ALL EYEZ ON ME (15)

ALL EYEZ ON ME (15)

Run time: 140 mins

Director: Benny Boom

Cast: Demetrius Shipp Jr, Kat Graham, Lauren Cohan, Hill Harper, Jamal Woolard, Danai Gurira

Synopsis: ALL EYEZ ON ME tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur. The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world’s most recognized and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, Shakur’s raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing.

URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Os7qe_DG5Y&index=2&list=PL5WZt2hkNlzXXXPIUP7W5bUWKQloyMM8F

Tupac Amaru Shakur, born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli, and Pac, was an American rapper and actor. As of 2007, Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide.

His double disc albums All Eyez on Me (1996) and his Greatest Hits (1998) are among the best-selling albums in the United States. Shakur is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, and he has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of any genre by many publications, including Rolling Stone, which ranked him 86th on its list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. On April 7, 2017, Shakur was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He was a child of Black Panther parents, raised by a strong woman, Afeni (played here by Danai Gurira) who was a civil rights activist.  Tupac was a sensitive boy and had an interest in acting and Shakespeare and wrote poetry.

His short, eventful and controversial life ended in a violent death in Vegas. Tupac’s murder is still unsolved.

Unfortunately, this much-anticipated biopic from director Benny Boom is confusing in narrative structure and overlong at 140 minutes.

Lead actor, Demetrius Shipp Jr looks like Tupac but he is hampered by a script from Jeremy Haft, Eddie Gonzalez and Steven Bagatourian which seems dull and lacking in insight and nuance; it fails to reflect a man who vowed to be a revolutionary from a young age.

 

Tupac Shakur was a flawed individual but he was a poet who deserves a more meaningful biopic than this.

 

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

Dominic L. Santana and Demetrius Shipp Jr. star in ALL EYEZ ON ME
Photo: Quantrell Colbert

Demetrius Shipp Jr. stars in ALL EYEZ ON ME
Photo: Quantrell Colbert