Dope (2015) - Comedy of Young black kids in LA in coming of age story

[Dwolf]

not as obnoxious as "Dear White People" for sure.

The movie does do this gay ass pandering to every dweeb black kid that thinks they got picked on for being smart. They're in a punk band because Pharell wanted a way to squeeze his compositions in the movie, all those "punk" songs they performed were composed and written by Pharell.

It's like a 5/10 to me and I went in excited for this movie. I never bought into the whole "new blacks" thing nikkas on the internet complain about, but this really felt like a "new black" movie. A movie about black people but for a global audience, breaks everything down in a way that doesn't bother white and non-black folk too much. Hell, outside of Shameik aka Malcolm, most of the main characters are high yellow racially ambigious people and all the "dumb hood nikkas" that antagonize the main characters are actual darker black people.

A black movie for the tumblr generation that doesn't "see race", but it still had a lot the same tropes I would expect a white person that didn't know shyt about blacks in the hood to use. Like imagine a white person making a movie that opens with a main character complaining about living with blacks in the hood because they rob and pick on him for being smart, then having to sit in a theater with cacs thinking that is a accurate representation of the hood. Malcolm is sold to the audience as being a "good black" because he's "different" from the rest of the "not good blacks" in the hood; the thing is most blacks don't share shyt in common with Malcolm, hell Malcolm is kinda a c00n.

The movie still sells the black default as being bad, and unless you step out that default to like things like skateboarding, punk rock, and Game of Thrones (which I like a lot) while achieving academic greatness you're just a background "bad negro"

I sold itself on breaking down stereotypes but it didn't breakdown shyt.

I just went back and watched the trailer..... well got damn

 

[ISO]

at the thought of Rocky being a drug kingpin and Tyga being a distributor. Asap rocky wouldnt have ever been casted in the role of a drug dealing gangsta for any 90's Cali flick. Sounds like a case of delusional people expecting to see one thing from this movie when in reality it was the total opposite. Glad I went to see this movie with realistic expectations

Rocky was an actual drug dealer irl before he started rapping

 

[FlyRy]

Not sure what to think about this brehs

Parts of it i enjoyed such as the main cast and soundtrack.

But im not sure the movie worked for me overall

Felt like a mismash if different movies at times. Like at times felt like a black spring breakers or project x mixed between indie quirk at the beginning and end

Zoe kravitz is nice to look at though

Did not like the chanel iman parts even if she did show her itty bitties. Would drink bath water though

And maybe im getting soft in my old age
but the language seemed excessive at times. Maybe its because i went with my girl. You know how if you listen to rap and your parents are around you notice the curses more? Def not a date movie. Go with your boys.

Interested to see more from the 3 main kids in the future. I actually liked asap rocky as well

 

[Asicz]

DOPE Soundtrack link on Spotify

Spoiler: DOPE:Motion Picture Soundtrack

 

[Millions]

Rocky was an actual drug dealer irl before he started rapping

nikka Prolly sold reggie

 

[ralph lauren]

not as obnoxious as "Dear White People" for sure.

The movie does do this gay ass pandering to every dweeb black kid that thinks they got picked on for being smart. They're in a punk band because Pharell wanted a way to squeeze his compositions in the movie, all those "punk" songs they performed were composed and written by Pharell.

It's like a 5/10 to me and I went in excited for this movie. I never bought into the whole "new blacks" thing nikkas on the internet complain about, but this really felt like a "new black" movie. A movie about black people but for a global audience, breaks everything down in a way that doesn't bother white and non-black folk too much. Hell, outside of Shameik aka Malcolm, most of the main characters are high yellow racially ambigious people and all the "dumb hood nikkas" that antagonize the main characters are actual darker black people.

A black movie for the tumblr generation that doesn't "see race", but it still had a lot the same tropes I would expect a white person that didn't know shyt about blacks in the hood to use. Like imagine a white person making a movie that opens with a main character complaining about living with blacks in the hood because they rob and pick on him for being smart, then having to sit in a theater with cacs thinking that is a accurate representation of the hood. Malcolm is sold to the audience as being a "good black" because he's "different" from the rest of the "not good blacks" in the hood; the thing is most blacks don't share shyt in common with Malcolm, hell Malcolm is kinda a c00n.

The movie still sells the black default as being bad, and unless you step out that default to like things like skateboarding, punk rock, and Game of Thrones (which I like a lot) while achieving academic greatness you're just a background "bad negro"

I sold itself on breaking down stereotypes but it didn't breakdown shyt.

EDIT: barely mentioned the technical parts of the film; it was well shot, but outside of the school security guard none of characters gave believable performances as kids that live in the hood in LA, Rocky was hood but he was a fukking Harlem nikka in the middle of South Central, NY accent and everything. The plot was very very convoluted and unbelievable plus the "insightful" parts felt like Damon Wayans was gonna pop out and yell "MESSAGEEEEEEEEEE!". Soundtrack was nice though.

everything you said was spot on, but i still enjoyed the movie

 

[Mr Hate Coffee]

Did not like the chanel iman parts even if she did show her itty bitties. Would drink bath water though

Chanel Iman is now my go to example for proof that chicks don't need big titties to be sexy. She was owning her petite ass body.

 

[Tupac in a Business Suit]

Y'all are bugging. I thoroughly enjoyed this flick from beginning to end. Lisa Bonet's daughter finally coming into her own there....

The gangbangers, the dope dealers, the messages. All around solid flick. I took my son to see it yesterday and broke it down a bit for him since he is a bit younger than the actors in the flick. Definitely worth the admission price if you ask me.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Y'all are bugging. I thoroughly enjoyed this flick from beginning to end. Lisa Bonet's daughter finally coming into her own there....

The gangbangers, the dope dealers, the messages. All around solid flick. I took my son to see it yesterday and broke it down a bit for him since he is a bit younger than the actors in the flick. Definitely worth the admission price if you ask me.

Nobody saying this movie was bad, just for me at least doesnt go down as a black classic, but even then one can say this was not the intention of the film

 

[Tupac in a Business Suit]

Nobody saying this movie was bad, just for me at least doesnt go down as a black classic, but even then one can say this was not the intention of the film

I think it was a classic breh. The writers did a pretty good job displaying the life of today's youth that don't tend to fit into the stereotypical roles portrayed by society. The satire about the bloods gang was spot on with them having Diddy/Al B's kid portraying a Chris Brown character. I also like the fact that they showed loyalty amongst friends as well as the fact that Malcolm stayed true to himself; even correcting his essay to state that if his skin color were different; nobody would question his desire to be different which tied in well with the definitions early in the movie (acting white etc.)

There are many different aspects of life; race aside and I thought this movie did an excellent job of portraying kids in our community that dont necessarily fit in with the popular set. I would definitely put this up there with the likes of the original House Party, Baby Boy, Juice, Do the Right thing and other types of coming of age films.

 

[ralph lauren]

Do you associate zoe kravitiz, pharrell and asap rocky with the black experience?

edit: along w/ tyga and chanel iman?

why are you denying their black exp thou? its fluid..

 

[h2o_proof]

Just saw this flick last night. Incredible movie. But for many people, stereotypes and personas are gonna outweigh the actual storyline and quality of the film. Like I keep hearing people say ASAP wasn't believable as a drug dealer, or it was a bunch of light skin people, or whatever. If you pay attention to how the story comes together in the end however, does believability still factor in? I don't wanna give it away for folks that haven't seen it, but what I gathered from the film wasn't that Malcolm was any better than the other characters, rather that they were all the same and YOU choose to believe what you wanna believe. Take for example the whole scene with Kap G and the two "bags", its not which bag is real and which bag is fake, it's who's carrying the bag and society for better or worse chooses to believe which one is real or fake based on whose carrying it.

Malcolm achieved his goal not by selling out or conforming, rather by owning who he was. He discovered that being a nerd and a real nikka are not mutually exclusive. Once again, I don't wanna give away too much, but who's to say that ASAPs character wasn't a nerd too?

 

[Apollo Creed]

I think it was a classic breh. The writers did a pretty good job displaying the life of today's youth that don't tend to fit into the stereotypical roles portrayed by society. The satire about the bloods gang was spot on with them having Diddy/Al B's kid portraying a Chris Brown character. I also like the fact that they showed loyalty amongst friends as well as the fact that Malcolm stayed true to himself; even correcting his essay to state that if his skin color were different; nobody would question his desire to be different which tied in well with the definitions early in the movie (acting white etc.)

There are many different aspects of life; race aside and I thought this movie did an excellent job of portraying kids in our community that dont necessarily fit in with the popular set. I would definitely put this up there with the likes of the original House Party, Baby Boy, Juice, Do the Right thing and other types of coming of age films.

I will just agree to disagree. For example in House Party Kid was a nerd but was not oblivious to the "culture". A black kid in the HOOD living in poverty will not be as wet behind the ears as this kid and his friends were. Then the whole being in love with 90s hip hop but then being a punk rocker who is told he acts "white" made zero sense. Movie would have made more sense if it took place in the burbs and the kid got mixed up in"hood" stuff and also tossing out the 90s rap stuff as it seems it was only added to bring in older blacks who may not relate to the current gen of teens and even then it brougjt no nostalgia type feeling. Idk Cali might be on some other stuf since out side of Oakland, Cali tends to be on that hippy crap and many of the blacks from the era of the real street era are gone or have made it out the hood. Movie just seemed unrealistic which is why i say i consider it a food movie but not something for the culture. For example Esquire from ATL is a realistic display of a kid in the hood who is smart and not about the ignorant sterotypes of the hood. Like the other poster said this imo was not made flr a black audience in mind as it did nothing to add to the culture but more so was on some you got good blacks and you got bad blacks type of deal.

 

[h2o_proof]

not as obnoxious as "Dear White People" for sure.

The movie does do this gay ass pandering to every dweeb black kid that thinks they got picked on for being smart. They're in a punk band because Pharell wanted a way to squeeze his compositions in the movie, all those "punk" songs they performed were composed and written by Pharell.

It's like a 5/10 to me and I went in excited for this movie. I never bought into the whole "new blacks" thing nikkas on the internet complain about, but this really felt like a "new black" movie. A movie about black people but for a global audience, breaks everything down in a way that doesn't bother white and non-black folk too much. Hell, outside of Shameik aka Malcolm, most of the main characters are high yellow racially ambigious people and all the "dumb hood nikkas" that antagonize the main characters are actual darker black people.

A black movie for the tumblr generation that doesn't "see race", but it still had a lot the same tropes I would expect a white person that didn't know shyt about blacks in the hood to use. Like imagine a white person making a movie that opens with a main character complaining about living with blacks in the hood because they rob and pick on him for being smart, then having to sit in a theater with cacs thinking that is a accurate representation of the hood. Malcolm is sold to the audience as being a "good black" because he's "different" from the rest of the "not good blacks" in the hood; the thing is most blacks don't share shyt in common with Malcolm, hell Malcolm is kinda a c00n.

The movie still sells the black default as being bad, and unless you step out that default to like things like skateboarding, punk rock, and Game of Thrones (which I like a lot) while achieving academic greatness you're just a background "bad negro"

I sold itself on breaking down stereotypes but it didn't breakdown shyt.

EDIT: barely mentioned the technical parts of the film; it was well shot, but outside of the school security guard none of characters gave believable performances as kids that live in the hood in LA, Rocky was hood but he was a fukking Harlem nikka in the middle of South Central, NY accent and everything. The plot was very very convoluted and unbelievable plus the "insightful" parts felt like Damon Wayans was gonna pop out and yell "MESSAGEEEEEEEEEE!". Soundtrack was nice though.

Whoa, I mean I guess if I were to nit pick and watch the movie on mute maybe I would draw all of those conclusions. But whats to say that this movie doesn't factually represent the experience of kids these days. Whether you agree with that experience or not is a whole 'nother issue but still. I took my 15 year old son and he could relate. Doesn't mean I agree with everything he related to about the movie, but still doesn't take away from his experience just like my parents thinking my generation walking around with our pants hanging off our ass (during the 90's) was c00ning or whatever phrase they had for "new black" 20 years ago and same for my grandparents views of my parents 40 years ago when they were teenagers.

 

[h2o_proof]

I will just agree to disagree. For example in House Party Kid was a nerd but was not oblivious to the "culture". A black kid in the HOOD living in poverty will not be as wet behind the ears as this kid and his friends were. Then the whole being in love with 90s hip hop but then being a punk rocker who is told he acts "white" made zero sense. Movie would have made more sense if it took place in the burbs and the kid got mixed up in"hood" stuff and also tossing out the 90s rap stuff as it seems it was only added to bring in older blacks who may not relate to the current gen of teens and even then it brougjt no nostalgia type feeling. Idk Cali might be on some other stuf since out side of Oakland, Cali tends to be on that hippy crap and many of the blacks from the era of the real street era are gone or have made it out the hood. Movie just seemed unrealistic which is why i say i consider it a food movie but not something for the culture. For example Esquire from ATL is a realistic display of a kid in the hood who is smart and not about the ignorant sterotypes of the hood. Like the other poster said this imo was not made flr a black audience in mind as it did nothing to add to the culture but more so was on some you got good blacks and you got bad blacks type of deal.

You should probably watch the movie again cuz you missed some stuff. Of course a Hip Hop "themed" movies with teenagers is gonna look different in 2015 than it did in 1992 because Hip Hop is damn near 25 years older than it was when House Party came out. Also, the movie doesn't shy away from the fact that Malcolm and his friends were somewhat pretentious in their views of 90's Hip Hop culture just like most kids nowadays that think they know what "real hip hop" is. Remember the scene where ASAP called Malcolm out on his bullshyt when he named an album that came out in '88 and one that came out in 2001 as "Golden Era"?

Also as far as believability...poverty doesn't make you talk with broken english, or make your skin darker. Have you ever been to LA? nikkas talk mad proper.