Bullet Points: Gang Related
There has always been some debate about whether Tupac Shakur is still alive or if he is dead. People still claim to see him around, his music kept getting released after his alleged death and many don’t want to let go of the incredibly talented man. I won’t speculate on his current corporeal status, but what I do know is that his acting career is certainly dead. I haven’t seen a new Tupac movie since 1997, and that is a crying shame. Tupac had a short but prolific acting career in a wide variety of film genres. Today, I want to look back at a taut action crime film that not only was Tupac’s last performance in a film, but it might be his best performance in a film. So it is all eyes on me as I take you on a journey to 1997’s Gang Related.
-
The Gang’s All Here: Homicide Detectives Divinci (James Belushi, The Principal) and Rodriguez (Tupac Shakur) are a couple of dirty cops who like to sell drugs to drug dealers and then kill them to get the money, drugs, and rid the streets of a criminal. When the pair are put in charge of these killings they can easily make it seem like the murders are gang related. It is not a bad plan to end up with the gear and the money, if you can stomach the killing. Divinci uses his stripper lover Cynthia Webb (Lela Rochon, The Big Hit) to help get the drug dealers, and whatever other itch he needs scratched… if you know what I mean. When their latest victim turns out to be DEA Agent Lionel Hudd (Kool Moe Dee, Storm Trooper) the trio are in a for a serious game of finding a fall guy for the murder, planting and hiding evidence, and trying to fool the LAPD and DEA. Luckily it is Divinci’s inquest as he and Rodriguez are the detectives in charge of Hudd’s murder.
-
Gang Bang: There is a quality montage of the two detectives arresting and interrogating potential criminals they can plant the murder on, with each one failing. Finally, Divicini finds a drunk, Joe Doe, who lives on the street (Dennis Quaid) who he easily manipulates into thinking that he killed Hudd. Divinci and Rodriguez convince Cynthia to testify that she saw Joe murder Hudd even though she know Joe because he sleeps in the alley outside her building. Joe has a public defender Elliot Goff (David Paymer) who is not convinced that Joe was the murder. Further confusing the matter for Divinci and Rodriguez is the gun they planted on Joe was evidence for another murder case that allows a killer to be set free. There is a real case of digging yourself a bigger hole going on with the pair and you can feel the tension build as the movie progresses.
-
Gang Wrapped: Halfway through the movie, famous attorney Arthur Baylor (James Earl Jones, Excessive Force) shows up and the film takes the turn away from mostly action and leans heavily on the drama. Joe ends up being a previously assumed dead rich and famous surgeon William McCall with Baylor there to help exonerate him. Baylor gets Rochon to admit she lied about seeing Joe killed and he is set free. The jig is up for Rodriguez and Divinci, but a surprise minor story line barely talked about or shown swoops in to take care of Rodriguez. Divinci also gets his comeuppance from a slightly larger plot point, but still not satisfying. The oddest part is that we see Joe/William preparing for surgery. What medical board gave this guy back a medical license after living on the street as an alcoholic for a number of years and at one point in the movie was going to be ruled incompetent to stand trial by reason of insanity? He is the opposite of Samson. Once he shaved his beard and cut his hair he got his surgical strength back and the ability to avoid alcohol.
Gang Related is a must watch for those trying to see the entire Tupac filmography (which can be done in one day if you are dedicated,) and is one that won’t disappoint action fans. Tupac shines as a troubled cop while Belushi is left to chew up the scenery as the cop with lesser morals. The one area that Gang Related fails is in the fact that even though it has a few twists it has a predictable ending where everything is wrapped up nicely with a bow. For a movie that has a very gritty motif, an unexpected ending would have been great. However, this Bullet Points will have an expected ending as it is time for some Bonus Bullet Points!
-
Radio Related: Gang Related, unsurprisingly, has a top notch soundtrack featuring Tupac Shakur and friends. Although it is confusing to see a scene with a Tupac song playing after just seeing Tupac on screen. Is that supposed to be his character singing? Are we not supposed to know it is Tupac? The only thing they stopped me from thinking about it too much was that the song was playing during a strip club scene.
-
Television Related: There was a television show titled Gang Related that lasted one season in 2014. It has no connection with the movie, but did star RZA, another hip hop artist turned actor.
-
Movie Related: Chris the Brain once wrote about The Base 2: Guilty as Charged, “Any movie that works in the classic phrase ‘sh*t from Shinola’ is ok with me.” If that is still true, he is gonna love Gang Related.
-
Auto Related: Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister (Judgment Day) has a small (tiny?) role as a bodyguard. The only thing unique about his role is that his name is Cutlass Supreme, which is a type of car I once owned. One day I should write down all the different cars I have owned…
- Related Related: Star Lela Rochon has married some very successful men of action. First she was married to Adolfo ‘Shabba-Doo’ Quinones (Steel Frontier… Steel Frontier?!? Ok, Shabba-Doo isn’t too successful in action movies, but he can dance his ass off.) After divorcing Quinones, Rochon married director Antoine Fuqua (director of the similarly themed 2001 movie Training Day… conspiracy?!?)
