Interesting enough -- even if you don't like the central subject or his music

Pedro_H

The life of the rapper/actor/sex criminal Tupac Shakur - told in his own (beyond the grave) words.

The very word MTV sends shivers down my spin. The initials could be used as a by-word for superficial with its enthusiasm for everything that is popular (however dumb or irresponsible) and its sense that its audience cannot really concentrate for very long.

Boy, they must they have been shaking in their fashion casuals over asking people to keep watching for 90 minutes! However, fear not. They haven't done too badly and it is only the close involvement of his ex Black Panther/ex drug addict mother (Afem Shakur) that prevents a fair and even picture.

While the film lingers over minor matters (pratting around to the camera, etc.) no independent comment is allowed when things turn nasty. Which they often do.

The involvement of Madonna in his life is glossed over (legal problems?) --- one of the long line of plastic "bad boys" that got her all hot-and-wet before falling for some strange religion and the English countryside. She didn't even visit him in jail -- so this film says -- ha, that is women for you!

(No.1 in the Billboard charts in a high security cell - now that is something!)

I love the way dumb people justify themselves. Stupidity -- rationalisation -- stupidity -- rationalisation - round and round like a merry go round. How many rounds of this has a bullet robbed us of? God knows. At least he had an agenda (which is to make as much money and have as much fun as possible) -- which is something his blank-eyed hangers on lacked.

The film tries to fit in as much of his music -- and that of others -- it can get away wit, although it stops short (thankfully) of his full soft porn pop videos.

I love music and I love pop history and while rap ranks near enough bottom of my own personal league table -- some of it is OK. Usually the stuff with the wit to steal/sample classic pop.

Tupac predicted his own death -- so they say over and over again here. Rather like a guy that spend a lot of time in a brothel fanning himself with money predicts that sooner or later he is going to be lead away to get laid...

score 7/10

Pedro_H 19 October 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1197035/