Plot: What’s it about?
If most children knew their school was falling apart, they would be happy about it, and wishing for the day it would close down for good. But if those kids were forced to keep attending classes in that school, which was rotting, collapsing, and breaking down, they might hope for a new and improved school, or at least a repair trip for this one. Lester (Usher Raymond) and his friends attend a school that is in awful condition, the heat doesn’t even work in the midst of winter, and it doesn’t look like repairs will be made anytime soon. Instead of letting things go, they decide to take matters into their own hands to try to draw attention to the woes of their learning place. Lester leads his buddies in a mission to barricade themselves inside the school, where they will hold a security guard (Forest Whitaker) hostage until something is done about their problems. As tensions grow on both sides of the stand off, a negotiator (Vanessa Williams) tries to bring about a peaceful stoppage to the situation. But can both sides maintain themselves long enough to avoid a tragic conclusion?
You ever see one of those movies where the message tries to be so deep, but the movie itself seems to fall short of making that message come across? If you’ve seen Light It Up, then you can say yes to that question, to be sure. To me, the idea of a group of children taking control of a school, taking hostages, and waving guns around just to promote better educational conditions seems like a Saturday Night Live sketch, not a serious movie. I’ve read glowing review after glowing review for his movie, but I still can’t see how people find it so touching that some kids choose to work through guns and illegal activity than work within the system. I’m sorry guys, but I have no sympathy for these characters, who seem to be the type of children who cause negative learning environments in the first place. If the film hadn’t been so preachy in the first place, this might have been a better review, but since the director seems to think he has a socially redeeming film, I banish this movie from my sight, never to return. If you think the idea seems good, then go ahead and rent it, since your opinion might be different from mine. But I urge you to rent before you buy, because this one is not for us all. If you do like the film, I suggest you go ahead and buy it, because Fox has issued a fantastic disc for this title.
This film was written and directed by Craig Bolotin, who I feel is better at being a director than writer, although his skills in both areas need polishing. I do like his visual choices however, as this movie has an appealing and distinct visual style. Bolotin also directed Sapphire Man and That Night, as well as writing Black Rain, which I enjoyed. I hope Bolotin can work on a less preachy film soon, as I would love to see his visual skills put to better use. The lead role in this film is played by musician Usher Raymond, who is a total disgrace to the artform of acting. This guy needs to take some lessons, he truly stinks the place up at every turn. In a more comedic role, Raymond (She’s All That) might fare better, but as a dramatic actor he flat out sucks. Thankfully, Forest Whitaker is present to save the film in terms of acting talent. Whitaker (The Crying Game, Smoke) is one the finest actors in the business, now if he can just keep away from stuff like this, I’ll be even more pleased with him. The supporting cast includes Vanessa Williams (Hoodlum, Soul Food), Sara Gilbert (Poison Ivy, Desert Blue), former NBA star Reggie Theus, and total superstar Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club).
Video: How does it look?
Light It Up is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This film uses some visual tricks to enhance the tone of the movie, so I was concerned the transfer might falter, but it doesn’t. The colors revolve around blue tones and look excellent with no errors at all, and flesh tones reflect their intended shades at all times. The contrast is picture perfect as well, with no unintentional slips to be found. The shadows are deep and well defined and detail is excellent. If this isn’t reference quality, it certainly comes close.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release has a fantastic Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, which ranks as one of the finest tracks I have heard of late. The surrounds are used to literal perfection, creating a wonderful atmosphere to view the film in. The rears kick in often with powerful effects, and even the bass shows up to pump away at times. The surround use is natural for the most part, but the soundtrack isn’t always smooth, it’s often jarring even. The dialogue isn’t lost in the woods here, it sounds crisp and clear, with no volume or separation issues to deal with.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains a theatrical trailer, two music videos, a soundtrack promotional featurette, and a brief production featurette. The production featurette is about six minutes and has interviews with several cast members. The music videos are for Ja Rule’s How Many Wanna and Master P’s Light It Up.
