Kings

The movie was all over the place. No character development, why was Hallie Berry with nine or ten various kids, oh I get fostering. Nothing explained. And I think her and Craig did the movie for free. Spike Lee would put it together better. You have to live the life before you can make film about South Central. Where I grew up. South central was worse than the film but it was a jumbled mess.

Meh. An important and interesting story that is still extremely relevant these days, told out of a rather unspectacular and to some degrees unbelievable perspective. Yes the film stars two very talented actors: Halle Berry and Daniel Craig however their roles are rather supporting and their performances not really stunning. Berry overacts easily and there is no motivation no explanation in her character. Craig is okay actually, another twist of character for him, however the development of his character makes no sense at all and there is also no explanation or anything for it. I think they just cut a LOT out of the movie. Really lousy writing that also continues with the plot.. there is not much of it, and the bits and pieces we get presented are absolutely unbelievable and often make no sense. The writer and director never stays true and honest with his characters and that is why the film fails. You really only get emotionally impacted by the film and that is during the short footage sequence at the end when the film is dedicated to some victim. Otherwise a missed opportunity for sure.

"Kings" (R, 1:32) is a crime drama, with romantic undertones, written and directed by award-winning director Deniz Gamze Ergüven (2015's "Mustang"). Although the title is never really explained, the film is about a family of foster kids in South Central Los Angeles who struggle to deal with endemic racial discrimination - and to survive the L.A. riots following the 1992 Rodney King beating trial verdict.

Oscar winner Halle Berry stars as Millie Dunbar, a foster mother who loves children and has a special place in her heart for troubled kids. She has a house full of them - boys and girls of different races and ages. She loves all of them as if they were her own and she works multiple jobs to take care of them. That last part means she's often away from home, and care for the younger ones often falls to her oldest, Jesse (Lamar Johnson). Jesse is intelligent and responsible, but he struggles against the instincts of his short-tempered best friend, William (Kaalan "KR" Walker), and a short-tempered neighbor, named Obie (Daniel Craig), who complains about Millie's parenting - and the noise coming from her house.

The film uses a re-enactment of the fatal March 16, 1991 shooting of teenager Latasha Harlins by an L.A. Korean convenience store owner and news of the shooter's conviction, but subsequent sentence of probation, to set the stage for the events to come. As frustration in the black community builds, the film's plot remains focused on Millie's make-shift family and their relationships with their friends and other members of their neighborhood, including Obie. When it is announced that the police officers who beat Rodney King on the night of March 3, 1991 have been acquitted, rioting begins. Millie's kids are involved in the mayhem in various ways and she fights to find and protect them, with Obie helping her.

"Kings" is a personal window into the lives of average people during one of the most upsetting and violent moments in recent American history. Although fictionalized, the story is nevertheless affecting and the film is dedicated to one of the young men who lost his life during the riots. Some of the plot points feel contrived, but the film's effective at delivering greater understanding of and compassion for those affected by the L.A. riots - and the issues that led up to that episode - some of which clearly continue to plague society today. "B+"

A muddled piece that doesn't begin to Capture LA during the riots Halle and Daniels interactions are forced. He goes from angry neighbor to love interest with no bridge in between. The makers knew what they were doing, casting two Bond actors together! That's why I tuned in. But not the best viewing for Daniel and Halle fans....

Very dramatic and fake acting nonsensical things happen, not realistic. Some scenes were so wtf and cringe. Bad directing. If it had a different director and fixed the script a little bit it would reach 9. But for now it's a 4.