a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

To think that this was produced by Cannon films, one of the most notorious companies of the eighties, for making cheesy, yet unbelievably watchable films, is amazing.Reporter Jonathan Fisher promises to write a factual story of prostitution. When he tries to get information from pimps, he is ignored. So he ends up faking a well received story of a pimp, describing his life and crimes. But police think the story is of a real pimp who is wanted for murder. The pimp also thinks the story is about himself, and wants to know what Jonathan knows, and who told him.....If you haven't heard of the film, and have just seen the one sheet, you'd be forgiven the film is about a washed up comedian who has a very small audience.The trouble is with Reeve, even though he is a really good actor, you just can't get Superman out of your head, every time you see him, and every time he utters a word. So even though this was a dream project for him, he just doesn't fit the role, after all he is the greatest American hero.So thank heavens for Morgan Freeman, whom if you've not seen him in a film before Robin Hood, really plays against type as Fast Black, and is the sole reason to watch this film.The story is great, it really had the potential to be a hard hitting film. And even though the film doesn't fail to entertain, and has some really tense moments, the casting of Reeve just makes the film feel like he's in a safe environment all the time.if the lead was cast with someone like Douglas, or even Ford, it could have been more believable.It's still an entertaining, original film, but Reeve just doesn't fit the grittiness of the narrative.

Pretty good movie with an early Morgan Freeman as a pimp. Most of the characters that Freeman plays (especially of late) are good hearted, good natured and easy going that make him a likable character, viewers come to expect that type of character but this one reminds me of the one Denzel Washington played in Training Day. Hard, mean, and ruthless; totally opposite from what we're used to seeing from either actor, but a refreshing change. The fact that it's the complete opposite from their usual rolls give them that much more impact.And while movie ad excerpt quotes praising performances are almost always the sign of a stinker (damning with faint praise), in this case, I think Morgan Freeman's performance is worth this movie alone. It's nuanced, and a perfect study of a sociopathic personality. Freeman plays a total predator, who will brutalize without conscience, but will pour on immense charm in the next second as a way of manipulating others. No one had ever heard of Morgan Freeman before this movie...but he was nominated for an Oscar for this performance. He should have won it! The energy level on screen goes down infinitely when Freeman is not present. Kathy Baker also does a decent job as one of Fast Black's prostitutes. All in all, the movie was enjoyable, had a good story-line and is a must-see for Morgan Freeman fans and Christopher Reeve fans.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Most viewers give their applause to Morgan Freeman for his performance as a Manhattan street pimp named "Fast Black". But the main note of interest to me in this film is the performance of Kathy Baker as a sympathetic hooker named "Punchy". The story is set entirely in Manhattan, and the main character is a magazine writer named Jonathan (Christopher Reeve). He unwittingly gets involved in a court case involving Fast Black, when he writes a fictional story that everyone assumes to be true.Except for Punchy, none of the characters are particularly interesting. They seem two-dimensional and rather shallow. The plot's pace, by today's standards, is somewhat slow. Scenes involve long camera "takes", and the script is heavy on dialogue. Color cinematography is adequate.With its grimy, dirty urban setting, its tawdry characters, and its slow pace, "Street Smart" reminds me a little of "The Panic In Needle Park" (1971), not really surprising since both films were directed by the same man, Jerry Schatzberg.To its credit, the story in "Street Smart" does address a legal issue faced by contemporary writers. How does a writer convince a court that the writer's "notes" about an article don't exist, when in fact they don't? I guess the writer needs to be aware of all contingencies, especially a high-profile writer like Jonathan who invents characters and stories and then tries to pass them off as non-fiction.While this film may be entertaining and/or informative to some viewers, it just doesn't work for me, aside from the performance of Kathy Baker, mostly because I just couldn't get interested in the film's characters or their tawdry drama.

I found this movie to be very entertaining and well done, with good performances across the board. I agree with previous reviewers that the late Chris Reeve's performances in other movies, and at times this one, could be seen as wooden. That being said, I think he played his role extremely well, because it was able to work with Morgan Freeman's outbursts and explosions. Because of the problems encountered by his fabricated story, Reeve's performance was handled well being outside of his environment as much as he was. He was unsure and understated, and being a reporter, being unemotional was in his well being. On the other end, Morgan Freeman was fantastic! Seeing him in a role like this makes you want to see him take on a role where he can be the loose cannon. This movie can show what happens when you "create" a story and you do it TOO well. More people should see it and comment on it.