Tupac: Resurrection

This documentary of Tupac Amaru Shakur's life was amazing. I am a huge Tupac fan and have seen many other stories and and biographies of his life, but this movie by far surpassed any expectations I had about it. Even if you are not a Tupac fan; you will still be amazed at the life he lived, grew up with, and his legacy. One of the film's strong parts is the fact that it really explains Tupac's mind and how he though about life. Not only that, but many people have a misconception that Tupac Shakur was just a "gangstar" that ran the streets and made music; and this film shows that he was not all bad and that he had a more sensitive side to his life and music. Overall the film captured a lot of his life through his eyes. The film isnt about his friends and family getting interviewed and recalling facts.....It's real interviews of him in the studio, in court, on MTV, personal interviews, and live accounts of him being him.

First of all, let me say that I am biased, I think the world of Tupac. That said, this is his (and his mother's) mission statement for his life and death and everything in between. I have followed 'Pac for almost 10 years now, and my obsession for him has only grown deeper and deeper as the years, months, even days have passed since his departure from the music game.

When I first heard about this film, I thought it was going to be another video release accounting his legacy and mystery. I had no idea that it had a theatrical release date until a few months ago. Then I started hearing the hype behind it, and really started to anticipate it strongly. I informed all my friends and anyone else who shared the same passion of 'Pac as I, of it's existence and when it was close to release. After reading some very positive advance reviews from "Rolling Stone" and a few other publications, my anxiety only increased. It hits it's peak when I saw that ROGER EBERT gave it 3 1/2 out of a possible 4 stars. I saw the film tonight at an 8:00 showing fully prepared sportin' my 'Pac t shirt, ticket stub in my hand, and an unmistakable grin of happiness of things to come. One word: OUTSTANDING. Afeni, Mtv, and Paramount were really, really, really seriously devoted to this project!

I don't want give anything at all away to either serious 2pac devotees or casual fans, but EVERYTHING you ever needed to know, or wanted to know about him, is presented in ACES. I rated this documentary a 9 out of 10 stars on the Imdb scale. To sum up, I really and truly believe it is an enormous shame that some people just don't understand or "get" how iconic and influential Tupac was on both the music industry and to a certain extent society as well. He was WAY, WAY more than just a "rapper", he was an IMPACT!

2PAC FOR EVER.

I went into this movie kind of hesitant. A lot of albums have been put out after 2pacs death and all this and it seems like everyone just wants to make a quick dime off of him. Suge Knight more than anyone. But when i heard that 2pacs own mother had put this movie together I wanted to see it. So some friends of mine and I went to it. I've seen a lot of documentaries because a lot of documentaries interest me and though i completely disagreed with Bowling for Columbine it was interesting to watch. This documentary by far takes the cake. This movie was one of the deepest most heartfelt documentaries...wait i mean MOVIES ive ever seen. 2pac takes you through his life and what he's down and though it dragged a little in the beginning as he tells you about himself as a boy it picks up nicely as you're going through and you just can't help but think this man was pure genius. This movie is worth watching. Take a date, take your mom, take your dad, take your friends...take your kid sister. The message isnt about violence. Out of 4 stars I give it 3 3/4 . Beautiful Movie.

Gangsta' Rap artist Tupac Shakur was gunned down on the streets of Las Vegas in 1996, the end result of the life he led and the people he knew. He was 25. The documentary 'Tupac: Resurrection' takes an unusual and interesting approach to its subject, allowing the deceased singer to speak to us, as it were, directly from the grave. The film begins with him commenting on his own murder, then tracing back over the events of his life as a means of both setting the record straight and trying to make some sense out of all that happened to him in his very brief time here on earth.

The film, directed by Lauren Lazin, relies primarily on interviews Tupac gave throughout his short career, supplemented with some additional commentary from those who knew him best. Though he became a lightning rod of controversy due to both his criminal activities and his provocative (i.e. violent, sexist) lyrics, Tupac saw himself more as a 'voice of the people,' using his music as a vehicle for reaching out to and connecting with the downtrodden, impoverished blacks living in the kinds of ghettoes from which he himself sprang. However, even many well-known black leaders and spokespersons had trouble accepting Tupac's rather rose-colored definition of himself. What's most interesting about 'Tupac: Resurrection' is the dichotomy it establishes between the violence, drug use and criminal activities which played so prominent a part in Tupac's life, and the genial, reflective, almost apologetic tone of so much of what we hear him saying. It's hard to know just how much of what has found its way into this film is really raw truth and how much is sugarcoated revisionism designed to 'resurrect' and burnish a man's posthumous image and reputation. His views on women come out particularly incoherent and unresolved. Yet, 'Tupac: Resurrection' is an intriguing documentary because it gives us a glimpse not only into a strangely conflicted individual but also into the even more bizarre world of corporate thuggery he inhabited. Like many artists who have attempted to speak for the 'little people,' Tupac became a victim of his own success and celebrity, living the kind of pampered lifestyle that most of the people he was singing about would clearly never know. It's a conflict as old as art itself, and it is one that Tupac, for understandable reasons, was never able to resolve in his own life. Interestingly, however, his brutal death at the hands of murderous rivals, demonstrated that he never made it quite so far from his roots as his lavish lifestyle might otherwise have suggested.

As a document, the film traces Tupac from his early years as the child of two Black Panther members ( a pedigree that, he believes, set him on the path to social crusader early on), through his youth in poverty, his exposure to literature and drama at a performing arts high school in Baltimore, his early attempts at performing, his meteoric rise in the music industry, his years as a controversial celebrity, his burgeoning film career, his continuing battles with police, the first attempt on his life, his conviction for rape, his time in prison, and, finally, to the rivalry between his own West Coast label, Death Row Records, and the East Coast label, Bad Boy Records, which ultimately led to his untimely death. For that little bit of history alone, the film is worth watching.

As someone who knew very little about the life of Tupac - and even less about his music - before watching the movie, I found him to be both appealing and repellant, frightening and charismatic. The film leaves the audience feeling as conflicted as the subject - which is what a truly successful documentary should do after all.

This is a very good documentary .. it gave me an inside closer look to a world I don't know much of. I've heard some stories about Tupac .. some myths too in my high school but I wasn't 100% convinced and sounded just like lies.

I'm not a big fan of rap. I heard some songs of Tupac, though. I don't remember his songs but I remember that I didn't like them due to the foul language with all the swearing and the excessive use of the "F" WORD!.

Anyway, that didn't mean that his life story wasn't interesting .. the movie showed me briefly the life of a controversial young man who's music was popular in many places of the world .. I'm amazed of how frank Tupac is and that he has such courage to tell his stories publicly.

Good documentary..entertaining, brief and goes right to the point!