MusicChat
It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
rdoyle29
I hate this film. An adaptation of Aristophanes play "Lysistrata" set in modern day Chicago, the film sees a bunch of women withholding sex from their boyfriends and husbands until they agree to end the gun violence in Chicago. It's difficult to adapt Greek theater into a modern setting without it seeming silly, since it doesn't lend itself to realistic techniques. Lee fails about as completely as you can, making an overly long, cartoonish film that is oppressively preachy, especially since it has essentially made all of it's key points in the first 15 minutes.
leonblackwood
Review: This movie actually didn't start off to bad but once it started to go down the "ban sex" route, it all got a bit out of hand. Nick Cannon plays rap star Chi-Raq, who is head of the purple-clad gang, the Spartans who have battled against the orange-clad gang, the Trojans, led by Cyclops (Wesley Snipes) for years, in the Southside of Chicago. After Irene's (Jennifer Hudson) 11 year old daughter is murdered on the streets, and Chi-Raq's house is burnt down, his girlfriend, Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) decides to move in with Miss Helen, for her own safety. The murder of Irene's daughter, touches Lysistrata's heart, and she decides to do something about the street violence, which is taking many of the communities life's. After watching a news bulletin about some ladies in Africa who stopped having sex with men to try and stop the violence, Lysistrata decides to use the same method to stop the violence between the Spartans and Trojans. Once the word spreads around the world to all of the ladies, it causes problems in the government, who try various methods to put a stop to the ladies outcry. After a few months of starving the men from any sexual activity, it finally comes down to Lysistrata and Chi-Raq to put a stop to the feud, even though the Trojans have laid down there guns and decided to take the peace route. Although this movie is classed as a musical, it does have a hidden message which is quite touching and the cast didn't keep on jumping into music numbers, which can be quite annoying after a while. I did find the ending pretty ridiculous, and the speeches from Dolmedes (Samuel L. Jackson) got on my nerves but apart from that, I didn't mind it. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, mainly because the rhyming script and the way that the men speak about women, does go over the top in some of the scenes. As this movie is an adaptation of a Greek play, Lysistrata by Aristophanes, I can't completely blame the outcome on the director but I honestly think that could have been something special, if the project was in the right hands. Watchable!Round-Up: I must admit, I am quite surprised that Spike Lee was able to make this movie with such a low budget, because it is quite big, in terms of scale, and there was some top names in the cast. Personally, I think that it was way too explicit, and that there was other ways of getting the message across. Anyway, Spike Lee movies have really struggled at the box office of late, and with this movie making such a lose in terms of profit, I'm surprised that the studios are still believing in his projects. The Oldboy remake lost about $25million at the box office along with the Miracle of St. Anna, which lost $35million, so he's definitely not a bankable director. This movie was originally supposed to have Kanye West in the lead but his hectic schedule meant that he had to pass on the project. I think his name would have pulled in more of an audience but it still would have struggled to break even. Anyway, I did find this movie to be watchable but it did go down some unnecessary avenues, which spoilt the flow of the film.Budget: $15million Worldwide Gross: $2.7millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/crime/dramas, starring Nick Cannon, Samuel L. Jackson, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, Jennifer Hudson, David Patrick Kelly, D.B. Sweeney, Dave Chappelle, Steve Harris, Harry Lennix, Roger Guenveur Smith and Isiah Whitlock Jr. 4/10
2fresh 2clean
Spike Lee has always been one of my favorite director/producers. Most of his films are thought provoking, well crafted, and controversial. I put him up there with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese. Every once in a while a brilliant director can fall short of his own talents. In Spike Lee's case that would be "Chi-Raq". "Chi- Raq" wasn't one of Spike Lee's best. This Spike Lee Joint didn't have that craftiness and theatrical savvy his other films had. To me it seems as if this film was just put together for the sake of spreading or sending a message, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, even if that were the case this film could have been way much better. I think this film is supposed to be a modern adaptation of the Aristophanes play "Lysistrata", if so the way the lines were delivered made the film a little corny and unbelievable. It was too far-fetched and the parts that were supposed to be funny weren't funny. One thing I did like about this film was the fact that Spike Lee kept up with his tradition of using the same actors he always use like Roger Guenveur Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, and Wesley Snipes. Wesley Snipes playing as a leader of a gang is a great idea but how he played the role of Cyclops, that didn't really fit him. Nick Cannon kind of surprised me with his role of Chi-Raq. He did a pretty convincing job playing that hard G roll and Teyonah Parris played the role of Lysistrata with just the right amount of attitude and finesse. Hopefully this film is just something Spike Lee put out there just for the sake of the message, I know he'll put some top quality material out there in again.
parleon-thedon
Positives:1. Nick Cannon delivered a very good performance (I was surprised because I thought he was going suck)2. The tone can be funny3. The tone can be depressing4. The different tones blended together pretty well5. Teyonah Parris did a good job6. Dave Chappelle steals a scene that he's in7. When the moral messages are on screen, I instantly feel the emotional pain8. The ending is good if not greatNegatives:1. Wesley Snipes, what the fu*k is with that accent (I understand you were trying to be funny, but something just didn't sit well with me)2. The movie could have moved at a faster pace (I felt that some scenes were a bit unnecessary)3. Some of the comedy and the seriousness didn't blend particularly well together during certain scenes4. Jennifer Hudson can not act (they should have gotten a no name)Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I had fun, I laughed, and I was depressed at times all throughout this movie. This movie has some minor flaws, but I don't care.Finale Grade: B+
