SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Peter Hayes The life and times of legendary musician/dancer James Brown told in nonlinear excerpts-from-a-life, rather than any bog-standard birth-to-death, story-form.There has been many recent musical bio-pics, so much so that a satire films have appeared about them such as Walk Hard. In such an atmosphere Tate Taylor has attempted to be different and non conventional but a lot of the time he is merely confusing, muddled and somewhat over-flashy. Moreover the movie looks like it was edited by running over the footage with a lawnmower and gluing it back at random. Flashback and flashback again was used so often that I lost track of where the movie variation on "now" was! Starting at the beginning (although not for this film!) While his (Brown's) father was violent and irresponsible you get the feeling he is being short changed. He did try and bring up his son rather than run away. Give him some marks for effort.However it is used (I believe) as an opening excuse for the behaviour he (Brown Snr) later displayed himself. Not that endless contradictions aren't part of this story, indeed you feel there is a sort of cop-out feel that it can't take any form of moral line. He was both anti-drugs and anti-delinquency apart from in his own actions and his own life. Dare anyone say it, the man had serious mental problems. Because if he wasn't bipolar nobody ever was or will be.Don't give me the "it was all the drugs" line as if the character wasn't underneath. Indeed drugs, firearms and his huge ego could easily have got him killed in the street. Bizarrely he paints himself as a victim (in real life) when on a violent rampage. I rest my case.Let's get off this merry-go-round of confusion and onto solid ground: Brown never left an audience member bored and his songs have passion and soul. We can get this from a concert CD/DVD with the real thing and Chadwick Boseman isn't anything like as good. Nor does he look much like him either (too tall). Brown actually knew little about music and and even his voice wasn't the greatest in range. Indeed I'm not even sure he could have carried a proper harmonic ballad. Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding could have wiped the floor with him on a soul standard. Rather in the manner of Liberace he became important because he told people he was important and people bought into it.(People who refer to themselves in the third party turn my stomach. If Jesus returned from the grave he wouldn't do it.) Despite its faults this is an entertaining enough piece. Wouldn't want to sit through it again and - as I say - it is a shame that the editing is such a mess. All movies need narrative and even though we are dealing with a real life a bit of fiction or guesswork is better than lurching around from one unrelated scene to another with no sense of where you are going or why...

Python Hyena Get On Up (2014): Dir: Tate Taylor / Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson: Music drama about extending one's abilities through hardship. James Brown was a musical icon symbolizing the best of soul. He is played to near perfection by Chadwick Boseman who, unlike John Lloyd Young in Jersey Boys, actually embodies the body, personality and energetic singing talent of James Brown. The screenplays starts with promise but falters with its back and forth disjointed presentation of flashbacks. We witness his harsh upbringing with neglect from both parents. We witness his arrest after breaking into a car and stealing a suit. It is here that he meets Nelsan Ellis who is performing in jail and is caught in the middle of a fight. He and Brown hit it off and together they embark on a music career. Dan Aykroyd plays Ben Bart who will become his manager and backer. One may remember the real James Brown performing in Aykroyd's masterpiece The Blues Brothers, which may indicate his interest in this project. Viola Davis plays Brown's mother who left when he was young and reappears back stage but to an unwelcome son who remembers the neglect. Craig Robinson plays one of the many band mates who questions Brown's controlling attitude thus causing tension. The film highlights classic performances where Boseman brings forth the screeching voice that has cemented the image of soul. Directed by Tate Taylor who previously made The Help. The screenplay cannot do justice to every key moment in the life of this entertainer but it does get on up with what made him great. Score: 8 / 10

MovieHoliks I recently saw the Jimi Hendrix biopic, "All Is By My Side", which was only about a small part of his life so not sure you can really call it a complete biographical portrait- plus, none of his music was included, which made the film feel a little short-changed. With "Get On Up", a biopic about legend James Brown, you don't have either of those problems. Mick Jagger produced and Tate Taylor ("The Help") directed this biopic with Chadwick Boseman ("42") in the lead role. Like with Andre Benjamin as Hendrix, Boseman doesn't really look like JB, but he does a great job capturing his essence, and certainly has his moves down. And like with another biopic "Ray", "Get On Up" does not sugar-coat Brown, but portrays him in a not-so-great light a lot of the time. One of my fav. Brit actors, Lennie James, is good as JB's father, which sheds some light on his violent tendencies, as well as Viola Davis as Susie Brown, JB's mother. Brandon Mychal Smith was also good as Little Richard, who had a small but key role in mentoring Brown in his early success. And Dan Aykroyd was awesome as Ben Bart, the President of Universal Attractions Agency who eventually becomes JB's business partner. Fred Melamed had the funniest scene in the film when he gets up and physically demonstrates why Brown should stay out of business decision-making! LMFAO!! Craig Robinson, Allison Janney and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer also star.

peter-eldon Get On Up directed by Tate Taylor and produced by Mick Jagger and Brian Grazer tells you the "from rags to riches" story of James Brown. With Chadwick Boseman performing a brilliant and breathtaking portrait of the The Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Influencing several musicians of many generations during his six decades as one of the most hard working artists in the business. Nobody within music is untouched by The King of Funk. Follow his journey from musician group The Famous Flames, his first meeting with the Rolling Stones, his companionship with manager Ben Bart played by Dan Aykroyd and all the way to the top of the billboards. An inspirational biography of a man reaching the top during some very hard and tough times in a divided America. The Funk don't Quit" – James "The Sex Machine" Brown