Set It Off

This movie gives us a graphic insight into the possibility of what people might do under certain circumstances and situations. These young ladies' misfortunes in life have driven them to do something that otherwise would not have entered their minds: robbing a bank. Their participation in this criminal activity is a crying-out against the evils of their society and environment. In other words, they are saying "because of what you did to me...this is how I will respond". Anyone who has seen this film honestly knows that what they're doing is just as morally wrong as what has happened to each of them, but, for some deep-seated reason, we find ourselves rooting for them - even hoping that they get away with it. Each character reveals a problematic area in our working society: unfair employment and termination practices, inadequate childcare options, hindrances and distractions of the ghetto and other social plights and dilemmas.

We may not agree with what these young ladies are doing but somehow we understand. (please see this movie...)

i thought Set it Off showed how versatile Queen Latifah is when it comes to acting. Having only seen her portrayed as attractive i was amazed at how well she took on the role of 'Cleo'. The movie as a whole i thought was good with a strong story line that held true to the end of the film. I applaud Queen Latifah she certainly has what it takes to do any role asked of her. She showed a different side of herself and it paid off. To you Queen Latifah well done. The other members of the cast also played their roles well especially Jada Pinkett. The story was a good one and even brought a little tear to my eye at the end. I think this is a film in which we can all learn something.

This movie did not deserve the 2am timeslot it was given here (Downunder).

It is a down-on-the-street, impactful, action/drama.

Fantastic acting (DAMN that Will Smith is a lucky guy :-), realistic, entertaining, and sometimes sad.

What more could a movie goer/watcher ask for?

Warning though - a lot of swearing - which usually doesnt matter much here in Australia, but for some reason, they relegated this really good movie to a late (VERY late) timeslot.

From start to finish, "Set It Off" is a fast-paced urban drama that never lets up for a minute. The four leads (Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise) turn in realistic and sincere performances. Queen Latifah's strong performance as a tough gun-packing lesbian who takes s*** from no one steals the show. She plays Cleo, who sees her friends suffer at the hands of injustice. Her best friend, Stony (Jada Pinkett-Smith), loses her brother to the LAPD. Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is unfairly discharged from the bank that got robbed in the first scene. T.T. (Kimberly Elise) is a young struggling single mother who sees her son get taken away by Child Protective Services after a small "accident." Their solution: rob a few banks and get out of town. F. Gary Gray ("Friday," "The Negotiator") knows what buttons to push to make "Set It Off" a cut above most ghetto films and gives us characters to root for. My evaluation: *** out of ****.

It's being along time since I've seen a film that really took my breath away, but this shook me to my bones. What seems to start off as a stereotypical film about racial injustice, ends as a story of the highest calibre. The 4 leading ladies act to perfection, making the tragedy and heartbreak so real. If you don't cry at the end of this, I suggest you get out in the sunshine and thaw!