Did you people see the same film I saw?

Admirable film.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Man this one was awesome,the movie just blew me away!As a black man and a movie buff i always knew about melvin van peebles and his great contribution, not just to ethnic filmmakers but to all entertainment as a whole.This man was 1 of the pioneer who truly changed entertainment as we know it.Filmmakers of less talent and courage get credit and attention while a man of true importance gets ignored.This was one of the most inspirational movies i have ever seen(view from the top was another)if you have a dream,i don't care what it is, this movie will make you want to push to the max to achieve it!great movie check it french

This is a cool movie about a guy trying to make a film.. yes, we've seen that before… but this one is a true story about the first guy that tries, struggling against the studios, against "The Man ", to make his movie in an independent fashion. Directed and starring an actor I mostly never paid attention to, mostly because his movies suck, Mario Van Peebles. Surprisingly hes the son of the guy who made the first movie that started the whole Blaxpoitation era and the indie filmmaker way of life, Melvin Van Peebles…. There are some very cool bits about the way black people where portrayed back then and how that interfered with Melvins desire to do his movie "Sweet, Sweetbacks Badasssss song" For starters, how could a black man be the hero of a movie??? Blaaasphemy!!! There's a montage I liked later on about how not only black people where portrayed stereotypically, but also the Latinos, the "Indians", the Chinese (and the rest of the Asian community), etc. Of course it seems that if we played Cowboys & Indians right now it would seem disgraceful and politically incorrect. But anyways, another part of the movie was how they got their whole team and how they went about to filming the movie… there even comes a point where everything is going wrong, nobody believes in Melvin, not even him, but hes a Stubborn MoFo and at the end he only gets to distribute his film in one measly theater owned by some old Jewish twins but with a little help from radio advertising and the Black Panther coalition, the movie is a huge success and it gives way to this little gem of a film I just saw… now, the only thing left to do is see "Sweet, Sweet Backs bad ass song" Random Trivia learned from the movie: Did you know that Shaft was originally intended to played by a white guy? Shut! your mouth.

First off, I'll qualify my comments by saying that I've never seen Sweetback, or heard of it for that matter. Turns out, that wasn't important. What we have here is an outstanding piece of work that proves loving your material doesn't condemn it to the dulldrums as others would have you believe. Well written, and directed, this look into film history should be on every filmmaker's shelf. Two thumbs up for all of the actors for a job very well done. Mario especially, should be praised for his touching and oft emotional journey into his own past.

It's a real shame that mediocre indie films, such as "Open Water" and "Napoleon Dynamite," get tons of publicity while a gem like "Baadasssss!" goes unnoticed.Director and co-writer Mario Van Peebles affectionately, but truthfully, chronicles a fictional telling of his father, Melvin Van Peebles' attempt to make "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," modern black cinema's groundbreaking film, which was compulsory viewing for the Black Panthers and paved the way for countless black actors, filmmakers and film technicians. The Spike Lees, Ernest Dickersons, John Singletons and Wayanses owe a huge debt of gratitude to not only what Melvin accomplished 33 years ago, but also how he did it.Mario Van Peebles' previous directorial efforts, "New Jack City" (1991), "Posse" (1993) and "Panther" (1995), showed potential, but were mired in clichés and turned out to be rather forgettable. That's not the case with "Baadasssss!"This is an exciting, funny and moving film about one man's zeal to make the movie he wants to make. Melvin did not want to kowtow to studios and was fed up with how blacks were portrayed in Hollywood movies. So he set out to make a movie where the black man fought back, then went on the run and got away. And he did it with an ethnically diverse crew (which was unheard of then), many of whom knew little or nothing about movie-making."Baadasssss!" brilliantly illustrates Melvin's struggles, including pretending he was shooting a black porno film to hide his real intent from the crafts unions, running out of money, losing his vision in one eye and finding a distributor for "Sweet Sweetback."Mario shows a deep sense of love and respect for his father's achievement. But Mario definitely doesn't sugarcoat his depiction of Melvin. The Melvin we see in this film is a driven, obsessive man who loves his friends and family deeply, but won't let anything or anyone stop his film, including the weekend jailing of his crew. Mario's reluctance about being forced to be in a "sex scene" in his dad's movie is one of the film's highlights. The moment works thanks to a nicely subdued and thoughtful performance by Khleo Thomas as the young Mario.Mario Van Peebles and Dennis Haggerty penned a smart, energetic script. They add a nice undercurrent to the story by creating a father-son dynamic, which adds a layer of surprising depth to the story. Mario Van Peebles so completely immerses himself into the role of his father that we forget we're watching Mario play Melvin.Where the script falters is in its over-reliance on voice-over narration used to to convey Melvin's thoughts. It works sometimes. But it also seems obtrusive. For instance, Melvin's thoughts about the contents of the props drawer aren't needed because we're smart enough to know how dangerous or funny it could have all turned out."Baadasssss!" is as much about Melvin's passion to make his influential film as it is about the importance of maintaining one's integrity. Just as Melvin didn't compromise his story, Mario, too, apparently held out and refused to compromise. Producers wanted him to make the film more acceptable to "a white audience" or toss in some hip-hop. But Mario didn't relent and made the film he wanted to make.The paradox about this film about the making of a film is that while Mario's movie is technically and cinematic ally superior to Melvin's seminal film, "Baadasssss!" ultimately isn't as politically, socially or historically influential as the film it chronicles. Nevertheless, for anyone interested in movie-making, "Baadasssss!" is a must, along with the documentaries, "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse" (1991) and "Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography" (1992). "Baadasssss!" is one of the best and most enjoyable films ever made about film-making.