Illegal Tender

I was actually surprised that this was fairly good. It wasn't "good" or "excellent", but it is OK enough to enjoy at some points. Not only that, but it has a storyline that has a nice touch near the end.

The film begins in mid 80s New York, with Wilson and several drug gangsters. He has a knocked up woman and money set aside. But then things get tricky and he winds up dead. The viewer is left wondering "why?".

Thats when it goes to 2007. The child being carried is grown up, has his own woman, but he doesn't know who his father was. Events turn the college student into a man chasing down the past. Eventually things get settled in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. There young Wilson Jr. discovers his father's secret past and why things are they way they are.

Without ruining why, the plot twist at the end explains one scene that didn't make sense at the beginning. So that was well done. However, some of the characters didn't exactly fit the bill, especially in the scenes outside New York and Connecticut. Plus, the music was all wrong for much of the film.

Some people question "Ana"(Daina Ramirez), the girlfriend of Wilson Jr. She stays with him through the film, but she is seemingly the stereotypical 'damsel'. However, there are many women like that who are soft hearted so I don't have doubts about the character.

With everything said, I think the film is moderately good. So have a look and try it out. Its nothing special, but its good enough to draw your attention. "B-"

Whats to say about Latino Scorcese reshuffle, lack of originality Cliché after cliché, Over acting, Ridiculous motivations.

Decent use of music.

Is this the best we can do?

how about a filmmaker with the balls. Is there anyone out there? someone who's not gonna cut to the gun.

"but without violence they won't come" maybe. Or at least the gangbangers wont.

But you can try something else that may show a different side life. Something deeper. and Who knows maybe you'll find a voice.

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Puerto Rico, Stand Up!, September 2, 2007

I have to give John Singleton major respect for giving Puerto Rican actors their time to shine. I was going to see this movie regardless because I think Rick Gonzalez is gorgeous. (It's a weakness, but if an attractive man plays a lead role, chances are it's going to catch my eye.) However, I read in JET magazine that the cast was many shades of Puerto Rican people, and I really respected that. African American actors get shunned plenty of times for trying to go against stereotypical roles, and Latino actors absolutely get treated the same if not worse, so for Singleton to put out a movie with a dominant PR cast was something I really respected.

Now on to the movie. Not only did I respect the cast variation, but I also liked how Singleton took this movie against the grain. Instead of having Latinos in a poverty-stricken neighborhood looking mean as hell, he went against the stereotype and made the main characters upper class in an extremely nice neighborhood. Whatever car Wilson (Gonzalez's character) was driving was FILTHY GORGEOUS! Wilson grew up with the spoiled, rich kid lifestyle thanks to his mother fleeing his parents' past. But the witness protection program is a joke, and his mother has involuntarily made herself a subtle gangster...no, a woman protecting her children who just happens to know how to shoot. When Wilson finally finds out that his rich kid life has to stop cold after a visitor arrives, all hell breaks loose, and he's on a mission to save his mother.

Pros: The dialogue, the scenery, Wilson and his mother, and the plot of the story were intriguing enough to not want the movie to end. I grinned, frowned, and laughed, and I never got bored. Sadly, Wilson's gullible character fit the description of one of those rich kids who thinks they can solve everything without having an ounce of street smarts but being book smart. I thought his reactions were accurate, from his shaking hands to his travels. The handshake between him and his little brother was entertaining though. I'd never seen Tego Calderon much besides in a couple songs, so it was interesting to see him act. He did a pretty good job too! I don't know if Wanda De Jesus (who plays Millie the mother) used to model, but she is beautiful. Striking complexion and one pretty woman. In the cab scene, I was thinking those two would be a great-looking couple although she's a bit older than him.

Cons: Wilson's girlfriend was too goofy for me. I guess he needed someone to add more depth to his role, and it made Wilson's character even more attractive, but I wanted his girlfriend to be less vulnerable. She was way too damsel in distress for my taste, and I don't think in real life the movie would have ended with the same results those two had. However, whenever I saw Rick kissing her, you could see all my teeth. Man, he's one good-looking cat.

Overall, it was a great movie, and I'd recommend it.

21 years after her husband, a drug dealer looking to get out, is gunned down, a woman finds that her husband's cronies are still looking to kill her and her family. Her son at first doesn't believe her, but when he's forced to defend the family home against attackers plan are made to turn the tables on the attackers.

Good little action thriller from John Singleton. I don't know what else to say but this is an old school style crime thriller that has characters you care about and real tension that comes from the characters and situations. Definitely worth a look at some point.

6.5 out of 10

This movie was entertaining, but the acting was horrible. I expected way better work from John Singleton and from actors like Wanda DeJesus, Dania Ramirez and Rick Gonzalez. There were so many holes in the plot that dramatic scenes were turned into slapstick comedy. There were also many anachronisms (a bodega scene in 1985 featured candy and snacks with 2007 packaging) and continuity errors (Wilson's little brother bruised his face after falling off his bike; the bruise was healed later that day. Wilson grew up speaking English, but managed to speak fluent Spanish once he arrived in Puerto Rico). I did like the music in the film, though, and I'll probably buy the soundtrack. I think I understand the vision that John Singleton may have had in making this film, but unfortunately he used a formula that was successful in the '90s and it doesn't work for Illegal Tender.