totally disregarded on the bluray. It would've been a treat to feature music videos in HD such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's "Days of Our Livez" and En Vogue's biggest hit with Dawn Robinson "Don't Let Go (Love)". Still, it's my favorite black cinema and fantastic to watch in HD nonetheless.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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IDPriceImageUrlPurchaseUrlIdTypeBindingStore
DVD
$13.49 @ Amazon
Blu-ray
$17.99 @ Amazon