Set It Off
Tags: comedy, neo noir, murder, violence, tragedy, revenge

Plot synopsis:
Francesca "Frankie" Sutton is a Los Angeles bank teller who witnesses a robbery. Although she had no prior knowledge of the robbery, the bank fires Frankie after the police uncover a connection between her and one of the three robbers. Frankie goes to work at Luther's Janitorial Services with her three best friends, Lida "Stoney" Newsome, Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims, and Tisean "T.T." Williams. Luther treats them with disrespect and pays them paltry wages. Cleo states they should rob a bank themselves. Frankie agrees, but Stoney and T.T. are reluctant. However, when Stoney's younger brother is gunned down by the police in a case of mistaken identity and T.T.'s son is taken away from her by Child Protective Services because she cannot afford to take care of him, they too now have the motivation to join the robbery.
The four women embark on a series of bank robberies, which are investigated by LAPD detective Strode. He suspects that Cleo (because of her prior convictions), Frankie (because of her inadvertent connection to the earlier robbery) and Stoney (because of her brother's death) are involved. But his superior refuses to allow him to bring them in for questioning because he doesn't feel the evidence is sufficient. The four women stash the money in an air vent at one of their work sites. However, Cleo, Frankie, and T.T. show up for work one day and realize that their boss, Luther has discovered the money and fled. While Stoney attends a banking event with her lover Keith, the three women track Luther to a motel where he is sleeping with a prostitute. When Luther pulls a gun on Cleo, T.T. kills him. The next day Detective Strode takes Cleo to the police station to participate in a lineup. A glare from Cleo intimidates the prostitute into silence. Frankie and Cleo persuade T.T. and Stoney that they need to rob another bank and leave town the next day.
The women rob the bank where Keith, Stoney's lover, works. Strode and his partner try to prevent the robbery, but a bank security guard shoots T.T. The women flee but T.T. dies in Stoney's arms en route to the hospital. The three remaining women decide to split up and meet up later.
The police find Cleo who proceeds leads them on a high speed chase. After her car is shot up by police, Cleo leaps from her car in one final battle for her dignity, firing her gun, and is shot down by the police. Frankie is found a short time later. Strode tries to get her to surrender, but when she runs away, she is shot in the back and killed. Stoney tearfully watches this from a passing bus. Strode sees her from a distance but lets her go, realizing he was the reason she and her friends did what they did.
In Mexico, Stoney calls Keith to assure him that she is all right and thanks him. Keith hangs up the phone and smiles. Stoney is seen driving through the mountains with the stolen money from the robberies on tow.

Review: I rented this movie expecting to see just another average gang related film about the Ghetto, but I was proved wrong.
The 4, played by Jada Pinkett, (Not married to Will Smith at time of filming) Vivica A.
Fox, Dana Owens (Better know as Queen Latifa) and newcomer at the time, Kimberly Elise all work legally until they figure that crime will pay them more than honest work.
There is so much in this movie that really made me feel bad for the female quartet of bank robbers: (1.
Cleo, the trigger happy, dyked out robber of the bunch has led a life of crime and has no one to turn to but her girlfriend and best friends.This was such a wonderful movie because the action was definitely present here and the acting(especially Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah) was great!
"Set It Off" is about four African-American women(Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A.
Here are the reasons: in the opening bank robbery sequence, Frankie(Fox), who was at the time a teller, was fired simply because she knew the suspect who robbed it; Stony's(Smith) younger brother, Stevie was killed by police after being mistaken for the robbery suspect;  Cleo(Latifah) joins them simply because she is p***ed off at society; Tisean(Elise) is a single mother who is barely able to support her son and when he is accidently poisoned and taken away by child services, decides she has no other choice.
I don't think you should really call "Set It Off" an action movie since there isn't really action until the ending.A line from the movie, "if that crackhead Darnell can rob a bank, then so can we."  This quote outlines the main message that the movie is trying to tell: the social standing of women in our society, saying that they have rights too.
A formula caper film,but not in the style of Ridley Scott's "Thelma and Louise",the film "Set It Off",offers the novelty of a quartet of young black working-class girls from South Central Los Angeles who turn to bank robbing when times get tough.
Although the characters are well played with some of great and intense action scenes makes for an uneven mix of social drama and exploitation film,from which the likes haven't see since the days of the 1970's action blaxploitation films.
Both Stony(Jada Pinkett-Smith),a young woman trying to put here brother through college,and Tisean(Kimberly Elise),a single mother,dismiss the motion out of hand.Events take a turn for the worst when Stony's brother,Stevie(Chaz Lamar Shepard),is killed by the police in a case of mistaken identity,and Tisean's son is taken away from her by Child Protective Services after he accidentally swallows cleaning fluid at the girls' workplace.
She calls Keith and thanks him.The motion picture,"Set It Off" offers the audience four intriguing young black female characters,a rare grouping in any Hollywood movie and from the strength of this film went on to become one of the top ten best action films of 1996.
Fox("Independence Day","Soul Food"),rapper-sitcom-singer star Queen Latifah(from the television series "Living Single","Chicago"),not to mention at the time newcomer Kimberly Elise("John Q","Diary of a Angry Black Woman").
What made this film so very riveting to watch was the electrifying performance of actress Queen Latifah,in one of the most surprising roles ever accompanish by a actress,is a thrill to watch as Cleo.
Anyone who can sit down and harp on about acting, script blah blah blah really needs to GET A LIFE!!!Get this movie out, grab some popcorn and just WATCH IT.If you believe any of the negative reviews about this film and decide not to view it, it is YOUR LOSS!The music is great the actresses are beautiful and awesome and it is refreshing to see four african american women hold their own in what turns out to be a tragic but inevitable ending for the foursome.Don't let others turn you off a movie that is well worth watching for the pure adrenalin rush it gives you when the girls decide to take their destiny into their own hands and GO FOR IT, whatever the consequences and believe me their ARE consequences.10/10 rating from me just for the pure rocking enjoyment of see chicks with attitude..
I think many people can associate with what they are going through because almost everybody has had one or more raw deals in their lives before.In the beginning i thought Cleo was the "motherly" character( u know what i mean now)but it turns out that Stony actually is.all the raw deals they experienced seemed so next door.
I think many people can associate with what they are going through because almost everybody has had one or more raw deals in their lives before.In the beginning i thought Cleo was the "motherly" character( u know what i mean now)but it turns out that Stony actually is.all the raw deals they experienced seemed so next door.
This movie started off happy and exciting, followed on with jam packed action and ended with tears going down my face.
Frankie has a good job at the bank but, when someone she knows robs the place she gets fired for being potentially involved.
Outside of that Dr Dre makes a laid back cameo.Overall it doesn't rise above the level of the heist thriller generally but it's still enjoyable and is at least a different direction for all black female films - at least it's not yet another `waiting to exhale'!.
Being a Queen Latifah fan and also Jada Pinkett Smith , this movie was good, not all that great because of the typical sterotype saga of blacks robbing banks.
I think one of the best scenes was when they were at work around the big round table portraying and imitating the Godfather, and of course when Queen Latifah met her dome in the hail of bullets after she rode past the bridge..
Fox have some raw talent (Queen Latifah is the fourth and as an actress she's an excellent rapper), they need a surer hand than Gray's to guide them and as a result they come off as shrill and uncomfortable in front of the camera.
The movie as a whole i thought was good with a strong story line that held true to the end of the film.
Set it Off, with Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A.
The story of four Black women, all of whom needed money, but, more importantly, all of whom suffered at the hands of the majority causing a change in the direction of their lives.
Whether it was being fired so a bank manager can save face, or having your brother shot due to trigger-happy cops, or having you child removed by an unfeeling and uncaring child welfare worker, prejudice worked to change the lives of the women involved and, ultimately, lead to their deaths.
What sets this film apart from your routine crime caper/heist flick is that it features some very impressive and strong performances by Jada Pinkett-Smith (one of her very best roles) and Quen Latifah.
What sets this film apart from your routine crime caper/heist flick is that it features some very impressive and strong performances by Jada Pinkett-Smith (one of her very best roles) and Quen Latifah.
There is one scene where Jada's character stands up to her and it's tasty.All in all, a pretty dang good thriller film that should be seen.
There is one scene where Jada's character stands up to her and it's tasty.All in all, a pretty dang good thriller film that should be seen.
This movie did not deserve the 2am timeslot it was given here (Downunder).It is a down-on-the-street, impactful, action/drama.Fantastic acting (DAMN that Will Smith is a lucky guy :-), realistic, entertaining, and sometimes sad.What more could a movie goer/watcher ask for?Warning though - a lot of swearing - which usually doesnt matter much here in Australia, but for some reason, they relegated this really good movie to a late (VERY late) timeslot..
The charactors are easy to identify with not like some films where you find yourself saying, 'I could never do that!!' I found myself in tears by the end of the movie it was that moving.
I really feel this is a movie to watch as it makes you feel that there are people out there with problems just like ours..
The four leads (Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A.
(Kimberly Elise) is a young struggling single mother who sees her son get taken away by Child Protective Services after a small "accident."  Their solution:  rob a few banks and get out of town.
F. Gary Gray ("Friday," "The Negotiator") knows what buttons to push to make "Set It Off" a cut above most ghetto films and gives us characters to root for.
Let's not forget Jada Pinkett, Vivica Fox and, then, newcomer Kimberly Elise, for turning out some of the best performances of their careers.
Gary Gray about four independent black women, all living in the projects and struggling to make ends meet, and their decision to rise above the system by becoming full-time bank robbers.
The story is interesting, the acting is rock solid (especially Latifah), but the film suffers from silly plotting, unnecessary subplots, and action movie clichés.
I think set it off is a excellent film, it was well directed and it had good sound effects.
Fox and Kimberly Elise will make you wonder why these women were never cast in a movie together before.
Watching this movie will make you find some way to relate to one of the characters,if it be the hard-core Cleo, outgoing Frankie, shy little sista Tisean or the down to earth give&go Stony.
All the women were fantastic in the film especially Queen Latifa and Jada Pinkett, all really believable.
The plot is a bit incredulous and the acting slightly overdone, but this is a very pacy, engaging and powerful movie about how four black women, trading mops for guns, decide to make a statement for themselves and rise against the injustice of society's prejudicial treatment against the poor and have-nots.
It's a blast watching Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox and Kimberly Elise hem it up as four angry and angst-ridden law breakers.
Queen Latifah is not a good actor, whether she's some crazy taxi driver with a tricked out cab, or a lesbian gangster-type, she's unconvincing and at times, the overacting is almost humorous.There were so many errors and just purely unbelievable aspects to this film, particularly the criminal aspects.
The reckless, stupid fashion in which they commit their crimes should have gotten them arrested after the first, maybe second robbery, yet somehow they managed to keep going and goingHow this movie managed over five stars, or how it made people cry about the characters (according to a forum topic) is beyond me.
Set it OffThe reason female thieves are not successful is because they only steal from shoe stores.Smartly, the lady robbers in this action movie have branched out to robbing banks.After losing her job, Frankie (Vivica A.
Fox) joins a janitorial company where she works alongside her best friends, Stony (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleo (Queen Latifah) and T.T.
The second half of the movie picks up in action and the last 20 minutes is pretty intense.The film opens with a bang, drawing the audience in immediately.
It slows down for the first half of the movie as we are introduced to 4 African American women who are friends with each other from their neighborhood, and the circumstances/crisis of each of their lives.
I had not noticed that the first viewing in 1996.What redeems this movie considerably is the performances of the actresses, and a unique storyline with some twists and surprises in the plot.The choreography/setting/camera use/sound/lighting/editing all appear realistic and seamlessly well done.
She is forced to join her friends Stony Newsom (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleo Sims (Queen Latifah), and TT Williams (Kimberly Elise) doing janitorial work.
There are plenty of people who work hard to fight disgusting behaviour like this and it infuriates me when people b!tch and moan about how terrible their lives are despite their lack of real trying to improve their situation.So overall this movie infuriated me and no I would not watch it ever again.
The performance of the women Is marvelous and the story line Is breath taking.I watched this movie again yesterday and the story never gets doll.
at first i thought this would be good because it would be the female view of ghetto life, kind of like 'girls in the hood' but during the film something goes wrong.
This is an amazing action/drama movie that left a tear in my eye when it ended.
The writers did such a good job of weaving in the background of the characters and letting the movie play out, I am astounded with the quality and am quite sure that you will be too!
Vivica is sassy and she leads with daring(I felt she should've taken the cop (John C.McGinley)with her or blown him away and felt good dying afterwards knowing she got one at least), Latifah who is an accomplished singer/producer gives a stellar performance, her Cleo is just brutally convincing.
It is the best performance I've ever seen from Jada Pinkett and a great introduction to Kimberly Elise.
I had a hard time caring one iota for either Jada Pinkett or Queen Latifah.
I know alot of people who hate this film - I tell everyone to watch it as I think its great and nobody seems to be too impressed except for me.
Sure it has some violence and stuff, but at the end of the day I think this film is about friendship - and what you will do for your friends.
Vivica A Fox is excellent as Frankie, Kimberly Elise does great in her first movie as Tisean, Queen Latifah is wicked as Cleo, but it is Jada Pinkett who steals the show as 'clued - up but let down by life' Stoney.
"Set It Off" tells of four poor black women who rob banks to get money.
Set It Off is an explosive drama about four young black women, who are best friends.
Fed-up with how life has knocked them around, and desperate to escape the ghetto, the four friends decide to resort to robbing banks together.This film is very fast-paced, with gripping suspense throughout the course of the movie.
It's good that Hollywood finally decided to make a film, that has African-American female characters who make such a deep impact.
They know that it's up to them alone, to work together to accomplish their bank heists.The four actresses who played the main characters, all give strong performances.
Vivica Fox as Frankie, is vivid in her role, but not quite as charismatic as either Queen Latifah, or Jada Pinkett.
Gary Gray's second feature, stand out is that it does what few films take the time to do: it develops its characters and makes the audience care about them.Stoney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleo (Queen Latifah), Frankie (Vivica A.
Desperate to get out of their minimum-wage lives, the four turn to bank robbery to help them get out."Set it Off" would be another dull, violent action movie had it not been for four superlative performances.
Newcomer Kimberly Elise shines as the shy, meek Tisean; she's so good it's hard to believe that this is her debut film performance, and her later work shows that it wasn't a fluke.The supporting actors are great as well.
The exception comes near the end and I won't give it away, but it involves police officers taking shots at a suspect with a bus full of people in the background.One of the recurring themes of this film is how innocence and good intentions can turn into a nightmarish reality.A bank teller is confronted by a robber that she knows from childhood.
Fox who got fired from her job at the bank and Queen Latifah who's just plain crazy.
Don't expect high-class writing and high-class direction, especially from the guy who made "Friday."  Don't get me wrong, that was a good movie, but like "Set it Off" it's only valuable as lightweight entertainment.
Only in the movies can someone die like that 90 % of the time.The acting is pretty good, though sometimes hammy.
When her brother is coincidentally mistaken for the bank robber by Strode, he is shot and killed with no apologies.The movie was off to a good start, but I quickly started noticing that its scenes were getting progressively dumber.
SPOILERS***i never expected 3 of the 4 characters to die so violently, i mean i felt like my best friend died THREE TIMES!!!
i think the best performance was from Queen Latifah just because i really didnt expect her to do such a hard role like cleo.
Fox, Queen Latifa, Jada Pinkett Smith and Kimberly Elise who rob a bank to get money for Kimberly Elise because her child has been taken away by child protective services.
I loved the actresses but the thought of an all-female bank robbing gang didn't set well with me on the "REALITY" level, but it came out on tape and when I was at the video store I saw it and was gonna rent it just to see if it was really as good as everybody kept saying it was.
Everybody in the movie did such a good job acting and I found myself caring for the women and hoping that they could get away with it.
i think that is a great show of courage, granted it is their own fault for robbing banks but the way they went out showed so much bravery and courage it had me crying for at lest a half an hour.People should so watch this movie!!!!!.
I watched this film a long time ago (aprox 10 years or so) and liked it then.