Reviews (41)

This is my favorite movie!!!
I've seen it so many times I could almost play each part. In fact, it comes on this afternoon on Showtime. It's a continuing story of Delores Van Cartier aka Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi Goldberg) who uses her gifts of music and determination to keep a school open as well as change the lives of all those her life touches. Great music, great humor and drama. Lauren Hill (pre-Fugees) is in this as well as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Monica Calhoun if you look really, really carefully. Buy it, enjoy it.
Hey, maybe you'll catch it on Showtime during one of it's airings. I'm positive when it's over, when you can finally stop yourself from humming one of the great tunes, and possibly put down your tissue (I cry EVERY TIME I see it)( and baby, I've seen seen it so many times that I've got ot turn it off when my husband comes home because he says "Are you watching that again?) You will say "I wish I had that movie!" So get it so you'll have no regrets!

Fantastic sequel
Though there is room for improvement with regards to the story line, this movie delivers what I most enjoy in a film. The acting is superb, including the minor cast roles. The music is absolutely fantastic!...Lauren Hill and Ryan Toby steal the show with their voices. The plot, though quite simple and predictable, is believable. Many of the scenes are very moving, including the ending sequence involving Lauren Hill's character, Rita, and her mother.

Overall, this is a great family movie that everyone can enjoy. The comedy is simple enough for children to understand, and there isn't one scene in the movie (that I can recall) which is inappropriate for all ages. Like a few other reviewers, I've found that I long to hear a few of the songs from the movie when I need cheering up.

If you enjoy good, clean family movies, you can't go wrong with this one.

Part 1 was Great..Part 2 Wasnt.
SAw it in the movies.... Fell asleep midway... All the magic from part 1 which was AWESOME...was lost. Boring story... They should have left it at part 1.

So much fun!
FANTASTIC sequel! Just as enjoyable, if not more, than the first! All of the musical numbers are glorious!! A successful sequel all the way!

Loved it
I've read all of the reviews on SA2 and it is quite obvious this movie is not for everyone, however, if you enjoy "feel good " movies , this is for you. The storyline iis quite predictable, the acting is good , but the music is a delightful bonus,just wish there was more of it. I know that if I'm feeling a little down, I can pop in this movie and feel better. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Cute and Charming
Oliver & Company is a new twist on an Old story. This one has a little flare and music with a lot of personality. The story is around the street of New York City. And to let you know the emotional impact, it opens with an animated aerial view of the Manhattan Skyline - which includes the World Trade Center buildings. (This movie was made in 1988)

My favorite character - besides Oliver's innocence, is Bette Midler and Cheech Marin. They steel the scenes with their wit and humor. Very sharp and emotional are their deliveries of the lines.

The kids will relate to the young girl finding her new kitten and the adults can relate to those every threatening debts we all seem to have. The music is fun, but not consistent. (By this I mean all the songs are from different writers - there is no common thread in the music and songs.)

I enjoyed this movie a lot. My favorite Disney of all time is still The Little Mermaid. The DVD Extras are great for the kids and the behinds the scenes the adults will find interesting.

Finally, it's on DVD.
One of my all time favorite Disney Animated flicks is now on DVD to own and i bought it the other day!

This 1988 Animated feature was a hit that lead to the successes of other Disney Hits but this was never released on Video but got a re-issue in theaters and on Video. I still remembered when i was 6 years old back in 1988 when i was living in Omaha Nebraska, i was treated to see this movie and i saw it twice. But then it got re-issued back into theaters in 1996, i loved it again, it's basically about a orphaned Kitten named Oliver who hangs out with a gang that steals but he finds himself in a series of adventures.

A highly entertaining Animated feature on a great DVD, the DVD is fully loaded with a Scrapbook that includes pics of the original Poster artworks and concepts of characters, Theaterical Trailers, Original 1988 TV Spot, Documentaries, Two Sing-along songs, and Two Cartoon Shorts.

The transfer on this DVD is stunning, the picture is perfect without a single speck of grain and dirt and the sound quality is pheomeneonal, this is a must own DVD for Disney and animation lovers.

A Good Disney Musical with a lot of Class. NYC Style.
Before the success of such phenomenal Disney musicals like Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid, Oliver & Company came along. This film totally embodies the eighties with its music, voice talent, and art direction. The music is very good. The songs are very hip and cool. The animation is exciting, and the plot grabs you and sometimes you feel as if you are watching a regular caper movie than an animated film. An exciting Disney ride that is fun for everybody. I highly reccomend this film.

Doesn't get any better than this! Rita fan.
I saw this movie when I was little and became obsessed with it. I would sing the songs on the schoolbus, dance to them, listen to them constantly, sing along in-character. This movie has everything, and I mean everything! It's severely underrated. Rita has always been a personal friend of mine; she reminds me of, well, myself, and I always loved her best. It was a dream of mine in childhood to have a plush Rita, and the day I acquired one was a very happy day indeed, and I even recall the date! But aside from my love for the characters, what's important to know is that this is a must-see animated masterpiece!

This movie was hip! (From a first grade point of view)
Back in the late eighties I recall seeing the trailer for Oliver and Company and I got caught up in the hype. Unfortunatly, I didn't have the money to see the film and it was never released to video after it's debut. So when the film had it's re-issue you bet I was quick to see it. I expected an exciting story, great eighties music, and stunning animation. Instead I got cartoon music, overly cute acting, and a poor story. Disney had stapled this film as appealing to the teenage crowd. How? This is most defintely a kid movie. The music was not contempory to its time and the human characters lacked a lot to be desired. Here is what I expected (and in detail!). Great eighties music, a strong gangster villian (preferably Italian), and a guy down on his luck who you could relate to instead of a bumbling bum. But sigh...they had to throw in a cute girl and singing birds. Sigh... ... Read more

Reviews (17)

One of my favorites...I never get tired of this movie...
Excellent writing, gorgeous setting, wonderful actors make this a lush visual and musical treat that never goes over the top and thoroughly takes me away to the tropics. I don't know how many times I've watched the movie, and still I always go back to it when I'm sick of winter and want to see a good mystery set near the sea-green waters. And Denzel is absolutely the best here.

I'm biased, cause this is my favorite movie.
One hunnered thousan dollas, mahn! This is a thoroughly enjoyable flick. A musical who-done-it with an island flair. All the actors can belt out a tune like pros, even Denzel isn't half bad! Visually stunning with brilliant color, on an exotic set, and shot with great angles too. Solid performances by everyone with a riveting plot that is a pure pleasure to watch unfold. The dialog is excellent too and works well with the gorgeous visuals. This is the only movie I've seen where nothing they could have done differently could have made it any better. It's just THAT good. It has the best soundtrack for any movie I've ever heard as well. Now if they'll just get off their keisters and come out with a DVD with plenty of extras, I can die knowing that I've seen everything the BEST MOVIE MADE has to offer.

Bookends
Grab a copy of this movie and watch it as a double feature with the current "Out of Time." Denzel Washington fans will argue until the cows come home over which is the better performance, but the two films show Washington's mastery of his art. While Quinn is smooth but pure, Denzel's Chief in Out of Time is like a Quinn gone a little soft and ripe in the tropical sun, a man of integrity who has faced one too many temptations in a sordid and complicated world. I loved the noir feel of the first 7/8 of Out of Time and was annoyed at the lapse into Hollywood at the end, but Washington makes the character so attractive, that you wish him the best. Check it out.

Laid-Back Island Fun
There's very little I dislike about this movie. Okay, the swearing's a bit much, but everything else - the characters, the mystery, the music, the scenery - is incredibly enjoyable.

Denzel Washington portrays Police Chief Xavier Quinn, a cop who struggles for respect from a lower-class that sees him as a betrayer and an upper-class that has no use for him beyond that of lap dog. His character's development is an unsuspected surprise in what could have been just another run-of-the-mill tropical thriller.

Supporting characters played by Robert Townsend, Mimi Rogers, Esther Rolle, and M. Emmett Walsh are also surprisingly nuanced, as is the murder investigation itself. The only main character I didn't quite get is Sheryl Lee Ralph as Quinn's wife; her expectations for her husband seem ill-defined in the story - in keeping with the island custom, however, I didn't let it get to me; I just went with it.

This is a budget release, so except for the trailer there are no extra features. There isn't even an insert card showing chapter listing. Subtitles come only in French and Spanish, but the film is closed-captioned if you want the equivalent of English subtitling. I would've liked more features, but I'm not going to let that get to me, either.

Get this DVD. Then get some popcorn and pour some rum in your Coke - or at least drop in a tiny paper umbrella - and enjoy the show.

Great Show!!!
I enjoyed this movie many times, although the downside to this movie is robert townsend who did not do a good accent for this flick. come on everybody: come on with out come on with in , you ain't seen nothing like the mighty quinn ! ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Low Budget, Great Plot
This was the best low budget film that I have seen in years! The story was incredible and it kept your attention from beginning to end. While the setting is sometimes unrealistic the plot is very believable and sobering to say the least.

The movie goes to show that the threat of nuclear war is a very real modern possibility that has not died with the Cold War. It takes the United States' most recent all out military engagement, The Persian Gulf War, and takes the scenario one step further with Sudam Hussein's son, now the dictator of Iraq, invading Kuwait once again. The President of the United States, who has just come into power due to the death of the previous president, is faced with his first major international crisis during his election campaign. He is determined to react to the emergency quickly and with a show of ultimate force.

I will not reveal the ending; however, I will say that it is both unique and thought provoking. This is a must see film that will really make you think.

Fiction turning into reality?
When it was realesed Deterrence was just a return to a genre of film that was apearently over along with the Cold War, the "what if" scenario of a possible nuclear war. ... this movie is in my view frightening relevant and up to date. ... Walter Emerson, the U.S president is stuck in a diner due to a snowstorm during his campaign trip. There he receives word that Udei Hussein, Saddam's son and now leader of Iraq has invaded Kwait and is on his way to take the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. Emerson takes a desperate gamble with an ultimatum to Husseim: Stop the invasion and surrender or Baghdad will be destructed by a 100 megaton H-bomb. From there on is a game of cat and mouse as the world, now on the brink of total annihilation begins to go insane. Under the bestified looks of common people caught into something way above them and at the same time closer than ever to them, Emerson takes decisions that might turn him into a genocidal ... . ... Welcome to the XXI century.

Deterrence- best kept secret in Hollywood`
this is a fantastick movie! I have referred a dozen or so family members, and each has confirmed the superiority of this film. Well-thought out and imaginative, one could only hope our intelligence services are half as creative and smart as the creator of this masterpiece.

More people have walked on the moon...
... than have done what we're about to do... I may be slightly paraphrasing, but those were the words of a B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber pilot as he spoke to the President from the skies above Iraq.

This is a very well-conceived movie and the superb Kevin Pollak was a great choice as the Pres. If I have a criticism at all, it is that the movie suggests that the reason the US could not engage the invading Iraqi army is that most of their troops were positioned to deal with North Korea at that time.

This is unlikely, as the Korean situation is very simple, in that there is an infinitely greater chance that the US would use Tac Nukes against any invading force as a first resort. If North Korea ever began a barrage of the South Korean capital (a city of 10 million people), they would be able to effectively destroy it with conventional rockets and shells during the first 24-48 hours, causing millions of casualties.

There is no doubt in the minds of any military analysts that the US would have to go nuclear and on a massive scale well within the first two hours. While the North Korean capital would almost certainly receive a 'deterrence'-style surrender or die message from the US, the main thrust would be the large scale use of heavy tactical and even strategic nuclear weapons against the launch areas for the rocket tubes etc., many of which have been embedded to make them difficult to bomb. Neutron weapons would be one of the most effective responses for this type of target.

Not a pleasant topic and one that we all hope will remain in the realms of the theoretical, but then again, that's up to the North Korean leader.

Deterrence captures the life or death nature of this kind of diplomacy and is an important reminder of the stakes involved.

The only other criticism is that (Don't read on if you don't want to know anything about the film, I'm about to mention a plot event...) when the diner owner shoots and wounds the military aide carrying the briefcase containing the launch codes, there is NO WAY the Security people would stand there, pointing their guns at him trying to talk him down and risk that he will fire a fatal shot, thus making it impossible to open the briefcase. The guy would have been tomato paste after getting off the first round.

All in all a great movie. Essential viewing for dictators everywhere.

Chilly movie!
About the only thing more enjoyable than a post-apocalyptic film is a movie about the lead up to the end of the world. "Deterrence" recalls "Fail Safe," "Dr. Strangelove," "By Dawn's Early Light," or a host of other "when nukes go wild" type films. Well, almost. Only one bomb goes off here, after which Armageddon is put off for a sunnier day. But the tension so intrinsic to this amazing genre is here in spades, that special, palpable tension so thick you could spackle the cracks in your ceiling with it. "Deterrence" is a nice nail biter with a solid cast, a claustrophobic atmosphere, and an effective cast to carry the whole thing off. It's too bad this movie is such an obscurity; I would like to state that "Deterrence" deserves more attention than it has currently received. Moreover, with the end of the Cold War we just do not see films like this anymore. Anyone who grew up during the days of mutually assured destruction policies and doomsday planes swooping over the roofs of their houses at fifteen-minute intervals will probably appreciate the implications of this movie more than those youngsters born after Ronald Reagan was president.

It is the future (2008, to be exact) when President Walter Emerson (Kevin Pollack) stops over at a little diner in Colorado during a snowstorm. Conditions are so bad outside that the man cannot even get a helicopter in to transport him out of the area. Emerson is pounding the pavement around the country in order to secure his party's nomination for a run at the White House. He is president, but only because he assumed the office after his predecessor suddenly died. The political battle is close, and it will soon get much closer when an international tragedy of epic dimensions erupts in the Middle East. While Emerson schmoozes with a few of the people trapped in the diner, his aides make the shocking announcement that Saddam Hussein's son, now the leader of Iraq, has launched a surprise attack on Kuwait and wiped out a contingent of U.S. Marines stationed there. Even worse, Iraq claims to possess nuclear weapons and threatens to unleash a holocaust of unprecedented proportions if Emerson attempts to dislodge the Iraqi army now ravaging Kuwait. The president is in a quandary; he must consider his response in terms of the upcoming election, but he must also deal decisively with the Iraqi situation with only a few laptop computers and a satellite phone at his disposal. Serving as the leader of the free world can really drag.

Incredibly, President Emerson uses a news crew following his campaign to make a live newscast to the nation where he threatens to drop an atomic device on Baghdad within a few hours if the Iraqi leadership fails to withdraw its troops. The prez doesn't stonewall, doesn't beg for more time to consider his options, doesn't check polls before making a decision; he steps right up to the camera, delivers his ultimatum, and begins to monitor the situation. What leadership! What chutzpah! Well, that is the problem. Emerson's Chief of Staff Marshall Thompson (Timothy Hutton) occasionally drifts into the foreground to question the motivations of such a brazen decree. He points out that nuking Baghdad is equivalent to dropping a bomb on the birthplace of the human race. Thompson also wonders about the potential fallout sure to batter the gates when Emerson, a Jew, attacks an Arab nation with such a devastating device. Further complicating matters are a series of increasingly irate phone calls between the president and the Iraqi ambassador, communications that take on downright sinister implications when the Iraqi's claim to possess a bundle of nuclear weapons located on ships around the world. They will launch these bombs at American targets, says the ambassador, unless Emerson accepts the invasion. Predictably, one of these targets is Washington, D.C. where the president's family waits for his return.

If you cannot tell, I liked "Deterrence." I started out with doubts as I loaded the DVD in the machine, however. I worried about Kevin Pollack turning in a competent performance as the president, a worry completely unfounded as the first few minutes of the movie unfolded. What really gave me a positive feel for the guy was how he worked the locals at the diner. Anyone who has seen a politician in action will instantly recognize Emerson's breezy familiarity with people he met mere seconds ago. I thought these initial scenes really helped set up the idea of Pollack playing the president. Who knew a comedian who does such a killer impression of William Shatner's Captain Kirk could pull off a role requiring him to resolve more moral dilemmas than Plato? For the most part, the supporting cast does an adequate job backing up Pollack's essentially one-man show. What didn't work as well was the cast of locals in the diner. For a large part of the movie they simply fade into the woodwork until one of the shocking twists at the conclusion requires their presence.

Anyone who says they saw the twist conclusion coming from miles away is not telling the truth. Although this denouement is arguably too pat, it did instantly change the entire scope of the film. There is that great moment when you learn why the president does what he does and you quickly scan your memory of the preceding scenes in order to see what clues the director gave you in advance. They are there, but you won't see them until the very end. As for the DVD version of "Deterrence," there is a commentary track from the director but that's about it. No matter, though, since "Deterrence" is a great thriller and a grand continuation of a genre that could have disappeared with the Berlin Wall. Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Hilarious, Great directing.
Eddie Murphy is a street hustler who hustles a seat in the House of Representatives. the first two thirds of the movie, with an accent on comedy, are the best

A Smash!!!
In his long career, we've seen Eddie Murphy in many roles, from cop to crook to royality. In the Distinguished Gentleman, however, we see him in a different role: politician. In the Distinguished Gentleman, Murphy is Thomas Jefferson Johnson, a small-time con man who wants big money...

This movie is a great example of just how... Washington politics is. Murphy comes out well in his preformance. A much better con man preformance than Trading Places. If you're looking to know just how...our system is, give this movie a rent, then you be the judge.

disappointing but has some moments.
I am a political junky AND an Eddie Murphy fan and I had great expectations for this movie. And for the most part the first half has pretty interesting and entertaining. But the script bogged down and just flattened out towards the end. EM still makes it fun to watch. This is a rental, not a purchase.

Boy, politicians should have been great fodder for a comedy but this movie missed its potential

Subtle Humor with Few Belly Laughs
It is tempting to compare this movie to other political satires of previous years. However, it is at heart an Eddie Murphy movie, and you know that Eddie Murphy is always over the top.

The plot is relatively simple. Eddie Murphy is a small-time con artist. Having recently overheard a conversation between several lobbyists and a congressman, Eddie realizes that (in his opinion) being a congressman is the biggest con of all. One day he happens to be in the right place at the right time when a congressman with virtually the same name as his dies. Eddie runs for election to replace the dead congressman with his only platform being that "you know the name". You must know that Eddie wins in a landslide.

Eddie's initial goal is to figure out how he can get as much money as possible. However, as is the case with all con artists, their undoing is when they begin to care. In Eddie's case, his undoing is a beautiful woman and a little girl diagnosed with cancer. The combination of the two makes Eddie care about someone other than himself, and you see Eddie change from that point.

Lane Smith plays Dick Dodge, a senior congressman on the powerful Power and Industry committee. Dick Dodge is a wheeler and dealer who knows all the ins and outs of Washington, and the best way to wield power and profit from his position. Initially Eddie looks to Dick as a mentor. While Eddie initially identified with Dick Dodge, as Eddie discovers that there is a harmful side-effect on ordinary people by the actions of people such as Dodge, Eddie eventually uses his abilities to remove Dodge from power.

This movie is a bit more cerebral than Eddie's typical movies. "Trading Places" was generally slapstick and situational comedy. "Beverly Hills Cop" was one-liners and irony. The humor in this movie is often more subtle, and in some cases may be lost on some viewers. There are places in the movie where the humor is slapstick and one-liners, however, much of the humor is satirical and often harder to discern.

While this movie is certainly not Eddie's best, neither is it among his worst. There are places in the movie that are inspired. However, for every inspired part of the movie there are tired jokes and typical Washington political satire. Worth watching once, and collecting for the avid Eddie Murphy fan, this movie rates a low 4 stars.

The Distinguished Murphy
To really appreciate this film, you have to consider that it was released in 1992 when the Democrats controlled the House and the Senate and graft and corruption were the rules of Congress. The film centers around Murphy as a con man who gets himself elected to Congress and his attempts to put as much money in his pocket as possible.

In order to maximize his influence with lobbyists, Murphy gets himself appointed to the most powerful committee in Congress, which in real-life is the Ways & Means Committee and when this film was made, was run by Dan Rostenkowski, but in the film is run by the equally corrupt Dick Dodge, played by Lane Smith.

In 1994, Rostenkowski was indicted on corruption charges and stepped down as Ways and Means chairman; he lost his House seat in the Congressional elections later that year. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud in 1996, and was fined and served (1996-97) a 17-month sentence.

One of the great things about this film is how it parallels the real-life Congress and how sleazy things were run under the Democrats when they controlled it. This film is a must for anyone interested in politics and for anyone that would like to see Murphy play a different role than his usual fare. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Great Movie
I think Bogus is a great movie. I never saw it in the theater because I didn't like the title and I think obviously a lot of other people felt the same way I did about the title and didn't go see it for that, too. Albert (Haley Joel Osment) has to go live with his godmother, Harriet (Whoppi), that no one knew existed until Albert's mom was killed in a car accident. At first, Harriet doesn't like the idea of him coming to live with her and what seems to bother her most is that he is white and she's black. His mom's death was very sad for him and then going to live with some stranger in New York probably made everything worse. So Albert ends up metting an imaginary friend, Bogus, that no one can see but him. Even though I dont like the title, the movie makes up for it and everyone should go see it cause it is a great movie!

Bogus
Anyone who loved Haley Joel Osment in all his other roles will definitely love him in this! He's a little boy who loses his mother and ends up going to stay with his Godmother, Whoopie Goldberg, who normally is one of my Favorite Actress's, but in this movie I thought she was pretty cold hearted. Who could not love such a Sweet Little Boy. But thanks to Bogus, Gerard Depardieu, he changes her around to appreciate and love this wonderful and amazing boy. This is a movie that warms your heart, and makes you want to go and give your own children lots of love, or anyone else's. Haley Joel Osment once again gives a 5 Star Performance.

Bogus is, simply
a nice, sentimental family film. Worth watching.

FIRST OFF, THE PERSON WHO
says Whoopi didn't want the kid because he was white is a moron. Race had nothing to do with it, you complete cretin. She didn't want him because she didn't know how to deal with kids.
That being corrected, this film has its heavy-handed, corny and hammy moments, but it's truly touching and charming overall. Worth watching and yes, you probably will shed a tear or two, despite telling yourself you won't.

Childhood memories...
lol it's funny I was trying to figured out what the movie was called when the invisible friend slides under a women and says "eeuu cob webs"....lol wierd thata that movie comes out on DVD just as I try to remember it and finally found it. I loved the movie. not a big fan off Woopi but the boy and the friend are great ... Read more

Amazon.com

The premise is interesting, but the execution fails to live up to any of its potential. White Man's Burden imagines an America where black people are the ruling class and whites are underprivileged minorities. John Travolta stars as a factory worker who is fired after making a delivery to the house of the factory owner (Harry Belafonte) and accidentally peeping the man's naked wife through a window. Now jobless and unable to support his family, his wife (Kelly Lynch) leaves him. In desperation he kidnaps Belafonte. The best part of the film is seeing African American actors filling the smaller, background roles that usually go to white actors (such as police officers and wealthy suburbanites), but the movie fails in its poorly thought-out ideas. Transposing the characters' skin color out of the thinly veiled metaphor, John Travolta's portrayal of the poor black man as violent and uneducated (but family oriented), combined with Belafonte's rich white man as just and compassionate (and also family oriented), borders on being truly offensive. The fact that it's helmed by an Asian American director, Desmond Nakano, only makes you wonder why Asian Americans are conspicuously absent (as are Hispanics) and where the heck they would fit into this world, anyway. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (20)

This movie tries to make whites understand racism
Apart from the fact that there are no Asian or Hispanic characters in it, it tries to make the white audience understand racism by reversing the roles. I say this because alot of white people have trouble understanding racial hegemony because of strong sense of guilt which leads to denial and therefore ignorance. Many whites try to quantify racism as cross burnings and neoNazis, as opposed to the fact that racism is systemic throughout the Western world be it in the police, the education system, the economic structure, the media and popular culture and the bureaucracy. This movie I feel would of had greater impact if it discussed affirmative action by showing a black complaining about reverse discrimination and a white complaining about AA as being nothing but window dressing by having your token white guy here and there.This movie should have shown a white civil rights activist using arguments similar to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King-i.e complaining about how the black Africans colonized Europe and brought white people as slaves to America who as a result were denied there history and forced to accept black culture and be subjected ot an Afrocentric education curriculum. To put it in a nutshell racism is a very subjective experience.

interesting movie
I really didnt watch this until a couple of years ago and it was a very interesting movie I thought...full of thought I'd say...with John Travolta and Harry Belefonte giving it all they got was great...really riveting and dramatic. NOTE: if you watch closely at that hotdog stand part..youd recognize Seth Green(Knockaround Guys, The Italian Job, Stone Brook, Tv's Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Tvs Family Guy)..check it out

Good Idea, poor execution
The basic idea of this film is a good one-"what would happen if the tables were turned." And there are good moments, such as the White kid wanting a Black doll and seeing nothing but Blacks on tv that do a good job of getting the message across, but midway through the picture, this is pushed aside and it becomes just another action thriller. However, the scenes of rich Black neighborhoods and poor White neighborhoods aren't all that potent, as such communities do exist in real life.

Stereotype reversal changes perspective
This movie was very interesting on many levels. It reverses the role of the black man and the white man based on heavy stereotypes. The black man is wealthy and powerful and the white man is poor and lives in slums. I believe the filmmakers made it this way for at least two reasons. One is you get the point of the movie better, as it's backwards to what we see everyday in the news and that. Second it takes away from the typical movie. Most movies involving rich black people normally portray them as hip-hop rappers decked out in gold chains and driving Impala's with hydraulics. This is not the case in White Man's Burden. They are portrayed as business men, with wives dressed in fancy gowns and dresses. The men wear suits and ties, and the kids are similarly dressed to the T. Without giving away the plot of the movie, it is the struggle of a hard worker and his boss. How a typical employee of a large company is just a number to the corporate boss. I feel this movie is different in how the roles are reversed, black man is corporate boss, white man is typical employee.

Great topic!!! done too subtle
Anyone who complains about this movie doesn't understand that this sort of racism does exist. It was humorous to see the role reversal. I especially loved the parts where the white boy only wants the Black superhero doll and the Black cops hassle a white man simply because "he fits the description."

I just wish this movie had gone to the movie theaters for a wider audience. The role reversal was very subtle, and may not be picked up on immediately if the viewer didn't understand the premise of the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Quick Review
Malik Yoba plays Keith, a struggling journalist that comes up with a story idea. He uses the personal ads to get 30 dates in 30 days. He discovers all sorts of women until he discovers a girl (Stacey Dash) that sees right through him. What turns out to be a story idea becomes a quest to understand woman and their issues of dating.
If you have seen How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Never Been Kissed, this movie si sort of a hybrid of those movies. You pretty much see every type of woman out there and then some. A nice movie without the excessive sexual content.

Great Indy Film!
I had the pleasure of seeing this film in the summer of 2000 in Chicago as part of the "Go See Black Films" Film Fest and was thoroughly entertained. This is a fun movie about dating in the millennium. Everyone that I've let borrow my DVD version of Peronals has enjoyed it and purchased a copy for themselves. As a fan of Indy films, especially Black Indy Films, I cannot recommend Personals enough. It's funny, has a great looking cast, fun characters, and a message that everyone can relate to. This is a great date movie.

bbbbllllaaaahhhhhzzzzzeeeeyyyy
This was so tired as a film and a story. Nothing new and very very limited talent on both sides of the camera. No wonder this had no theatrical release. Malik Yoba once again proves to be a black version of Kevin Costner though with out the Costner pay checks.

Entertaining and Sexy
I had the pleasure of catching this film during a film festival in DC and I then ordered a copy from Amazon. It was hilarious at times, heartwarming at times, and just downright entertaining. The main character is a reporter who decides to date several women that he meets through personal ads for a story. He assumes that he will learn something pertinent about women but ends up finding out even more about himself, his behavior, and his emotional needs. I would suggest this movie to anyone who wants to discuss the male-female thing with their mate.

Anyone Can Relate
This is a film, I feel, that anyone who has ever dated in the 80's, 90's, or 00's can relate to. Anyone who has gone to the edges of the earth and tried every tactic availabe to find true love can relate to this. Especially someone who had dated someone from the personal ads or online. I really enjoy the message of 'sometimes true love can be staring you in the face.' I recommend this film to anyone single and especially to those who are dating. You might just see yourself in one or many of the characters. Excellently written, directed, and edited this film is easy to follow and really keeps your attention and your emotions at their peak! Malik Yoba and Stacey Dash both give excellent performances and the surprise ending will leave you with chills and possibly a tear of happiness. This film is a must for anyone's DVD or Video Library. A work of art that you can't help but watch over and over and over again. 'Personals' is definitely worth every dollar and then some. ... Read more