Fantastic

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2015)

I actually signed up with IMDb specifically to leave my thoughts on this film, after being completely perplexed by some of the strange reviews.
I will start by pointing out that this is the biopic of one of the most controversial groups in recent times, so to leave a bad score seemingly based on the fact the film features swearing, sex & violence is just ludicrous. Furthermore, I did not feel it was in any way gratuitous considering the subject at hand. Conversely, I thought these aspects were handled very well.
Cannot really give marks for the storyline because - as a huge fan of NWA, I can attest (from my reading at least) that what is portrayed herein appears to be a fairly accurate account of events. What I can confirm is that said-storyline & the way the film has been directed makes for compelling viewing from start to finish.
The casting is absolutely impeccable. From seasoned vet Paul Giamatti's incredible (as always) portrayal of Jerry Heller to O'Shea Jackson's impressive debut playing his father - across the board the casting is spot-on.
The music - which, let's be honest, was always going to be vital in a movie of this nature - has been handled brilliantly, featuring snippets from Dre's recent Compton album, original NWA recordings, & fantastically produced edits performed by the cast: who do a great job of sounding the genuine article.
The film has taken flack in recent weeks due to the omission of scenes detailing Dre's abuse of women, but I can't really see that this is directly relevant to the story of NWA in any event, & I don't think they'd add anything to the proceedings per se.
All in all, I really enjoyed this from start to finish. I would reiterate that I am completely confused by the negative reviews. If you have any interest in NWA, Hip Hop, or just inspiring stories period: do yourself a favour, disregard them & give this a go.