Waist Deep

Waist Deep is another in the never ending black gangster films depicting a group of people the simply don't exist anywhere. O2, the misunderstood ex-con trying to get his life back on track, gets car-jacked while his son is sleeping the back seat of the car. His son winds up in the hands of a gangster that owns the streets, dismembering and killing with impunity. O2 and his posse rob banks and rich people trying to get enough money to buy his son back. Lots of action and blood in a well made film with inadequate dialog. If you like lots of gangster speak and culture, you'll like this film. Otherwise, it's a lot like all the other gangster films out there – pick one.

This isn't a great movie but it's good, fun, mindless entertainment.

I'm a huge fan of "Gridlock'd" and went into this film expecting a clever take on the action genre from Vondie Curtis Hall. What I got was an action-packed movie that borrowed from many films before it; its saving grace is its urban twist, the tongue in cheek humor (Kimora Lee's cameo is priceless) and its stars, Tyrese Gibson, Meagan Good and Larenz Tate. If you're fans of either actor, you'll allow yourself to believe the unbelievable moments--and there are many of them.

The action is non-stop, the hip hop soundtrack delivers in all the right places and you could plant a pretty garden in the plot holes but you'll certainly get your money's worth with the gunfights, beautiful people and adrenaline racing chase scenes--and in the end, isn't that what action films are all about?

There are two basic sub-genres within the "urban" (read black guys) category: 1/ The totally play-to-cliché everyone rocks a glock & has dumb hair & shoots before they talk & hates the cops & keeps it real at all times & is part of a gang selling drugs & 110% gangsta 112% of the time.

2/ A more realistic portrayal, which if the depictions are right is all of the above only slightly less so.

Waist Deep straddles the line of the two and ends up being a bit of both, but as a result not much of anything.

Streets is hot in LA cuz. There are continual street demonstrations demanding that the violence be stopped, (though for some reason this never really comes into the storyline – so why have it?) and the mood is tetchy.

Otis is called away from his job to pick up son Otis Jr who is about 9 years old. On the way home his car is jacked with Otis Jr in it. (Might I add that Otis Sr has the nickname O2, wouldn't it make more sense for his son to have that moniker?) Moving on… O2 realises that the hot (seriously) chick who distracted him and thereby assisted in the jacking was in on the ground floor. He grabs her (never abet a car-jacking and expect to run away in high heels luv) and after the girl Coco realises he really loves his son the two set off top spend the rest of the movie finding him.

Within 12 minutes or so O2 finds out through his sketchy cousin Lucky that a gang called the Outlaws (ooooh scary) lead by crime-boss Big Meat (it pays to advertise I guess?) has O2-2 and wants O2 to pay a ransom to get him back.

To raise the funds O2 and Coco – sounds like a bad Euro DJ team – must wreak a 2 person crime wave all over the city during which Coco gets to wear a cavalcade of fashionable outfits that were fortunately provided in an otherwise pointless scene where they go to an underground fashion dealer and stick 'em up.

I'm not complaining much, Coco is hot.

The film continues the paint by numbers approach, there is a love scene, proof that Big Meat is tough, nasty and ruthless and also that O2 is basically a hard working father pushed into a situation against his will, yet eminently capable in this environment… and Coco is still hot and wears lots of outfits (not sure if I mentioned that before).

The title Waist Deep probably means something, I have no idea what. The film is far less macho and has fewer chest-puffed out scenes than the poster might suggest, it also isn't anywhere near as over the top as I predicted. It's merely another film where a Dad must save his child from the naughty guys while the clock is running… and neither a good nor an especially bad one.

Final Rating – 5 / 10. Referring back to the first statement in this review: there are 2 sub-genres available. Waist Deep chooses neither, which is the main reason that it is quite forgettable and not very entertaining.

WAIST DEEP follows a tried and true formula: Ex-con's son is kidnapped by his ex-partner in crime, a ransom is demanded, the ex-con works diligently to put together the ransom while doing his best to undermine his old partner, and there's a final showdown between them. The kid is cute, the ex-con is an impressive slab of beef, the former partner is suitably menacing and fugly beyond belief, and of course there's a pretty female to help things along. The formula works most of the time, but the movie is so predictable that in the end I asked myself why I bothered to rent it. There is a heckuva car chase near the end that sort of makes up for a dull middle. The movie, which could have just as easily starred Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson in his prime, clearly was aimed at an urban audience even though it was heavily marketed as a mainstream flick. That's why I rented it. It could have been a lot worse, I suppose.

I took this movie home the other day not really expecting to see much of a movie but I was like what the hell, I'll give it a try and was pleased.

This movie didn't have the most original plot. It was just a father trying to get his kidnapped son back. Tyrese Gibson played the father who would very much rather forget his past and jail time so he set a good example for his kid. I thought Gibson did a very good job as he teamed up with the very attractive actress Meagan Good. Also in the movie was Larenz Tate. Tate did not impress me. It seemed like he just re-enacted his role in Crash.

Your not going to see a masterpiece after watching this film. Your not going to get blown away by the acting even though it was above average. They're some hard-nosed scenes such as when I guy gets his armed chopped off for not paying back the money. But the movie seemed to have heart and I believe it was directed very well. Such scene is when Gibson's character is running than switches to first person as the director, Vondie Curtis-Hall, has the camera shaking constantly to give it a more dramatic feel.

The relationship between Good and Gibson's character grew way to fast but still was par. There are some moments that are far fetched but the movie was still very entertaining and intense and I believe it gets a 7.5 rating (rounded to a 8).

Acting 7, editing 6, directing 8, plot 6.