Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
Ceticultsot
Beautiful, moving film.
TrueHello
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
neil joesph
First off, My reviews do not go into detail about the movie or what the story is, etc. My reviews are based off of the movie goers thoughts/opinions after seeing the movie. If you want to know what the movie is about, read the synopsis. This is a true opinion review for those who are debating whether or not this movie is for them.This movie is absolutely ridiculous. It is truly one of the dumbest, most horribly written movies I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through. There are quite a few masterpieces by Spike Lee, but believe me, this ain't one of em. For this movies to have as high of a rating as it does (6.5), there has got to be some sort of biased opinions being given. Skip this. (2/10)
Dan1863Sickles
There are so many things I don't like about Spike Lee's movies. It's not just that he hates white people. He doesn't like black people much either. Spike is always angry, and he always has an ax to grind. He has no talent at all for creating lifelike characters or showing lifelike emotions on the screen. He's incapable of subtlety, nuance, irony, or perspective. The tone is always shrill, accusatory, hysterical, or self-pitying. His characters don't have feelings, they have ideas, and they only exist to make whatever point he's trying to make. Even though his clout has allowed him to work with all the brightest and most energetic actors of the last twenty-five years, I have never seen any actor, male or female, black, white or brown, give a moving performance in a Spike Lee film. It's just not possible to be natural in the artificial world of Spike Lee.Having said all that, I think BAMBOOZLED is Spike Lee's best film, better than DO THE RIGHT THING in a lot of ways. The mood is restrained, by his standards, the drama is quietly poignant instead of shrilly self-righteous, and much of the criticism of white America and the entertainment industry is movingly expressed and fairly presented. Several things work to Spike's advantage in this story of how black entertainers are forced to wear black face and inadvertently start a modern day comedy craze. Because he's exploring the entertainment world of the past, he can be honest and factual without resorting to hysterical finger pointing and conspiracy theories. He's able to show how things really were by using images white people actually created for their own entertainment. At the same time, for once Spike himself is able to see both sides of a question. Many of the old minstrel show artists were just that, brilliant artists, and this movie actually recreates their comic genius and dancing in a way that's as elegiac as it is horrifying. There's no way for Spike to resolve the contradiction between being proud of the past and being ashamed of it, and that's why Delacroix "the Negro" is unable to survive. Instead of starting a riot, he goes out quietly, bleeding to death slowly and painfully at the end of the film. But for once a Spike Lee character dies with meaning and dignity. I'm not a Spike Lee fan, by any stretch of the imagination. But this was truly his finest hour.
DarthVoorhees
'Bamboozled' is a great concept, but it doesn't really have strong enough material to sustain a film. I don't know what Spike Lee is trying to convey with this film. 'Bamboozled' isn't social commentary like Lee's other films although it tries to be. What is there to say about these minstrel shows? They were an ugly part of our American past, but they are far from being relevant now. Lee is trying to use them for something and what he is trying to use them for isn't all that clear. White guilt seems to be what is trying to be conveyed, but it isn't all that simple. The show is proposed by a black man named Pierre Delacroix. Is the film about African-Americans looking at this aspect of their past? But it isn't really their past is it? 'Bamboozled' is a really interesting concept for a film. It's the execution of the material that I wasn't all that fond of. I think what should have been done more with it though is to play it for laughs. I kept thinking of Mel Brook's 'The Producers'. In many ways 'Bamboozled' is a successor to that film. Pierre Delacroix wants nothing more to be fired, and instead "Mantan's New Millennium Ministrel Show" becomes a pop culture phenomenon. Lee is very good at playing up the absurdity of the scenario. I had the privilege of seeing this film with an audience in a Theater course. What Lee excels at is playing with the uncomfortably of seeing people in black face. I love the fact that Lee is very careful to show in the taping of "Mantan" that no white audience members laugh until the black audience members do. In ways that is the strongest aspect of the picture. The film becomes less interesting when when it gets smaller.For starters Pierre Delacroix is a weak character. Damon Wayans is performing a character with a horribly fake voice. He just seems like a skit character and his movements, his postures, and especially his voice seems like a caricature. I thought this may have been a conscious effort to fit in with the freak show mentality of the film, but I don't think so. For the most part Pierre is played pretty straight. I don't think Damon Wayans was right for the role. Perhaps Lee viewed the film as being a comedy, but it isn't comedic enough for Wayans to really offer anything to the character.This lack of direction plagues the film. The fact is you can't create a plausible world where minstrel shows could become popular in the 21st century. Lee exaggerates reality to the point where it is too far a stretch to take with the semi-serious tone of the film. It has great dark comedy in places, but it also has an unnecessary grim final act. I would look at the material much differently. If all Lee was interested in was attacking the notion of black face than he should have set his film in the olden times. I think the idea of a modern day minstrel show is ripe for satire, but the film is far too self important to pick at the notion. 'Bamboozled' believes it is a serious film, it has serious ideas, but it would work much better as a straight forward comedy. I think this is the kind of material I'd love to see Trey Parker or a Dave Chapelle handle. Lee likes to keep the drama in this hybrid and it hurts the final product and overall it hurts Lee's intent.
Absyrd
My official countdown of the "TSPDT Top 250 of the 21st Century" list has begun, and #250, Bamboozled, was up, which is easily Spike Lee's most daring and innovative film. It begins with a black TV writer (Pierre Delacroix) whose new ideas for productions are too restrained and casual, no one can relate to them, so no one cares. After an almost heated argument with his boss, Pierre decides to create the most appallingly offensive, disgustingly racist idea for a TV show, so as to show his boss that the "blacker" does not mean the better. However, his idea is accepted with great applause, and he decides to exploit his show as to gain attention from the media and let the world understand is artistic intentions.And as the show becomes a hit, Pierre is confronted with many different views and opinions, and threats from the gangsta community, regarding their intentions pop a 9 in 'is azz, along with his relationship beginning to fall downhill, and his friends and family turning against him, the poor writer has only got his money and blackface statues.Eventually, the film takes a halt and begins to drag in its own satire, it creates conflicts only to surmount its already playful exaggerations, and in a technical aspect, its pacing and editing become a bit of a mess. But the film always remains intriguing, thought-provoking, and sadly realistic at times (except towards the end). If only it had focused more on the main characters personal depth, and attempt to create less a substantial satire, I would've given the film higher pros, but gladly it took risks far and proud, with authentic execution, and that in itself is an achievement.*** (out of 4)
