Plot: What’s it about?
Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) was sent to live with his father Furious (Laurence Fishburne) as a child, thanks to his continual behavioral problems. At his father’s residence, Tre is surrounded by other troubled youths and continues to be troublesome. But Furious is determined to keep his son on the right path, no matter what it takes. He has seen what the ghetto can do to even the brightest residents, so he tries to set a good example for his own child to follow. Tre has made his father proud for the most part, as he has matured a lot and keeps himself out of trouble most of the time. This is a testament to his personal growth, as he has been surrounded by violence, drugs, and sex his entire life, but has managed to stay on the right side of those elements. His childhood friend Doughboy (Ice Cube) has just been released from prison, which results in a neighborhood bash and a reunion of sorts for all the locals. Doughboy’s time behind bars hasn’t made him a better person, as he is satisfied with a life of dealing drugs and never leaving his neighborhood. His brother Ricky (Morris Chestnut) has visions of the future however, as he is close to getting an athletic scholarship and moving on. Tre also eyes a brighter future, as he pursues his interests and even seeks out a potential romance. But anything can change in an instant in this neighborhood, so can these three friends survive and see their dreams fulfilled?
One of the first, and still one of the best films about life in South Central, “Boyz N The Hood” stands as a substantial production. I still think Menace II Society is a superior picture in most respects, but this movie offers more in terms of a human side. We can connect with some of these characters, even if we’re far removed from their surroundings and circumstances. After all, we all face problems like drugs, violence, and the unknown future. This is not one of those gangsta flicks that flood shelves these days, the kind that glorify the thug lifestyle of drugs, violence, and sex. Instead, it is a look inside the lives of people and how they handle life’s challenges. Some make the right choices and some make the wrong ones, but the characters are not over simplified as good or bad, which makes the experience more realistic. We all have flaws in our character, so a movie that presents people as flawed makes for a much more effective presentation. So we see the good in even the worst of the people here, as well as the bad side of the very best, which ensures that there is a solid connection with the audience. There is a lot of bad language, violence, and drug content, but there has to be with this material, so no reason to be overly offended. This new Special Edition from Columbia is quite a package, with some great new supplements, so even if you own the previous version, “Boyz N The Hood”: Special Edition is more than recommended.
This wasn’t his first role in a feature film, but it did offer Cuba Gooding, Jr. his first chance at a lead role. I know that “Boyz N The Hood” has several lead roles, but Gooding’s character is at the heart of the material, so I consider him to be the true lead. We see a lot of the events through his eyes, as he reacts to what happens, so do we. In this raw, tough role, Gooding shines and proves that talent can often be important than experience. His lack of stardom and experience could have been a plus here in fact, as we could accept him as a normal young man. And that connection is crucial in “Boyz N The Hood”, as without it, we would drift back too far from the material. But we can relate to Gooding’s character and by turn, we can connect to the material, even if, like I said before, we’re far removed from his kind of situation. His potential was well showcased in this movie and of course, he would go on to play in numerous acclaimed roles. He would even take home an Oscar at one point, which isn’t a surprise, based on his work here. Other films with Gooding, Jr. include Jerry Maguire, Men of Honor, Boat Trip, Snow Dogs, and Pearl Harbor. The cast also includes Ice Cube (Anaconda, Next Friday), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix Reloaded, The Color Purple), and Nia Long (Boiler Room, Big Momma’s House).
Video: How does it look?
Has it really been twenty years since this movie arrived in theaters? “Boyz N The Hood” had a few incarnations on standard DVD, though it appears as if this Blu-ray has a new print. That said the 1.85:1 AVC HD transfer looks good, certainly an improvement over the previous DVD’s, though it does have a fine bit of grain throughout. Fleshtones look natural and a majority of the film does take place outside in the streets, so we get a deluge of natural light as well. Detail seems to have been improved as well and black levels and contrast are spot on. While this new transfer has a few shortcomings, it’s an improvement over what we had previously and it’s most certainly a good thing.
Audio: How does it sound?
“Boyz N The Hood” came out a few years before movies were really starting to embrace the 5.1 format. Having said that, this new DTS HD Master Audio mix isn’t half bad. To be perfectly honest, I was really impressed with how good this sounded. I noticed a depth that I didn’t think possible in this new mix. The surrounds are surprisingly active and it really immerses you into the film. Dialogue, as expected, is very clear with little or no hint of distortion. Like the video, this new mix is certainly an improvement over the previous DVD offerings.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This Blu-ray features the same supplements from the special edition released several years ago. The same commentary track with John Singleton is present. He speaks of stories from the production and Singleton does keep the pace moving. We have “Friendly Fire: The Making of an Urban Legend” which is a retrospective documentary on the film’s production. It’s a bit nostalgic and informative at the same time and at 45 minutes is a bit lengthy too. We also get the duo of deleted scenes and the music video. What’s new to this Blu-ray is another documentary “The Enduring Significance of ‘Boyz N The Hood'” with even more interviews with the cast and crew looking back yet again. This is a good counterpart to the pre-existing documentary. Also included are some audition videos from Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut and Angela Bassett. Some trailers for other films are also included and the disc is also BD Live enhanced.
