Escuadrón de secuestros

In Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin In The Sun", the character of Beneatha describes so-called "assimilationist negroes", or black men that have immersed themselves in a dominant culture while neglecting their African roots. Suffice it to say that this description can be applied to Bruford Jamison, the lead character of David Clark Johnson's "DROP Squad". Here's a movie that takes a provocative, timely idea, and completely buries it with muddled execution.

Eriq La Salle ("ER"'s Dr. Benton) plays Bruford, an advertising executive determined to ascend up the corporate ladder. This involves demeaning advertising campaigns, including a satirical television spot for fried chicken that boasts a gospel choir, napkins with bible verses, and Spike Lee, who's also executive producer of this film. Along the way, he manages to ignore his cousin, Flip, who's out of work and incessantly asking for a favor from his favorite cousin.

These factors prompt Bruford's sister Lenora to call on the DROP (Deprogramming and Restoration of Pride) Squad, a group of militant brothers who work to bring "fallen" blacks back down to earth. The squad, whose past targets include a politician and man of the cloth, kidnap Bruford, strap him to a chair, and proceed to torture him for several weeks.

And it's at this point that the film's message is lost completely. There were moments that had punch; in particular, the friction between Bruford and squad member Garvey, played with ferocity by Ving Rhames. There's one brutal exchange when Bruford chides Garvey for not being able to make it in the real world that nearly rises above everything else onscreen. But all the while, as Bruford is being verbally and physically assaulted by the squad, it's disturbing that his civil rights never come into the equation. And since when did this kind of violence ever become productive, given their cause?

All in all, a movie with a topic more deserving of stronger execution.

In a Black community, the Deprogramming and Restoration Of Pride Squad is kidnapping Black folks who have forgotten their Black culture, and restoring their Blackness to them. Everyone's on board with the kidnapping, although there is some argument about the deprogramming. Some want to use persuasion and the love of their family. Others want to beat the **** out of them.

It has a good cast, including Eriq La Salle, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Ving Rhames, and Vanessa Williams. It's produced by Spike Lee, which may make you think you're going to get one of his offensive-to-all satires, like CHI-RAQ or BAMBOOZLED; instead, the rough stuff is limited to one of the to-be-programmed characters who has gone to work for the advertising industry, creating commercials for advertiser Spike Lee that hit every stereotypical button. Instead, it examines the conflicts within the community that lead to a rising tide of violence in far more sober terms.

Many top name actors appear in this film. A must see film for all people! Definitely makes one think about and analyze your own values. Race is a very strong determining factor in American society and this movie speaks to what it means to be true to yourself.

I believe this film was made w/ its creators knowing that it would be shot down by various "types" of people who'll just simply refuse to look at it objectively. In my opinion, it is a "must see" for everyone aimed particularly at the Black bourgeois. I like the fact that not only does the DROP Squad address the problems of Blacks self-exploiting racial stereotypes for personal financial gain, it also questions the tactics that must be enacted to solve these problems. The aim of the DROP Squad is very provocative but I especially like the human aspect whereas the "Rocky" character debates w/ "XB" and "Garvey" on how to deal w/ the captive individuals to be "dropped." Rocky has a more diplomatic approach that seems to have been more effective back in earlier times around when the group was founded. Seemingly as time has passed and the situation has evolved to crazier proportions, XB and Garvey have resorted to more drastic tactics in order to "get their attention first." I believe what many people fail to realize is that this picture is asking the question "Which, if any, of these methods are more appropriate to addressing this problem?" The tone of the film gets "crazier" as time moves on and the problem gets worse, thus developing the drama where the Squad questions itself altogether. Whether you like this movie or not, you've got to admit that it serves its purpose and that's to "incite dialogue" and not racism.

In a sense everything the original poster says is correct but ironically their judgment is guilty of the same short sighted-sightedness as the movie. Race, identity, culture and politics are deeply complex sensitive issues. Most works of art (or general comments like these) can only address a handful of those issues from a single perspective. The "great" artists and their works are able to encompass the multiplicity of views rendering the complex simple enough to digest yet learn from (for the converted choir and the alienated masses).

Unfortunenately Drop Sqaud is not one of these works of arts. Yet I do not believe its content should be dismissed with such an easy wave of the hand. For me I found something valuable from this movie yet I completely see the original poster's comments. I am writing this comment/rebuttal not to debate or argue the worth of Drop Sqaud but to urge those of you interested in this movie to give it a chance knowing that their is "something" there even if it's buried in a bunch of "nothing".

peace