Film Preview: Straight Outta Compton (2015)

Page Revisions:

(August 9, 2015) Original

Release Date:

August 14, 2015

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The group NWA emerges from the streets of Compton, California in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.”

Poster Rating: B- / C / C+ / C- (5)

Review: (#1) This pulls in the title element of the teaser, which is a take off on the Parental Advisory label mandated on albums, singles and other types of music in large part because of bands like this. It’s a symbolic association that works better for those familiar with the group NWA and their boundary-pushing career. (#2 & #3) These are the same motif except with a more close-up view in design #2. They work as teasers, but that’s not always enough.

(#4-#8) They could have tried something at least a little more colorful for these characters, but considering the style of the poster designs, it seems appropriate. Still, these are not very interesting character designs and aren’t likely to move many units.

Trailer Rating: B+

Review: When I first heard about this project, I wasn’t really that interested. It’s an interesting part of music history, but the group was never part of my musical tastes, so it didn’t appeal. Having seen the trailer, I’m utterly fascinated by the potential of the film’s political commentary about race relations, police brutality and other elements that strikingly parallel modern American society for black teenagers. If they sufficiently embrace those differences, this could be one of the year’s best movies.

Oscar Prospects:

If the movie’s any good, which the trailer suggests it might be, it’s entirely possible the critics rally and push it into the competition. In such a volatile time in American history, a film like this would feel like a compelling glimpse at where we are, where we’ve been and just how little hasn’t changed in the last thirty years. That could be a fascinating narrative for Oscar contention.