Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods (Official Thread)

Dr. Narcisse

Dr. Narcisse

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BlackMajik said:
The honest truth is that this movie is NOWHERE NEAR Dead Presidents

I give this a C+
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As someone who saw Dead Presidents in theaters....Dead Presidents wasnt Dead Presidents at that time. :unimpressed:

People complained (at least my theater) and talking to those who seen it felt a bit letdown it wasnt Menace quality. It was through time and revisiting it became such a cult classic. Let time play out breh...if you're going to use that reference. :manny:
 
Dr. Narcisse

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Cadillac Murphy said:
Thinking upon it more, I probably would’ve replaced the entirety of the mine removal team subplot and focused more on fleshing out the Eddie and Melvin characters, who took a backseat to Paul and Otis. Like I mentioned before, I get why that subplot exists but that same energy and attention should’ve gone more towards the principal cast, whom the movie is built around. We learn more about Paul and Otis but it feels too little too late, an extra 10 minutes here or there devoted to both would’ve went further than giving David a love interest that never gets realized and adding a whole other group to our pre-existing one.
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F K said:
:heh: I don't like to nitpick people's arguments for little slip-ups and typos, but the nationalities of the people in this movie are so integral to the plot it makes me question your entire understanding of the movie.

I think the Son came on the trip hoping to get close to a father whose approval has eluded him his entire life, and his 'getting in on the take' is partly revenge for that mistreatment and emotional damage, and an attempt to win the respect of his father.

The grenade (not landmine) was close to Otis, and also it was an old military reflex.

I agree they should have spent more time on character development for the bloods even though I think Otis got some good character time.
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Yea the Landmine people were there for a few reasons.

1. Foreshadow the dangers.
2. Allow for Paul to show how paranoid he is.
3. Son betrays him.
4. The bargaining bit to save the other guy.
5. Paul splits from the group.

My best/poor attempt to fix that issue.

They agree to bring the travel guy, Tran, on the trip as well. Paul is against this and it makes him skeptical. Paul is secretly having talks with Eddie and Melvin about how that isnt a good idea and he doesnt trust it. Especially once they find the gun on Otis that he got from Tien (Otis babymama.)

I'd have David step on the landmine first, but it doesnt explode. Then they work to free him because Paul brought a rope. They do so and then Eddie dies accidently stepping on one in the process of saving him. That sends Paul in a craze. He spends the trip back arguing with the crew that the Travel guy, Tran, was leading them back through an area with landmines and they should have just followed their own path. Paul becomes frustrated that his son doesnt want to kill Tran right now.. He keeps telling them Tran/Tien/Delrosch are all working together and setting them up. They then have the shootout with the locals. Paul doesnt trust them at all especially with the increased war flashbacks. He splits off from the group and everything else plays out the same.
 
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BlackMajik

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Dr. Narcisse said:
As someone who saw Dead Presidents in theaters....Dead Presidents wasnt Dead Presidents at that time. :unimpressed:

People complained (at least my theater) and talking to those who seen it felt a bit letdown it wasnt Menace quality. It was through time and revisiting it became such a cult classic. Let time play out breh...if you're going to use that reference. :manny:
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Dead Presidents was an instant classic to me:manny:
 
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Dr. Narcisse said:
As someone who saw Dead Presidents in theaters....Dead Presidents wasnt Dead Presidents at that time. :unimpressed:

People complained (at least my theater) and talking to those who seen it felt a bit letdown it wasnt Menace quality. It was through time and revisiting it became such a cult classic. Let time play out breh...if you're going to use that reference. :manny:
Click to expand...

Naw breh, I lived that shyt in real time Dead Presidents was the shyt out the gate. Now maybe it became more heralded over time, but it was dope from the start.
 
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F K said:
:heh: I don't like to nitpick people's arguments for little slip-ups and typos, but the nationalities of the people in this movie are so integral to the plot it makes me question your entire understanding of the movie.
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The Thailand War was a motherfukker breh...pick up a history book :childplease:
 
Dr. Narcisse

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Black Ball said:
Naw breh, I lived that shyt in real time Dead Presidents was the shyt out the gate. Now maybe it became more heralded over time, but it was dope from the start.
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Breh there were those who thought it was good. However, just as with this thread people had issues with tonal shifts, character development, changing to a different movie etc. It was a dope movie, but it didnt have the love of movies like Menace or Boyz in the Hood/INSTANT CLASSIC type love. That was a time thing because in some ways the movie was ahead of its time.
 
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Htrb-nvr-blk-&-ug-as-evr

Htrb-nvr-blk-&-ug-as-evr

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BlackMajik said:
The honest truth is that this movie is NOWHERE NEAR Dead Presidents

I give this a C+
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Yep, this is strictly a one time view for me, and barely that. Dead Presidents, though? Too many piff scenes and soundtrack that melds perfectly makes me watch it over and over. I had low expectations for Da Five Bloods and expectations were met. I love how Spike provides history of significant African American achievements, but got damn his movies still look like film school projects using expensive equipment. Too fukin long, stupid plot elements, glaring editing errors, hacky scene shifts...shyt was a struggle. I don’t know, maybe the actors in DP had better chemistry or something...the story was definitely better by far and the film was way better developed, but DFB was yet another miss for me.
 
dontreadthis

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Supa said:
Spike's recent work is nowhere near his early work and everyone knows that. Every movie after Inside Man has not been near his best.

I laid out what I didn't like about this movie specifically. You can address those points or keep it moving.



I disagree given that he was fleeing. He literally stops to talk. I don't like how the first monologue was edited. The second one after the snake bite made more sense. Cut the first. The editing as a whole was bad. There's no reason why this should have been 2 and a half hours. Trim 35 minutes and this is a much tighter movie.
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:gucci:
why are you talking about what someone wouldn’t do in a literal warzone? a person wouldn’t break the fourth wall and talk to a viewer who’s not even really there either. it was just a vehicle for him to say an intense speech, I don’t think it was intended to suggest the Viet goons sat there and watched him and sat around.
 
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