 |
Biker Boyz
2003 - PG-13 - 91 Mins.
|
| Director: Reggie Rock Bythewood | | Producer: Gina Prince-Bythewood | | Written By: Craig Fernandez and Reggie Rock Bythewood | | Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Kid Rock, Lisa Bonet, and Kadeem Hardison |
| Review by: Joe Rickey |
| |
|
Seemingly effortless in its utter lack of anything resembling some sign of substance or originality, Biker Boyz is a pathetic attempt at a Fast and the Furious clone, except this time it surrounds the world of motorcycle street racing. Reggie Rock Bythewood directs this clichéd and visually bland action film and Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, and Orlando Jones star in this abomination.
Biker Boyz tells the story of the underground world of motorcycle street racing with Laurence Fishburne as the legendary leader of a biker gang and Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as the new kid initiated into the underground world.
Direction by Bythewood is so bland and uninteresting in every way possible. The action sequences are supposed to be exciting and altogether pulse pounding but they fall flat and unimaginative here. Director Bythewood lacks any sense of style, which is really needed with the material because Rob Cohen’s hyperactive style helped make The Fast and the Furious a blockbuster with flashy special effects and a sense of speed. The races in this film come across as cheesy and very lame. This film desperately needed the visual genius of a director like Brian De Palma to help overshadow its narrative weaknesses.
The horrid script doesn’t help matters any. All of the characters speak in short and bland sentences sprinkled with all sorts of slang. The only character the script bothers to fully develop is Laurence Fishburne’s while all of the others come across as paper-thin clichés of the character types previously seen in the obvious inspiration for this film, The Fast and the Furious. The script for a moment seems like it might try and develop the personalities of the minor characters but then bypasses the prospect entirely. One word to describe the script would be uninspired.
The actors don’t get much to work with but they are either way over the top (Fishburne) or too subdued (Derek Luke) for the material. Fishburne’s character is reminiscent of Vin Diesel’s in F and F but he doesn’t have the presence of Diesel and is simply too old for the role. Derek Luke seems to think he is still acting as Antwone Fisher and is therefore subdued and doesn’t register for much of the film. Orlando Jones isn’t his normally humorous self and frankly, doesn’t really do much during the course of the film. In supporting roles, such people as Kid Rock (Joe Dirt) and Larenz Tate (The Postman) are similarly and predictably over the top.
Overall, Biker Boyz is a wholly clichéd and not so thrilling piece of cinematic garbage.
|
|
|
