Belly - 1998 (R)

Actors: DMX, Nas, Hassan Johnson, Taral Hicks, Method Man
Director: Hype Williams
Reviewed: 26 May 2005



If reading the actors above doesn't deter you from seeing this movie, allow me to deter you 
myself. Hype Williams is a good director for music videos, but movies? The whole movie seems
like stylistic blurring and color mixing and no substance. It's about this guy named Sincere
(Nas) and his friend Tommy (DMX). Sincere is trying to go to Africa to live (please) and Tommy
is getting deeper into the dope game. The movie tries to be all spiritual, but it really ends
up being dumb. What DOES earn it two points is that there is someone named Knowledge in it, 
and I have to give points for those with the same pseudonym as I. The movie is poorly written 
too. The dialogue seems forced, and it isn't that good to begin with. Also note, that I listen
to lots of rap so I'm pretty familiar with "ghetto speak", but if you're not you won't get a lot
of this movie. They talk fast and a lot of the narrative is in voiceover format. There's also
a scene where Knowledge (or maybe some dude named Ox) has his house raided by the FBI, and he 
somehow kills all of them in a rampage take straight from Scarface. Only he gets his throat cut
by a woman at the end. Nas is an OK actor, DMX sucks, and if I wanted music video style I'd turn
on BET. Go see Training Day, it's a movie in the same vein and it's exponentially better.

SCORE: 2/10

GOOD QUOTE
-Knowledge, bone, what's the science, baby? 

BAD QUOTE
-Umm... the rest of them.