Boricua's Bond

I absolutely hated this movie. First there were hardly any Boricua's in the film. The story was, wait, what story? It was worst than a student film. I think the director got into some money, got some singers and rappers to be in the film and then shot random scenes, not necessarily caring whether the end result would make sense or not. Don't get fooled by Big Pun appearing on the movie poster. He is in the movie a total of about five minutes and that's only because the brilliant (can you sense my sarcasm) director used the same part of Big Pun in the beginning and then again in the end. Director,(hmmm. does he even deserve that title? uhhh, NO) at any rate, Val Lik went on to create a film where every negative stereotype about latinos were blatantly perpetuated. The movie absolutely disgusts me and it will go down as the worst movie I have seen to date.

This film seems like it was inspired by a bunch of guys that sat around in the Bronx drinkin' and smokin' and laughin' at each others jokes and putdowns, then figured, "we ought to make a movie about this". Although there were moments that worked (many of the amateurs gave relatively inspired performances), the movie basically send a negative message: that Blacks and Puerto Ricans are enemies (ignoring the fact that Puerto Ricans are a mulatto race). It also perpetuates the idea that Boricuas dream and aspire to be white. Simple minds are easily influenced by this kind of tripe. For example, joanna 9 writes in her review on this website that she's from P.R. and never lived in NY, but then goes on to say that blacks mistreat Puerto Ricans. What a genius. Finally, most of the blame for the negative portrayal of Blacks in this (and any other) film rests squarely on the shoulders of the Black "actors". There are no whites in blackface to blame anymore.

First off, I am an aspiring independent film director myself. When I had talked to consultants about my project, they told me never to write something that I didn't know anything about. Case and point, a Russian named Val Lik has decided to write and direct a film about Puerto Ricans, like myself, and failed miserably, because it's obvious he doesn't know what he's talking about.

This movie had little plot and I couldn't tell who the lead was from time to time. When reading the TV Guide review, it stated that a white kid was trying to survive in a Puerto Rican neighborhood. When I read the online review, it stated that a painter looked to do something better with his life besides crime and drugs and prostitution. So, what character are we supposed to follow? Not even Val Lik, who plays the white kid, knows who we are supposed to follow. It's completely fake.

Not to mention, Axel, an overweight Boricua, taking off his clothes any chance he gets to do so. If I had to see this kid's ass one more time, I was going to shoot myself. His little hijinx distract from the message that Val was attempting to convey. Why add a scene where Axel hitches a ride from the police? What good is that to the overall story?

Considering how weak his story was, he enlisted the help of hip-hoppers Big Pun, DMX, Method Man, Redman, and a few others, to try and earn him some credibility. It doesn't. Not to take anything away from any of these artists, but this outsider's look on Puerto Ricans in the inner city gives him no credibility and no chance of redemption in my eyes, regardless of who he casts in the film.

this movie was so terrible words can't even describe how stupid I felt after watching it. First off the acting was terrible, the story was so fumbled and drawn out, one after the other cliches. I guess we haven't seen enough movies about the inner city youth that is a bad seed but has good in him and a talent(painting) but the 'hood keeps pulling him under so that talent and good can never shine until his friend shoots a cop in a holding cell. I'd rather eat glass than watch this movie again.

Last year while I was over my Uncle's house for Thanksgiving I found this movie on the TV. I have to say that it touched me and sucked me into it immediately after watching a few seconds of it. I can't deny half of it had to deal with that I'm attracted to Frankie Negron but it was a all-around good movie. I enjoyed seeing my fellow PRs depicted as people. Not as gang-bangers or whatever others like to see us as. Yet what I really appreciated about this movie was that they didn't try to "clean" them up; they showed that even if you grow up in a bad environment that dosen't mean that you don't have any morals or standards. Frankie Negron showed through his character that beauty can grow from concrete. The immense talent and sacrifice that his character endured depicted this. Showing that he befriended someone different from the rest of the neighborhood kids was a great example of acceptance. All around a good movie that touched me. I give it and 7.5 out of 10.