Rating: 
Summary: Larenz Tate Proves His Star Quality Once More
Review: I don't know what it is about this guy but Larenz Tate can mesmerize a screen. Lackluster films like " Love Jones " and " Love Come Down " would have surely fizzled out if it hadn't been for his strong screen presence. This is one actor who deserves an Oscar ( but realistically will probably never get one ). If you're a Larenz Tate fan I am sure you've already seen " Dead " a thousand times. You won't get tired of it because Larenz brings his natural freshness to the film each time. The movie begins in the late 60's where Anthony ( Tate ) and his friends, Skip ( Chris Tucker ) and Jose are riding to school on their bus. We quickly realize there is a war going on and this gives Anthony his golden opinion, which controls the direction of the film: Anthony wants to fight for his country. Anthony seems to be the perfect citizen by his innocent face and polite quality but has done some wrong things in the past like help the ongoing pool hall hustler cash in on illegal gambling money. After Anthony declares his love for Juanita ( the delightful Rose Jackson )he's off to fight. Anthony and the audience is thrust into some realistic yet vicious war segments. Let me warn you that this film is one of the most violent I've seen in a long time. It is not for those who can't stand blood. After learning he's become a father Anthony finally returns from the war. This is where the story gets emotional. As if it wasn't bad enough Anthony was fighting for his country, he comes home to a " country " that still sees blacks as less than human. He finds a dinky job cutting meat and loses it. If that wasn't a kick in the head he finds his woman has been seeing the local mobster/pimp Cutty. Meanwhile he and Juanita are struggling to keep their relationship together with a young daughter. After a violent confrontation with Juanita, Anthony storms off and finds Juanita's sister ( the lovely N'Bushe Wright ) who guides him to the " latest " war...the ongoing revolution for the militant black brothers and sisters to reclaim what's righfully theirs. Anthony's got other plans. A plan that stems from his pals. They decide to heist a money truck and half of them ( including N'Bushe ) end up murdered to death. This scene was graphic and incredibly violent. When Anthony thinks he's gotten away with something, he ends up meeting his destiny. Larenz Tate was wonderful in this film. I have the feeling if this had been for the " Saving Private Ryan " audience he would have won recognition, but only the black community seems to appreciate Tate and films like " Dead Presidents ". The supporting characters were believable with the exception of Chris Tucker ( who I love ) but he needs to learn how to act less like himself in his roles and more like the character. He acts the same way on everything. He seems to be hired for his real-life persona instead of his acting ability. But Chris is always entertaining. Rose Jackson was who I especially enjoyed. She was lively and strong just like Anthony's lady would have been. The direction was slow at parts but realistic. The violence was a bit much but hey...that's life. This is a truly good film and it was screwed of mainstream attention like so many other good black films. It seems to me that if you're not Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson or Denzel Washington, you stay in the " black " forest of the cinema industry and that's unfortunate. Because our commmunity has turned out some of the most versatile actors in the world.
Rating:
Summary: The movie takes you back in time
Review: I thought Dead Presidents overall was a pretty good movie. Although the idea of robbing an Armored Vehicle just because you can't find a job is absurd.The movie does educate the viewer on life in Veitnam and how the Veitnam Soldier didn't get the respect they deserve after the war was over as relevant to Martin Sheens character stating the Vietnam War wasn't a real war. The movie also gives vivid images of how soldiers suffer from Posttraumaticdistress from being in the war and also contracting illness such as AgentOrange(Chris Tucker's character informs the viewer of this,but back then Doctor's didn't know about the diesease. Like I said overall the movie was entertaining. The overall plot of the movie was to inform the viewer about being a African American male fighting in the Vietnam War and how Vetienam Veterans were not given any respect after the War was over. Hijacking the Armored Car was just a scenario put in to spice up the movie. I think this was a pretty good piece of work for two young Brothers in their 20's.
Rating:
Summary: Good Film
Review: This film was really good. By the end of the movie, I did not condone what was done, but I understood. How many of us know people who came back after fighting for their country, and they are working jobs that suck, and living a tough life. That's pretty much the message I got from the film. I watch this movie about once a month, I like it that much. Chris Tucker had a role in this film that makes you stand up and take notice. I would love to see him in more dramas in the future. He could do the roles.
Rating: 
Summary: great heist flick
Review: I wen't to watch this movie not expecting much.But I got alot of
things that make a movie great.Such as Great street dialogue,
realistic violence,a great acting Chris Tucker,and a daring crazy
bank heist were really no one makes away free or alive.This was
an overlooked movie I found it much more entertaining than Heat.
Larenze Tate is good as Curtis but my favorite charactors were
The whacked out,ruthless,foul mouthed Skip(Chris Tucker),The vet
teran with the only 1 leg Kirby(Keith David)and the pyromaniacal
lunatic Jose(Freddy Rodrigueze).Not many of the charactors surviv
the movie.There are some good accurate war scenes for a movie thats not a catergorized war movie.And one of the greatest heist
scenes in film history.With creepy face paint,automatic weapons,
and explosive toys.I dont think this movie deserved best picture
of the year but it did deserve best supporting actor(Chris Tucker
,best oringinal Screenplay,and perhaps best director for the Hugh brothers.Overall this is one of most entertaining movies of 95 if
not the decade the only other movies in 95 that came close to this were Casino and Heat.So if You like Reservoir Dogs,Menace II
Society,or Heat this movie is right for you.
Rating:
Summary: The Hughes Brothers do it-- and do it well-- again
Review: What do you do when your debut film is one of the top 100 movies of all time? This was the predicament the Hughes brothers faced after releasing 1993's stunning _Menace II Society_. My guess is they wanted to get away from what they were doing while still preserving the Highes style that made _Menace_ such a fantastic film, so they decided to do a flick about Black Americans' involvement in Vietnam, and its fallout. (Does anyone remember if this was based on a true story? I seem to recall hearing that...) More than anything, Dead Presidents suffered from awful marketing. Everyone flocked to the film expecting the whole thing to be about a bank heist, and instead they were treated to the story of Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate, the actor who made O-Dog so memorable in _Menace_) and two of his high school friends in the late sixties. Fully three-quarters of this movie is setup, if you go in thinking it's about the bank heist, and I can see why a lot of people ended up panning this. However, if you realize it's a story about one person growing up, coming of age in the middle of the jungle, and his attempted reintegration into society, it suddenly gets a whole lot better. Add an ensemble cast worthy of many praises (including a young, hip, and very funny Chris Tucker as Curtis' best friend, N'Bushe Wright as his sister-in-law, and the brilliant Keith David as Kirby, the guy who originally gets Curtis involved in crime while still in high school), and it becomes an absorbing, painful meditation on life during wartime. There are still some bad things about Dead Presidents, the main one being that the Hughes Brothers didn't go anywhere near far enough away from Menace to make this into a film with its own separate identity; in some cases, they might have been using the same sets, the same props, and the same dialogue. If you've never seen Menace, it probably comes off just as fresh and original as it did there, but those who compare the two (and saw them in order of release) will probably end up finding Menace the better film. One also wonders if the Hughes brothers didn't use the Vietnam footage as an excuse for some extra gratuitous violence; the more Vietnam war films we get, the more brutal the footage becomes. We KNOW war is hell, folks, and there's something to be said for the power of suggestion. Instead, Al and Al give us every gory, and I mean that in the nicest possible way, detail. Still, I'd be wrong to not recommend this. It's good, solid work. But if you haven't encountered the Hughes brothers yet, I cannot urge you enough to go, now, today, and rent a copy of Menace II Society.
Rating:
Summary: Great Cast....
Review: The movies is very good, You follow a young man growing up durining Vet Nam. He enlist the Marines Corps which shows him and his high school buddie, Skippy( Chris Tucker). I like what the preacher son gets as a good luck charm.
Tates character then returns back to his home town after 3 tours in Nam to find things have change alot. My heart goes out to him , but this is were the movie even gets better. Like I said the cast adds alot to the movie, when you watch the movie you will see what I am talking about..
Rating:
Summary: Larenz Tate Proves His Star Quality Once More
Review: I don't know what it is about this guy but Larenz Tate can mesmerize a screen. Lackluster films like " Love Jones " and " Love Come Down " would have surely fizzled out if it hadn't been for his strong screen presence. This is one actor who deserves an Oscar ( but realistically will probably never get one ). If you're a Larenz Tate fan I am sure you've already seen " Dead " a thousand times. You won't get tired of it because Larenz brings his natural freshness to the film each time. The movie begins in the late 60's where Anthony ( Tate ) and his friends, Skip ( Chris Tucker ) and Jose are riding to school on their bus. We quickly realize there is a war going on and this gives Anthony his golden opinion, which controls the direction of the film: Anthony wants to fight for his country. Anthony seems to be the perfect citizen by his innocent face and polite quality but has done some wrong things in the past like help the ongoing pool hall hustler cash in on illegal gambling money. After Anthony declares his love for Juanita ( the delightful Rose Jackson )he's off to fight. Anthony and the audience is thrust into some realistic yet vicious war segments. Let me warn you that this film is one of the most violent I've seen in a long time. It is not for those who can't stand blood. After learning he's become a father Anthony finally returns from the war. This is where the story gets emotional. As if it wasn't bad enough Anthony was fighting for his country, he comes home to a " country " that still sees blacks as less than human. He finds a dinky job cutting meat and loses it. If that wasn't a kick in the head he finds his woman has been seeing the local mobster/pimp Cutty. Meanwhile he and Juanita are struggling to keep their relationship together with a young daughter. After a violent confrontation with Juanita, Anthony storms off and finds Juanita's sister ( the lovely N'Bushe Wright ) who guides him to the " latest " war...the ongoing revolution for the militant black brothers and sisters to reclaim what's righfully theirs. Anthony's got other plans. A plan that stems from his pals. They decide to heist a money truck and half of them ( including N'Bushe ) end up murdered to death. This scene was graphic and incredibly violent. When Anthony thinks he's gotten away with something, he ends up meeting his destiny. Larenz Tate was wonderful in this film. I have the feeling if this had been for the " Saving Private Ryan " audience he would have won recognition, but only the black community seems to appreciate Tate and films like " Dead Presidents ". The supporting characters were believable with the exception of Chris Tucker ( who I love ) but he needs to learn how to act less like himself in his roles and more like the character. He acts the same way on everything. He seems to be hired for his real-life persona instead of his acting ability. But Chris is always entertaining. Rose Jackson was who I especially enjoyed. She was lively and strong just like Anthony's lady would have been. The direction was slow at parts but realistic. The violence was a bit much but hey...that's life. This is a truly good film and it was screwed of mainstream attention like so many other good black films. It seems to me that if you're not Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson or Denzel Washington, you stay in the " black " forest of the cinema industry and that's unfortunate. Because our commmunity has turned out some of the most versatile actors in the world.
Rating:
Summary: GOOD MOVIE!!!!
Review: After reading some of the reviews for this film, I must say that some people seem to be a little too technical - sometimes over-looking the fact that it's a movie (and a good one, mind you). Some films may not get every technical aspect right, but, who cares as long as you're into the story. DEAD PRESIDENTS is an overall good movie. This is a film where you'll really see the acting talent of Chris Tucker (who's usually in a birage of comedy films). Larenz Tate, as always, is great. Bokeem Woodbine is also excellent, although, I barely recognized him with the receding hairline and glasses. N'bushe Wright as the revolutionary is also great as well as great-looking (if you know what I mean). I can understand why they would rob an armored vehicle to get some easy cash. I don't agree with it, but, I understand. That, to me, is one of the points this film is trying to make and it, as far as I'm concerned, delivers. These characters are going through financial troubles. Some have responsibilities to take care of while others may have certain addictions that they feel they must "fix". I don't agree with it, but, I understand. The Hughes brothers do an excellent job with the plot, scripting, and direction. I will own it on DVD one day. If you want to see a great movie with a thick plot, great acting, and great direction, I recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie
Review: This Flim Was A 10 out of 10 in my book. great actors and screenplay. ~*~ The BaG~*~
Rating:
Summary: Larenz Tate Kills It ! Great Film!
Review: Dead Presidents is a well plotted drama that grabs your attention from beginning to end. Larenz Tate's killer performance definitely makes this film worth while. Honestly, i've haven't seen much Larenz Tate movies but watching this makes you more interested in his other works. I won't give you a whole plot summary of the film but "Dead Presidents" is very gory especially in the war scenes. It's basically about a young man trying to find himself fresh out of high school. HE decides to fight in Vietnam but comes back havin to care for his baby girl which causes him and his buddies to try to make some quick cold cash, robbing a federal reserve bank. Chris Tucker even brings some humor to this outstanding drama. Keep an eye out for this movie and other works by Larenz Tate. In my opinion he could be the next big thing. You'll believe me when you see it.
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