Iffy for 16+
Gritty, affecting rapper biopic is too intense for kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie about a real life rapper whose life was full of drugs, sex, and ultimately lethal violence. Because the movie is well made and exciting, kids might feel it glamorizes his way of life. The gritty-but-moving biopic takes an unflinching look at the life and death of rapper Notorious B.I.G. Raised on the hard-scrabble streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the groundbreaking musician carried guns, dealt drugs, went to prison, fell in love, cheated on his wife (and his girlfriend) ... and was gunned down at the age of 24. All of these events and more unfold onscreen -- accompanied by strong profanity, drinking, nudity, violence, and drug use -- making for a movie that's not only too intense for early teens and younger but one that demands discussion with older teens.
- Families can talk about what appeals to teens about Biggie. Do they feel the film glamorizes him?
- Do your teens think the movie is an accurate portrayal? Sympathetic? Critical?
- How do your teens feel about Biggie's lyrics? And what messages do theytake away from both his music and his life? Can they tell what thebiases of the film makers are?
- The film portrays Notorious B.I.G. and the world of hip-hop/rap. Howdoes that industry, in turn, influence people who listen to the musicit produces? Why do you think they've been so popular with bothlisteners and critics?
- How accurate do you think the movie is?Why might filmmakers add or alter the truth in movies based on truestories?
The good stuff
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Messages: Men cheat on their significant others and sometimes disrespect them. Characters speak of and engage in physically abusive behavior, and there's also drug use, drinking, and family abandonment. But there's redemption, too, and a few friends seem refreshingly loyal against a backdrop of betrayal and deceit. The film also includes the still-unsolved murders of Biggie and Tupac.
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Role models: A son defies his mother by lying to her -- apparently he's been dealingdrugs; she puts him out on the streets, and he later lands in prison.But his talent and commitment to his music see him through, despitecomplicated entanglements.
What to watch for
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Violence: A man roughs up the women he loves during arguments; rivals beat each other up or worse. Guns are shown, shots are fired, and two men wind up dead.
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Sex: Some nudity during sex scenes -- including a woman sitting naked astride a man naked, her breasts fully bared. The same woman performs scantily clad onscreen and grabs her crotch. Some graphic discussion of sex acts.
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Language: Frequent, colorful swearing -- from "bitch" to "s--t" and "f--k."
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Consumerism: A fair amount of name dropping and label flashing (sneakers and clothing, for example), and lots of bling.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Dealers -- some of whom are children -- are shown mixing and trafficking drugs (mostly crack); some characters (including a pregnant woman) are depicted buying/using it. Some smoking and plenty of drinking (champagne and everything else).
Fan Reviews provided by
1
i did not liked this movie at all by FelixVanDeKamp
It was boring i think this should have just come out straight to DVD or maybe just plain TV as a documentary because that's what it was. Did not like
I will give it a 2 out of 10
5
LET'S GET IT! by renemonique
So excited about seeing this movie. I partied hard during the B.I.G., Lil Kim, and P.Diddy(Puff Daddy) era. His life story and music brings back many memories. I live in the hood and I must say that I am extremely proud of everyone for not bootlegging this movie. There has been no talk of that. In the hood, we can't even respect anyone for doing so. Everyone is amped up! The movie theaters will be packed tonight like they were when the movie JUICE first aired. NOTORIOUS B.I.G. forever!!!!
4
if ya don't know.... by RedFlAym
this was a touching movie. You can tell his momma was involved in some of the making & i think its just a really great tribute to one of the greatest...I loved all the characters we got to see, that we sometimes forget were a big part of his rise...
5
Five Word Review by thetrueness
Most entertaining biopic this decade.
5
Well Done by ATown954
Notorious went above and beyond to tell the story of BIG. Some of the other characters were depicted a little differently than expected. However, all in all the movie came together very well. After seeing it I have a new respect for the man Christopher Wallace to remember when I hear a song from "Biggie Smalls". I grew up listening to his music. I was always a Tupac fan as he seemed to let everyone know how he felt about anything. Now I can recognize BIG the same way. It was terrible what happened to the two of them. Lord knows if they were still around the music scene would be very different. SEE IT!
4
Good Story of the BIG by jmccloy77
This was a good story of the slain rapper B.I.G. Good stroy about the rivalry between east and west coast rap. 2 pac was featured in the movie as well. I would definately recommend this to anyone that likes music. Even if you werent a fan of east coast rap. I would definately recommend this.
5
FU-EFFING-NOMINAL by metalleg2008
This movie brings it back. If you somewhat enjoyed Get Rich or Die Trying you are gonna love this "cinematic adventure". The character development is perfect. They chose the right actors and actresses and they were portrayed beautifully. One of the nice things about this movie is that they weren't far from the truth. GRDT was depicted very poorly, it was more of a fictional story line that Curtis Jackson starred in, where as every event in this movie you can relate and practically mark down on a truthful time line. I loved that they weren't afraid to show all that is Biggie Smalls, his music, and his lifestyle. All i can say is the hook was in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. Completely captivating. Two thumbs up.
4
great biopic by redyeah
As far as biopics go, this one went very well. The characters for the most part were true to their real life counterparts. Biggie was given justice as the performance goes. The only thing keeping me from giving it a must go is Tupac. Even though this was not his movie, he was not portrayed correctly. Pac had charisma and intensity. the man in this film did not. Maybe that was on purpose in order to give Biggie all the spotlight, in which case pac should have been left out all together. Even so, a great movie.
4
B I G G I E by shonuffchocolate
The movie could have dealt a little bit more with biggies youth, but otherwise the movie was right on point. It showed how biggie and lil kim's relationship was back and forth. The buy who played puffy did not really work in the movie.
5
Must see by tamtam2180
I thought the movie was excellent and i thought the actors especially Jamal Woolard did an exceptional job. Derek Luke's performance was not all that great but he did the best he could.
The movie is a must see even if you are not a fan of biggie it is definately a nust see.