Sadly Over-hyped

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Very touching and exciting movie! You really get to feel for the characters and the image of movie sticks with you for a while. There is a combination of strong, emancipated but hopeless women, drama, tension, romance and Queen Latifah as a lesbian ;) You follow the life of four women who have financial problems, most of them due to injustice caused by police and government. They also have lost or are bout to lose their loved ones. This pushes them over the edge and they decide to rob a bank. When watching the movie you really feel their inner struggle and how they feel they have no other choice. I loved every part of it. Definitely worth watching.

Movies like this don't come across very often. A movie that makes you care about the characters and what happens to them. It's especially rare in this genre. But what makes "Set it Off," F. Gary Gray's second feature, stand out is that it does what few films take the time to do: it develops its characters and makes the audience care about them.Stoney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleo (Queen Latifah), Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) and Tisean (Kimberly Elise) have been close friends for years. At the movie's beginning, we find that each one of them has been wronged by society because of money. Desperate to get out of their minimum-wage lives, the four turn to bank robbery to help them get out."Set it Off" would be another dull, violent action movie had it not been for four superlative performances. Jada Pinkett Smith is one of the strongest actresses out there, and here she gets to flex the acting muscles that she showed in "Menace II Society." It's a terrific performance. She is the most developed (and human) of the characters. It's not perfect; Smith is at her best when she's low-key, so she's not as effective when she has to really emote (though she is by no means "bad" when she does. Likewise, Vivica A. Fox is terrific as the single-minded and bitter Frankie; she was wronged and she wants revenge. Fox wisely doesn't try to get the audience to SYMPATHIZE with her (that sort of happens naturally), but she tries, and succeeds, to get the audience to EMPATHIZE with her. Queen Latifah is a strong actress, and despite being made nearly a decade before her Oscar-nominated turn in "Chicago" where she really make it into the big time, her performance here shows why it is a shame why her acting ability wasn't recognized earlier in her career. Newcomer Kimberly Elise shines as the shy, meek Tisean; she's so good it's hard to believe that this is her debut film performance, and her later work shows that it wasn't a fluke.The supporting actors are great as well. Blair Underwood finds the perfect note for Stoney's romantic foil. He's charming, but not smothering; romantic, but not straight out of a soap opera. He's intelligent, and knows he has nothing in common with Stoney. But he really tries to win her heart, and that's what makes him so likable. John C. McGinley is less successful as the cop who ties everything together. While he's not bad, in fact he's pretty good (his scenes where he has to admit his wrongdoings are terrific), he's not up to par with the other actors. But considering the strength in the performances by the four leads, this shouldn't be construed to indicate that his performance is subpar. Also of note is Charles Robinson, who despite being on screen for only two scenes, creates one of the most despicable and disgusting characters I have ever seen. He's so vile that his character sticks with you for a long time.This is not a chick flick. Despite what it seems like it might be, I can't stress this enough: "Set it Off" is NOT A CHICK FLICK! It's an action movie, and director F. Gary Gray keeps it that way. He develops his characters so that everyone can grow to care about them. His direction is fresh and alive, especially in the action sequences which are expertly choreographed. This is a no-holds-barred action thriller and all the better for it."Set it Off" isn't perfect. Some of the plot elements are quite contrived, and one of the scenes features a catalyst so dumb its appalling that someone didn't require a rewrite (even the cliché for what normally happens in this situation is more believable). Still, it's a great movie, and an excellent choice if you're looking for an intense action thriller.

i have watched the movie more than ten times already but i cry every time. some people might think its because I'm a feminist who just love them because they are women , I'm not sure thats not entirely true . you just cant resist feeling sorry for them. I think many people can associate with what they are going through because almost everybody has had one or more raw deals in their lives before.In the beginning i thought Cleo was the "motherly" character( u know what i mean now)but it turns out that Stony actually is.all the raw deals they experienced seemed so next door. they are just the girls next door who would do anything to survive and get by. their families came first especially for T.T and Stony . Look at what Stony did to get his brother the money to go to the best college.typical woman/ mother love. The brother's rejection does not make her love him any less. T.T was to do anything for her baby even if it meant getting involved in the robbery which she was very skeptically about. the love of the woman

I've just finished watching this movie 15 minutes ago and there are still tears falling down my face. I actually had to stop watching for a little while because i was crying to much. This movie started off happy and exciting, followed on with jam packed action and ended with tears going down my face. I haven ever watched a movie which i grew so attached to, the actors (the 4 girls) were truly awesome and really made you feel apart of the movie.For anyone thinking whether they should or should not watch this movie, the answer is YES you should watch this movie, you'll have laughs, crys, you'll be on the edge of your seat wanting to see more, I'm shocked this movie didn't do better at box office, only made around $100,000,000 worldwide.