Set It Off
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Movie Reviews of Set It Off
Movie Review: I'm like Halle in Monster's Ball, Jada in SET IT OFF!
Summary: 4 Stars
"Set it Off" is an action-packed, graphic, innovative motion picture about four women who are frustrated with aspects of their lives, and who need currency to stay afloat. Stony (Jada Pinkett-Smith) lost her parents in a car accident and opts to be a motherly figure in her brother's life. She wants her brother to go to college, but doesn't have the finances to send him, so she does something that is totally against her will to acquire the money, only to find out that he wasn't accepted to the university in the first place. Early into the movie, her brother is gunned down because he is mistaken for a criminal because they had the same letters imprinted on their heads. Cleo (Queen Latifah) is a seemingly naturally reckless individual. If you aren't a friend of hers or she doesn't know you personally, she doesn't mind hurting you to get what she wants. TeShawn (Kimberly Elise) is mildly retarded, so her friends make sure no one attempts to take advantage of her. She has a son. Since she cannot afford a babysitter for him, she brings him to work. While she is laboring, he drinks a household cleaner and is poisoned. Social workers intervene and take her son into custody because they feel she is unfit. Unless she can make better money, they will keep him in custody. Finally, there is Frankie (Vivica A. Fox.) Frankie was employed at a bank until the bank is robbed and she is accused of being surreptitiously involved in the robbery. Although in reality she had no involvement in the robbery, her supervisor opts to terminate her from her position. Since Frankie was once employed at a bank, she knows the procedures when they are robbed...which will make it that much more easy for she and her cohorts to "Set it Off." Queen Latifah and Kimberly Elise played their roles the best. Vivica was really good as well. But there were times were Jada was weak in her performance.
The four ladies plan a detailed scheme as to how they will rob banks. They use wigs, masks, and sunglasses to disguise themselves and guns for protection. They rob two banks successfully until the LAPD finally catch up to them and disaster strikes. Throughout the film, the women have the typical catfights that occur among women, but they always reconciled, which illustrated loyalty.
Stony gets involved with a fellow who works at a bank (nice touch), and when the women suggest they rob the bank he works at, she immediately dismisses the thought. Although she is against the thought, her friends outnumber her and she is forced to join them as they attempt to take on the bank he works at. He finds out soon enough, but it doesn't necessarily change his feelings about her. The only other relationship in the film is the lesbian courtship between Cleo and her girlfriend, Ursela.
Overall this movie is great for viewing. This subject matter has never really been touched and it was intriguing to see four WOMEN live a life of crime.
My few criticisms are as follows: Why would they go into the bank while they are still going over their plan, right in the middle of public? Someone could have easily been on to them, eavesdropped on their conversation, and their robbery would have been doomed before it began. Also, during one of their robberies, there were police right outside trying to take down a criminal, and they didn't even notice the mayhem going on right inside of the bank. Forgive me, I just wanted to provide food for thought.
I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see something cinematically different. As previously stated, the notion of four female bank robbers hasn't really been touched in the past. Get some popcorn and watch these ladies SET IT OFF.
Movie Review: Set It Off
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best movies I have ever saw in my life!Movie Review: Set it Off
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never seen such powerful female characters before, each one had their own dynamic personality and tragic reason for entering a life of crime by robbing banks. It is bascially non-stop action and excitement but this film still makes room for a little romance between Pinket and Underwood.Movie Review: "Queen Latifah was awesome"
Summary: 5 Stars
A very depressing movie that showed how poverty caused 4 women to live a lifestyle that was doomed from the start.
All of the actors were great but "Queen Latifah stole the show" with her portrayal of a "hard core woman" especially at the end.
This movie again, to me was very depressing because at the end I wish all of the women would have made it. Even though what they did was wrong, they paid with their lives and to me that was very sad. At least Jada Pinkett made it but even she went through alot.
Movie Review: These four outrageous woman share one thing in common..... their desperation
Summary: 4 Stars
Although the film is heavily stylized in gangland culture it's still very accessible. You could put this story into any situation and it would still be believable and credible. Yet there's one thing that puts "Set It Off" into a league of it's own, and that's the four central performances.
Jada Pinkett makes a great leading lady as Stony, full of power and hope. Queen Latifah makes you fall in love with Cleo, definitely the most humorous character of the quartet but also very troubled. The scene where she tells Stony and Frankie to get out of the getaway car is heart-wrenching. Vivica .A. Fox should be a Hollywood superstar by now, her portrayal of Frankie is mesmerizing. Finally, Kimberly Elise makes a moving debut performance as Tisean, the most timid of the group, yet also the most surprising. Underrated John C. McGinty was quite effective in these supporting roles. Blair Underwood, who I like, was sort of wasted as reverse eye candy. The love story sub plot was a bit if a distraction, only in a minor way. But at the core of this film was the bond between these ladies, all driven to rob banks for various reasons.
From Frankie's troubles, to Stony's hardships, there is plenty in this movie to keep your mind in motion. If you want a change of pace "Set it Off" is great movie to see. The writers did such a good job of weaving in the background of the characters and letting the movie play out, the quality of this film is quite impressive and I'm quite sure that you will be too! One that I'll never forget.