Tupac Shakur was a fascinating, mesmerizing figure who gave hip-hop a complex anti-hero that had everyone’s attention during his lightning speed ascension to the top of hip-hop.
The film charged with bringing his life to the big screen is anything but. “All Eyez On Me,” the Benny Boom directed biopic lands in theatres today – on what would have been Shakur’s 46th birthday – and audiences, particularly hardcore fans of the late rapper, should prepare to be underwhelmed.
Shakur was spellbinding as a rapper/actor with charisma and razor tongue that was quick to offer his unfiltered opinions in a manner that set him apart from the rest of the industry. Only 25 when his tragic death cemented his icon status, Shakur’s tumultuous career spanned just over five years. In that brief window, he was able to reach a status in the rap game that is yet to be eclipsed more than twenty years after his death.
His life played like a well-written Hollywood movie with an unexpectedly tragic ending. With all of the dots laid out by Shakur, somehow “All Eyez on Me” misses the mark on every cue as far as connecting them. What the viewer sees is a stereotypically bad made-for-television style drama that would lower the bar for Lifetime if the film appeared on the television network known for famously cheesy celebrity biopics.
In the film, Shakur’s life flashes before everyone’s eyes over the course of two hours and twenty minutes. Screenwriters Jeremy Haft, Eddie Gonzalez and Steven Bagatourian take the easy way out. The story is initially framed around Shakur’s participation in a media interview while in prison – a shortcut that allows them to flicker across his life without putting in any serious work with respect to crafting a film with depth and intention.
At the very beginning of the film, a pregnant Afeni Shakur unleashes a monologue on a reporter who asked her how it felt to be free after successfully representing herself in the case that had her imprisoned for most of the time Tupac was in her womb. Overacted and underwritten, Danai Gurira’s introduction of Afeni sets the tone for the entire film. “All Eyez on Me” goes from the womb to the grave, yet somehow never gets to the heart of Tupac.
As anticipation built for the film, the big worry seemed to be if newcomer Darius Shipp Jr. would be able to truly embody the character beyond the novelty of being a look alike. “All Eyez on Me” is the actor’s first film– and he beat out dozens for the role that eventually resorted to online auditions and open casting calls. Ironically, if Shipp hadn’t been forsaken by Boom and the screenwriters, his Tupac could have had an effect comparable to Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Ray Charles in “Ray.”
Cory Hardrict is also impressive in his role as “Nigel.” How the assumed gangster character managed to maneuver his way into Tupac’s inner circle is among many convoluted sidebars that were never quite flushed out enough to make sense, but he was still one of the few bright spots in the film.
“Notorious” star Jamal Woolard managed to regress with the reprisal of his role as Notorious B.I.G. Gurira’s Afeni Shakur shows potential, but the performance is so extra that it comes off as a poorly done Viola Davis as Afeni Shakur impersonation. Guirira bears an uncanny resemblance to Davis, but she should study Davis’ ability to add softness via subtle and authentic nuances.
In addition to the subpar writing and direction, there are a few glaring factual errors that won’t sit well with Tupac fans – particularly his performance of “Hail Mary” during his House of Blues album release party for the album that served as the title of his biopic. The single was released after his death.
Instead of providing answers and insight, “All Eyez on Me” leaves the viewer with more questions – and not in the way that one would hope. “All Eyez on Me” does not compel the viewer to research the rapper. Nor does the film add intrigue to the enigmatic elements of his personal life – or address the inner turmoil he must have faced as he teetered between his revolutionary roots and gangsta rap persona.
There was so much more to Tupac than what was on the surface, and with his death the world was left to wonder what would’ve come out of his endless potential.
Bu the biggest question that will haunt the audience of “All Eyez on Me” is, “What was the point of telling us everything we already knew on film in a way that was less entertaining than reading a Wikipedia page?”
“All Eyez on Me” is now open in theatres nationwide. The film is rated R with a run time of 150 minutes.
