All Eyez on Me had so much potential to be great, but ultimately (and unfortunately) failed to deliver.
When you consider Pac's legacy and how long it took for the film to get the green light, it's a no brainer why expectations were so high. In a lot ways, Tupac's larger-than-life story is the film's own undoing because his life simply can't be condensed into two hours.
By trying to pack in as much as possible, the resulting plot is convoluted, superficial and uninsightful. If viewers were hoping to gain any kind of insight or fresh take into his unsolved murder, think again. It's so very tame on that front, glossing over Suge's speculated involvement completely, or any of the popular theories for that matter.
The way it addresses Pac's beef with Biggie is almost comical, portrayed as though they were schoolyard frenemies rather than active participants in a very real gang culture that fueled the east coast-west coast rivalry.
The plot is also jumpy AF. The first 40 or so minutes of the film depicts a reflective Tupac while being interviewed during his final months in prison. Despite taking up a considerable portion of the film, not a lot is actually said. In fact, he got married to Keisha Morris at the time and not so much as her name is mentioned.
Contrastingly, Pac's relationship with Jada is almost overstated. We get it. They loved each other platonically. What about his other relationships (romantic or not) with stars like Madonna, Lisa Lopes, Rosie Perez or Janet Jackson? I realize Jada was a lifelong friend but it came off like Pac only had one real friend in the entire industry. As for his fiancé Kidada, their relationship felt insincere throughout the film, which is an insult to the woman considered to be the love of his life.
On a positive note I thought the acting was relatively good. Salute to Demetrious Shipp, his resemblance to Pac is honestly trippy on certain angles and I know he studied the star down to his specific hand movements and mannerisms. Shipp should leverage his newfound fame for all it's worth cos I think he has a bright future ahead of him provided he wants it.
Props to the soundtrack, which includes some of Pac's biggest hits. It makes up for some of the film's many shortcomings but isn't enough to save it completely.
Costumes were also done really well. Tupac was such a definitive figure in the 90s hip hop fashion scene so they really couldn't afford to take shortcuts.
In all, the film was a let down but you that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. I think if I went knowing I wasn't going to learn anything new/see things from a new perspective then I wouldn't be so critical of it. Visually and musically it was still very enjoyable and nostalgic and any real hip hop head will value that alone.
It's no Straight Outta Compton or even Notorious but it will make you miss Pac and the enigmatic talent that he was.
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