Here’s a list of things I shamefully didn’t know prior to seeing “Straight Outta Compton”: What N.W.A stood for, who Eazy-E was, that Ice Cube is not primarily known for his less than stellar acting career (with the exception of “Three Kings” and “21 Jump Street,” of course), that “Boyz-N-The-Hood” is written in a way that would give anyone with a grammar obsession a stroke, any actors in the movie with the exception of Paul Giamatti.
Needless to say, I didn’t have any expectations approaching this film. I was in it for the experience and most of the things that happened to N.W.A came as surprises to me. Fortunately, my naiveté didn’t hold me back from enjoying “Straight Outta Compton” immensely.
To be a little less vague, “Straight Outta Compton” is a biopic documenting the rise and fall of gangsta rap group N.W.A over the course of seven years beginning in 1986 as they dealt with gang violence, drugs, contract disputes, tragedies, record labels and racist police, with what I’m sure are varying degrees of truth. For those who don’t know (like myself last week), N.W.A includes Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube’s son), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and Dj Yella (Neil Brown Jr.). For those as clueless as me, those parentheses indicate the actors’ names, not the rappers’ real names.
I had never heard of Corey Hawkins or Jason Mitchell, but wow, can they act. They serve as anchors for the rest of the cast to work off of and they never waver in their powerful performances. Ice Cube’s son, who I learned is hilariously known as “Prince Bae” (which unfortunately lacks any references to frozen water or hexahedrons), also does a great job of portraying his father. Without such strong performances, the poignant voice the movie was trying to have would’ve been lost in translation.
“Straight Outta Compton” boldly attempts to tackle multiple relevant social issues. Although it is a little one-sided in its portrayal of police brutality and the “evil” of the music industry, this is forgivable because these are real issues that N.W.A had to deal with. Besides, the movie isn’t primarily about those issues, and to give both sides a voice would’ve lengthened what was already a lengthy movie.
“Straight Outta Compton” has a lot of similarities with “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Both display extreme levels of depravity when money gets brought into the equation, but “Compton” succeeds where “Wolf” fails by showing that money doesn’t solve your problems and that there are consequences for a lifestyle that includes flippant sex, consistent drug use and betrayal.
However, “Straight Outta Compton” is far from a perfect film. Paul Giamatti, who plays the group’s manipulative manager, does a fine job, but his character is so poorly written to the point where he says the exact same line twice with slightly different inflection. In addition, there’s far too much unnecessary nudity. The plot devolves into what is basically a commercial for Dr. Dre’s newest label. Some plot points are left unresolved. It’s a little too long, clocking in at a hefty 147 minutes. It’s totally up to the viewer’s discretion whether or not these are reasons to not see the film, but if you skip it, you’re missing out.
Thankfully, these imperfections are masked over by some truly great scenes, including the first recording of “Boyz-N-The-Hood,” the show in Detroit and the blistering dis raps.
Overall, this would be a routine biopic if it lacked the personal charm that it undeniably has. Even though there are things that could’ve been improved, it will make you laugh, cry and genuinely care about its distinct characters. It’s hard to ask for anything more from a trip to the theater, making “Straight Outta Compton” worth your time if you have even the slightest interest, regardless of your previous knowledge (or lack thereof) regarding the fascinating world of gangsta rap.
**Reasons to see it:** You’re a fan of N.W.A. You have no idea who N.W.A is. You love a good rags-to-riches story. You love a movie with amazing characters.
**Reasons to skip:** You can’t stand N.W.A. Suge Knight is your favorite person, because I swear he’s scarier than any Marvel villain of the last few years here. You don’t have two and a half hours to spend at a movie. MC Ren and Dj Yella are your favorite members of N.W.A.