No Surrender Cinema: Rappin’
As we near the end of Black History Month, I’d like to put the spotlight on a movie I’ve intended to sit down and review for a while now. This month’s No Surrender Cinema is going to go down in history as the first time I’ve reviewed a movie that truly defines the term “Bulletproof Action”, because there isn’t a bullet (or much action) to be seen throughout the film! So why was this movie the subject of this month’s column? Sit back and relax while we hit the streets with Mario Van Peebles and do some Rappin’!
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has visited this site that we adore Cannon Films. The low budget studio was a powerhouse in the heyday of 80’s and early 90’s action films, but they also never found a craze they couldn’t capitalize on. In some instances, they were a little late to the game (such as with Masters of the Universe, releasing the movie towards the tail end of the toy line), but the release of Breakin’ came at the perfect time, when breakdance culture was riding high and hip hop was on the rise. Breakin’, released in 1984, became the most successful Cannon film, earning almost $40 million dollars against its million dollar budget, and even outgrossing Sixteen Candles on opening weekend! A sequel was put into production almost immediately, the nonsensically named phenomenon Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, and just a few months after that, Cannon transitioned from their poppin’ and lockin’ heroes to one that chose to win people over with wordplay. I’m talking of course about John “Rappin'” Hood, the protagonist and hip hop hero of Rappin’.
We have all we would need to make an excellent action movie here. Cannon Films. Mario Van Peebles. Gritty ghetto streets. Rival gangs. Even Bruce Leroy’s little brother (Leo O’Brien of The Last Dragon fame and the real life little brother of hip hop pioneer Master Gee of the Sugarhill Gang) is present and accounted for. Famous faces like Eriq La Salle (Coming To America, ER), Kadeem Hardison (A Different World, Drive), and rap god turned SVU mainstay Ice-T are also all here. Sounds like Cannon could have done a lot with what they had, but rather than a film full of inner city chaos and bloodshed, battles are fought and won with words. It’s a far cry from Kosugi, Bronson, and Dudikoff, but what Rappin’ lacks in action, it has in heart.
The movie begins with John Hood being set free from a stint behind bars, much to the chagrin of the neighborhood stereotypes (ethnic store owners, shady businessmen, etc). It also appears that there’s a gang of thugs that aren’t too happy to see him, but we see that it’s just Hood’s old gang breaking his balls. I’m not sure cracking a whip at a guy who just got out of prison (and the PC police would have a field day with a whip being used in a movie with a predominantly black cast) is the best way to say “hey”, but Ice (La Salle) is as cold as the name suggests and doesn’t seem to find much humorous. After reuniting with his friends and younger brother Allan, Hood seems all too happy to put his prison life behind him and settle back into life at home with Allan and their grandmother. Unfortunately for Hood, his old lackey Duane (Charles Flohe, who appeared in The Delta Force under the name Charles Grant, and also had a guest role on one of my favorite shows ever, Dallas) has formed a gang of his own AND stolen Dixie (Tasia Valenza), Hood’s girlfriend, from him. Hood, ever the pacifist, plays this whole situation rather coolly, but it’s obvious from the start that he still has eyes for Dixie, and that’s going to bring trouble calling. All things considered, his re-entry into society is going better than Lucas Hood’s (no relation) did in Banshee.
Duane isn’t the only one attempting a hostile takeover of Hood’s streets. Another foil for Hood is Thorndike, a ruthless businessman who wants everyone evicted from the ghetto so it can be razed in favor of building new high end properties. Since Hood is devoted to not returning to prison anytime soon, and strives to keep his brother and friends out of trouble, they dedicate their efforts to protecting the ghetto population. Much like his name suggests, Rappin’ Hood is a modern day Robin Hood, tasking his Merry Men with distributing food to the poor (food they stole after teasing the overweight member of the gang, appropriately named Fats, with a rap titled “Snack Attack”. If this movie was made in modern times it would be taken to task on Twitter for fat-shaming someone), and even stealing an oil truck to bring heat back to the neighborhood, aided by the local hooker. It’s a little suggestive for a movie with a PG rating, but it’s all played for laughs instead of any type of titillation. Besides, movies got away with a lot more back in the 80’s, before everyone got so sensitive, but that’s another conversation for another day.
Naturally, the two antagonists find some common ground, and pool their efforts to destroy Hood and co. Thorndike’s lackey Cedric commissions Duane and his crew to do the dirty work that will send residents packing, and this allows Duane to undermine Hood’s defense of his home. Duane is also fueled by the longing stares between Hood and Dixie, and is angered even further when Dixie starts spending more time with John as she tries to get her boss, Bravman, to sign John to a music deal. Allan also finds himself in trouble when he gets busted for stealing Cedric’s car stereo in an act of revenge for posting eviction notices. Despite his solid reasoning for doing it, that’s all the ammunition needed to get Allan in trouble, which is one thing that Hood never wanted for his brother. Cedric’s anger towards the Hood’s also causes him to enlist Duane and his crew to intimidate the residents, something that doesn’t sit well with everyone else, even Cedric, who only wanted the people scared, not for Duane to take it as far as he did.
At this point you’re probably wondering to yourself “is there ANY action in Rappin’?”, and the answer is yes, but barely. Much like the aforementioned hooker scene, everything is done at a PG level. The very first confrontation in the movie is one that gets settled in a dance battle rather than fisticuffs. A bar brawl that sees punches thrown and chairs shattered is broken up by Hood busting out a ridiculous freestyle rap about the effects of “Lady Alcohol”. It’s not until the final act that we see the rival gangs take to the streets and throw down. Ice and the boys, minus Hood, show up just as Duane is shaking Cedric down, and we get a good old fashioned street brawl. Hood does a run in in the nick of time to even the odds for his crew, and Duane finally gets his wish to square off with his rival. Duane not only gets in the first punch, but pulls a knife on Hood, and this finally drives Hood to throw a few blows and turn Duane’s own knife on him. Just when it looks like Hood is going to stick it to Duane (literally), Dixie, Grandma, and everyone else plead with him to not go back down a dark path. Cooler heads prevail, but the threat of Thorndike still looms over the city.
So we FINALLY got some action here in Rappin’, how can it be topped for the climax? Answer: it can’t. Thorndike is still a problem, and now it’s time for Hood and the boys to utilize the power of rap to set things straight once and for all. The city council, Cedric, and even Duane, not far removed from being a pin cushion, are won over by the effort, and all of our plot points are tied up nicely. As the credits start rolling, Hood hits the streets one last time, and all the main players engage in one final rap celebrating their victory.
Like I said, if you’re expecting something like Revenge of the Ninja, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Rappin’ is not your typical Cannon film, but neither was Breakin’, and that was a huge hit for them, so it made sense to stick to the winning formula. In fact, in some circles, Rappin’ is known as Breakdance 3: Electric Boogalee (no, I’m not kidding), so this is somewhat of a spiritual sequel to Cannon’s cash cow. As silly as that sounds, give Cannon credit for trying to diversify their portfolio. Rappin’ wasn’t as big of a hit as Breakin’, but much like I love those movies, I love Rappin’ just the same. I’ve mentioned it in this column before, but I’m deeply invested in hip hop and urban culture, and Rappin’ is something that I have to give credit for helping to further enable that. I was only 6 years old when this movie hit cable, but can vividly recall the first time I ever saw it. With as many movies as I’ve seen in my life, that’s a testament to the enjoyment this film carries for me. Looking at where many of their careers went, this is quite a powerhouse ensemble of people, and their talents were showing early on. Most of the music here is infectious and will have you rappin’ or humming along, but the most memorable song for me is “First Love Never Dies”, a love ballad being performed in the studio where Dixie works as she daydreams about Hood. The Force MDs make an appearance performing “Itchin’ For a Scratch”, and Ice-T lets some words flow as well. I wouldn’t say it’s on par with the soundtrack for Judgement Night, but it all adds to the appeal Rappin’ has.
For those who want to watch it, Rappin’ is a rarity when it comes to cable television and streaming. In fact, the only time I’ve seen it on TV in the past 5 years was on basic, commercial television, and I honestly can’t recall ever seeing it stream on Netflix. That said, it’s rather easy to come by on physical media, as it got a standard DVD release years back, and recently got the Blu-Ray treatment from Shout Factory. Some might choose to opt for it popping up on TV or online, but if the price is right, it’s worth a purchase, especially for Cannon fans and children of the 80’s. Sure, there might not be any blood being spilled, but spittin’ rhymes to save the day is a good alternative to getting your hands dirty.
