Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Good start, but then it gets ruined

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Good movie....has a few twists and turns you don't expect. Both James Belushi & the late Tupac Shakur were well cast in the main roles - especially Belushi - this role being very different from his usual ones. The only other two cast members that have some grunt in the movie are Lela Rochon and Dennis Quaid. James Earl Jones has an appearance - if only small - but for me I will never be able to disassociate him from the voice we have all come to know as Darth Vader. Dennis Quaid however does some lime light stealing - but you'll just have to watch it to find out why! Overall good entertainment - may not be everyone's cup of tea - but had me engrossed. In a sense a typical good cops go wrong movie - but one that at least grabs you and sucks you in to watching it to find out what happens next. I gave it a 7/10.

GANG RELATED Aspect ratio: 2.39:1Sound format: DTSJames Belushi lifted himself out of his career doldrums just long enough to appear in this hard-bitten cop thriller alongside gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur, wherein they play rogue cops who supplement their income by murdering drug dealers and stealing their cash, passing off each crime as 'gang related' incidents. However, this nasty little scam goes pear-shaped when their latest victim (Gregory Scott Cummins) turns out to be an undercover DEA agent, and the guy on whom they try to pin the blame - an alcoholic vagrant (Dennis Quaid) - turns out to have a secret identity of his own. Then things become REALLY unpleasant...Writer-director Jim Kouf and cinematographer Brian J. Reynolds make little use of the widescreen format, but the film's lack of visual style is somewhat redeemed by its breakneck pace and impressive performances, most notably Belushi and Shakur in dark, multi-faceted roles, and Lela Rochon as their former accomplice, a frightened stripper whose involvement in Belushi's criminal misdeeds places her in mortal jeopardy. James Earl Jones is the famous defence attorney who takes up Quaid's case as soon as the latter's identity is confirmed, and a gaunt-looking Gary Cole provides solid back-up as a dedicated DEA agent determined to nail those responsible for Cummins' death. There's also a pretty fine twist in the tale, in which one of the characters gets what he/she richly deserves, though the wrap-up is perhaps a little too neat for its own good. Sadly, the movie is dedicated to the memory of Shakur, who was shot and killed in a drive-by incident during the film's post-production process; on this evidence, he was clearly a natural actor and had the makings of a major Hollywood star.

Gang Related had me a bit exicted back in 97 it was the last movie performance of Tupac and he's the only good thing in this slow paced and somewhat predictable movie. James Belushi makes a horrible bad guy and Dennis Quaid is watsed. See this one just for Shakur's performance.

This movie is not too bad, once you get past the fact that it stars TuPac Shakur... I mean, after Poetic Justice, did anybody think he could act? I sure didn't. He was a great artist, but acting wasn't his forte. Actually, to be honest, I didn't expect great things after seeing Poetic Justice, but he wasn't too bad in this movie after all.However, when watching this movie, the question I kept asking myself was, "How can these two fools make this situation any worse?" In fact, I think that's what makes this film work. I spent most of my time waiting to see what kind of crazy coincidence would pop up next. The film certainly doesn't disappoint if you like plot twists, even if you can see them a mile away.Overall, this is a pretty good drama about corrupt cops. I recommend it for a Saturday afternoon when there's nothing fantastic on TV, or for a Sunday if you aren't a football or racing fanatic. Just don't waste your money on it for a Friday night, you should be watching new releases on Fridays.My Rating: 8/10