Captivating movie !

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

It's the summer 1982. Bobby Johnson (Glenn Plummer) leaves jail to reconnect with Ray Ray, Bear and Loco. Ray Ray wants to get rid of smackman Genie Lamp and build his gang The Deuces. Bobby suspects that his baby mama Carole has been with Genie. Bobby kills Genie and gets put away in prison. Ray Ray becomes a rich gang leader and he gets Bobby's son Jimmie working for him. In prison, drug addicted Loco tells Bobby about Ray Ray's self serving ways. When Jimmie gets shot, Bobby blames Ray Ray and leaves the Deuces. He takes up with Muslim Ali (Carl Lumbly) and tries to straighten out his life. In the hospital, Jimmie is befriended by nurse Shelly.The story is functional urban gang crime drama. The production is lower grade. Director Stephen Milburn Anderson doesn't have much cinematic style. The acting is generally good with some bad exceptions. There are a few too many incidents of over-acting. The plot is uninspired without any surprises. It's not particularly special.

This movie was filmed around the time of the Rodney King riots that ripped South Central Los Angeles. Let's face it, the heart and soul of Los Angeles isn't Hollywood. It's the people like in this movie who try to make living, earnestly, honestly, and respectively. Sadly, this film is still realistic to the plight of urban problems. I spent a lot of time in one of the great urban cities of the East Coast and the problems of poverty, the lure of leading drug dealing lives is real and tempting, domestic violence, child abuse, gangs, etc. still exist and will exist much to the attempts of prevention or society ignoring their presence. Anyway, this film is truly about the heart and soul of a city of ten million Angelenos and the father's attempt to save his son from a life of crime, violence, death, and drugs in the city. It's not an easy battle.

We need more positive movies like south central by - ladygee627 7 minutes ago (Mon Mar 28 2005 10:34:50) We need more positive movies like south central. The part of Ali played by Carl Lumbly was so touching, sincere, and genuine. He actually made Bobby Johnson change his life for the better. Nurse Shelby brought out emotions in Bobby Jr. Emotions Bobby didn't know he had in him just by a mere act of kindness of nurse Shelby playing table tennis and spending quality time with him, time that his own mother never gave him.It's the simply things that counts in life that we need to express in our Movies, our music and in our everyday lives.This is truly a must see movie!I give it a 10 & A+Outstanding!

Well intentioned but not brilliant urban drama focused on the live of a young black gang member (Plummer) who goes to prison for ten years and, after been released, tries hard to protect his only son against the bad influence of his ex - partners in crime. The movie is predictable and although sometimes gripping, the overcome is clearly inferior when compared with other movies of the same genre. Anyway, Plummer and Dupree are good in their roles. I give this a 5 (five).