An energetic music biopic with great acting turns

Rating: 7/10 (7 September 2015)

Straight Outta Compton is most certainly pretty dope It's long though so make sure you got ample popcorn and coke The story of these pioneering rappers is a story worth telling Even though there's far too much intent starring and yelling This is a tale filled with music, drama and boys from the hood It's important that the film then casted so good Filled with up and comers, unknowns and a scene chewing Oscar nominee Straight Outta Compton really creates a believable hip hop company Stand outs are Jason Mitchell as Eaze-E, Corey Hwakins as Dr. Dre and O'Shea Jackson Jr as his father Ice Cube And Keith Stanfield as Snoop Dogg really is quite the dude Director F. Gary Gray directs with a steady and well-tuned hand No doubt steaming from the time he had once spent with the band He makes the group feel alive and the streets of Compton as well Without this energy and attention it could've been the films death knell The problem with Grey's film is that it steadily loses steam There's also a lot of glossing over details that make the group seem a little too clean And you can't help but feel that the boys from N.W.A were slightly more mean For in many ways the film feels gritty, realistic and raw But the group itself only show glimmers of what made them enemies of the law Overall the film shines most when the music takes centre stage and the creative process takes hold And in the end you're glad that this story was for the big screen told One of the better music films of recent years Despite its melodramatic TV movie nature, Straight Outta Compton brings the tunes, the laughs and the tears.
In Summary – Straight Outta Compton is a slick and well-made biopic that does a fine job of handling so many stories in one cohesive narrative. After bursting out of the blocks Compton does eventually start to run out of steam however and it would be hard to argue against the fact that the films best scenes are held within the first half.
It's hard also to not feel slightly ripped off by the fact that these men are made out to be slightly to pristine from their colourful background with crime and misdemeanours but with Mr. Cube and the Dr on board behind the scenes they clearly had a say on what the final cut looked like.
With a winning cast and fine direction from Gray, Compton is overall a winner and no doubt a great event for those array of fans of N.W.A that have for many years waited for this story to be told.
3 ½ Nash Edgerton's out of 5