solid biodrama

Rating: 8/10 (19 June 2016)

It's 1987. Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) and Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) are trying to put out reality rap. They get reluctant Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) and they form N.W.A. Faded producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) helps Eazy-E create Ruthless. They sign with Bryan Turner at Priority Records. Suge Knight (R. Marcus Taylor) is a hustler always around. During their initial success, Ice Cube refuses to sign with Jerry and later decides to go on as a solo act. These young men rise out of the gang-infested, LAPD-harassed Compton to give voice to a new generation.
There is a great energy surrounding this biopic. The actors are solid. The fact that I don't recognize them as actors make it easier for them to fade into the roles. Of course, the story is compelling. There seems to be a little bit of papering some parts of their history. That's perfectly expected especially with the participation of these artists. Without them, the movie wouldn't be made. Nevertheless, the story is still fascinating. The music is awesome. The last act is a bit slow. It could have trim some of that to intensify the ending. It may also be more compelling to end sooner. Overall, it's a solid watch.