I have enjoyed many of the great gangster films such as “Goodfellas”, “Scarface” and “The Departed” but “Boyz N The Hood” did very little for me. I respect the fact that it is well-made but I ultimately find the black gangs of Los Angeles rather uninteresting. There’s just something that sparks my interest more when you make a film about the mafia or the Yakuza.

In this film, we follow a group of young black males that were raised on some of the most violent streets in America. We see them develop from mere boys to young adults as they try to navigate the dangers surrounding them posed by living in areas dominated by gangs.

Cuba Gooding Jr. (“Jerry Maguire”) is really weak as Tre. He never seems remotely invested in anything that is going on and I found the performance to be unconvincing. Ice Cube (“Friday”) is a little better as ‘Doughboy’. Morris Chestnut (“Half Past Dead”) is tolerable as Ricky. The chemistry between the men is poor; I never really felt like they were friends. I actually prefer the performances from the child actors that play these characters in the early scenes. Laurence Fishbourne (“The Matrix”) and Angela Bassett (“Contact”) play Tre’s parents and they are okay but nothing special. Nobody real grabbed my attention like the cast members in other crime dramas and that is a big problem.

“Boyz N The Hood” has some controversial but important stuff to say at times and I can see that the writers and director have talent even if not everybody in front of the camera is great. Ultimately, I just found the criminal worlds showcased in other crime films more intriguing. If you are interested in the Crips and the Bloods then this is probably a movie that you will enjoy. If you want a better movie exploring the issues faced by minorities in urbanised areas, watch “Do The Right Thing” instead.