Sadly Over-hyped

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Brandon (Jahking Guillory) is the 15 year old runt in his circle of friends. He is poorer than the other kids and basically indistinguishable. He believes if he gets a pair if Air Jordon sneakers i.e. "kicks" his whole life will change. He will be able to float on air like an astronaut...his dream persona. So not to give it all away, he gets them, they get stolen, and now he must venture into Oakland to get them back.This is one of the better produced urban films. Apparently someone on the set had an astronaut suit, so hey, let's put it in the script. It made the film more artsy, but didn't add anything to the plot. I wasn't sure of the theme. Risking your life for a pair of shoes is stupid? Or a rite of manhood? Where was the insight? The message? There are people who really love this film because it is so gritty and realistic and all the things I didn't see. To be kind to the film would be to describe it as "uneven." The film is characterized as an 'adventure" when I would call it a "drama with an imaginary space suit." Flaco (Kofi Siriboe) and Marlon (Mahershala Ali) were interesting, more interesting than the main character.Engaging, but not exciting.Guide: F-word, implied sex, grinding, no nudity

Trigger Warning(s): Gun Shots and BloodReview (with Spoilers)Noted Actor(s)Brandon (Jahking Guillory) | Albert (Christopher Jordan Wallace) | Rico (Christopher Meyer) | Flaco (Kofi Siriboe) | Jeremiah (Michael Smith Jr.)StorylineBrandon is poor. So poor that while his friends Rico and Albert have a fresh pair of kicks, Brandon's look like he got them at least one or two years ago. So with him hustling candy bars to get some nice shoes, naturally when someone takes them he wants to get them back. Problem is, the person who took them is Flaco. A local hoodlum who is definitely about that life but can Brandon step up, either with help or on his own, and take back what's his? Or is he still a boy and not yet a man?HighlightsThis Movie Will Get You HypedI'm not sure who of you out there may have gone to an urban movie, in a theater which mostly caters to Blacks and Hispanics, and had that one person who decided to vocalize or express how a particular scene made them feel. Well, let me tell you that person may end up being you with this movie. Something about the way violence happens, the way jokes go down, and how the characters interact is very authentic. To the point you almost one to join in and comment as if they going to look at you and laugh, tell you to shut up, or something like that.The Topic of Manhood, Friendship, and InnocenceIn the film, there are not real roles for women. Pretty much it is all about the friendships between men, loss of innocence, be it with sex or violence, and what it means to be a man. We see this in a few ways. The first, and unfortunate way, deals with the boys having sex or getting with a young woman. Like many a coming of age film, sex is a symbol of manhood but, unfortunately, the film is an example of toxic masculinity. Perhaps making you wonder why this is a highlight? Well, because in the movie you see how such a thing forms.Take Flaco's little brother, or son, Jeremiah. From what it seems, Flaco takes that kid with him everywhere. Be it him going to a party to get high, drunk, and maybe feel up on a shorty, or to watch people ride around in cars. The boy, who can't be older than 10, observes, absorbs, and with him singing a lyric, seeing how comfortable he is around guns and violence, you see how Flaco has normalized that in his life. Making it so, even at such a young age, his innocence is gone. Naivety about the life Flaco lives is not only non-existent but discouraged. Manhood is presented as taking what you want, defending and keeping what's yours, and violence is a norm and not a last resort.CriticismAin't One Positive Depiction of Black Women in the Whole MovieWhen you watch the credits you'll see the name of a few girls like Alexa and Mercedez, but will have a hell of a time trying to remember who the hell was that. Reason being, women solely play the role of someone to mess around with in this movie. If they aren't grinding up on someone, they are as ghetto as possible. If they aren't in the process of having sex, they are about to. I mean, to my surprise we didn't end up seeing a crackhead saying they would suck one of the leads members for a dollar.But to add insult to injury, we don't even get to see Brandon's, Albert's, or Rico's mom. The only mother, much less woman, who isn't problematic is Brandon's grandma and she has a non-speaking role and is bed ridden.On The FenceIt's All About SneakersIt all really boils down to sneakers. If you dig deeper you can find other things to note and talk about but, no matter how you look at it, Brandon's passage to being the local definition of a man came from some sneakers. Of which, so much nonsense happens that, paired with the negative depiction of women, it makes it hard to say, without pause, you like this film in such a politically correct world.Overall: Mixed (Home Viewing)

This film was a horror movie for me. It gave me nightmares, and it wasn't even scary, not in the traditional sense anyway. Yet, everything about the film was horrific for me. The language, the music, the neighborhoods, the culture; I could not relate, understand or accept absolutely anything that any of these children were referring to, and I felt like a better human being because of it. This movie shows how depraved certain parts of our society are, and how they exalt people and objects over the actual things that matter, like a career, a family, and not having a prison record. It is a glimpse into a depraved and diseased world that has no redeemable qualities, and would rather stew in its own fetid juices than actually rise above it. Let me walk you through it; A kid with crazy hair is the neighborhood punching bad. He is poor, and does not have money for the things that apparently make people popular, ie. sneakers. He decides that, in order for people to notice him, he should own a pair of sneakers (some Nike whatever's that are probably made for less than $10 in Vietnam). He saves up money to buy said sneakers, and suddenly, his friends are treating him better, girls are noticing him, and he is actually "somebody". Until the sneakers are stolen from his very feet. Feeling like a big man, he decides to get his sneakers back, and meets some of the most violent, belligerent degenerates the West Coast has to offer. Some people die, other's are seriously hurt, and a lot of blood is shed. All over a pair of ugly sneakers.In a nutshell, this is what the movie is about. Along the way, it glorifies the 'hood, gang violence, drugs, alcohol, under-aged sex, bullying, abuse, absentee parenthood, convicts, potheads; essentially, the worst that society has to offer. It makes it all seem like these people were having fun being social deviants, and this is what made me lose sleep. It's like when you grow up seeing the reality of such of a lifestyle, and how it offers nothing but heartache to everyone involved, why would you make a movie out of it? Why would you show the world the depravity that is ever present in the 'hood? California in 2016 looks like Brooklyn in 1983, and that is not freaking compliment. It looks like a cesspool, where the worst of the worst congregate to serve no purpose to society as a whole, and are simply taking up space and air.The film itself is competently directed, the acting ranges from mediocre to passable (even thought everyone was pretty much playing a version of themselves or someone they know), and the Sci-fi angle was interesting and unique. But none of it could equate to a wholly worthwhile film. To me, movies like this are scarier than any Exorcist, Paranormal Activity, or Descent. These people are real, they live among us, and it's the reason out society can never advance to greatness. I will never understand the mentality of those that come from these areas, and my mother should receive an award for keeping me out of that life. The sad part is, these people do not see the error in their ways, make no effort to make their lives better legitimately, and would rather earn respect through fear and intimidation than actually doing anything positive for themselves, their friends or their family. If that doesn't sound like a horrifying premise to a film for you,consider yourself a lost cause. I shudder to think of the people that see themselves in this movie and can relate to what was transpiring. I do not envy your life, or your disposition. Now excuse me while I go curl up in a corner until the horrifying images are scrubbed from my psyche.

Kicks verges on being a documentary in its presentation. With close and personal filming style, authentic dialogue and story line, Kicks tells a story that is all too familiar in hoods of any urban area. The bully is really nothing more than a guy who gets pleasure from preying on the tolerance and innocence of others. He carries a big gun and has his crew, but down deep he is nothing more than a punk. Brandon, a little frizzy haired boy, who buys his dream shoes, falls victim to the bully. With fearless intent, he confronts the bully and gets his shoes back. The story line could take many forms, but the result is always the same. Until the little guy takes a stand or someone reaches out to protect him, we all run the risk of becoming victims. Kicks has grit and always feels true. There is hope in the despair.