Clonaram Tyrone!

I just read a review about people who give this film anything but a 1 either being family members etc etc. Quite the tirade.

With a third of their review concentrating on a child slurping a drink. That's their review.

This one is mine.

Look. This is quite a different output than your usual.

It is very much influenced by blaxploitation (and at the end that is the point) films and the modern revisionism of someone like Jordan Peale.

A completely off the wall plot that mixes multiple genres into one.

John Boyega is such a good actor. He really, really is.

With multiple roles, he manages them well.

Jamie Foxx adds silliness and humour to proceedings.

This isn't an Oscar winner. Nor is it garbage. It is just different.

I was engaged throughout the film.

To give you in a nutshell what to expect think Groundhog Day meets Invasion of the body snatchers, meets Nancy Drew meets Shaft meets Get Out meets Boyz n The Hood.

It's just a crazy mix which on the whole, IMHO, works.

And as to the title....it'll all make sense by the end.

And it lends itself to a sequel (which likely it will get).

No one could accuse Netflix's latest high profile original offering They Cloned Tyrone of being a film short of ideas with up and coming director Juel Taylor jamming his genre mash-up with a plethora of elements worth exploring as John Boyega's drug dealer Fontaine, Jamie Foxx's sharp talking local pimp Slick Charles and Teyonah Parri's call girl Yo-Yo team up to uncover some Scooby Doo like mysteries that are affecting their fictional neighbourhood known as the Glen.

Set in a 70's feeling futuristic setting done by the way of a classic exploitation flick from yesteryear, Tyrone has swagger to spare and Taylor's energetic and colourful direction is the type of creative vibrancy that is too often lacking in Netflix's other original offerings that leave much too be desired but despite fun being had from such an out there narrative that flirts the line between drama, thriller, sci-fi, social commentary piece and oddball comedy, Tyrone lacks a certain ingredient that could've made it an instant classic.

Sprung to life by three noteworthy lead performances, with Boyega once more proving he is a lot more than a force sensitive storm trooper, Tyrone seemingly has all the usual elements one would associate with a feature film of note but there's a curious inability for Taylor to connect us in a meaningful way to our central trio and while it feels counter-intuitive to accuse a feature of having too many original ideas, Tyrone's many various components and narrative turns don't always hit the way in which you would hope for, even if it's a constantly sleek and impressively constructed film in so many ways.

One of those modern features that one suspects may have benefited from being fleshed out in a mini-series rather than a two hour feature film, Tyrone is constantly on the move and never far away from taking us down a surprisingly unexpected route and with that it will alienate a large chunk of viewers who will feel as though they are being flung from plot development to plot development with little time or pause between breaths to ponder what has come before or what is now ahead.

Problematic and under-explored narrative developments aside, Tyrone still provides a fresh and often very fun viewing experience, one that will have even the most seasoned of film fans unsure of what's coming their way next and its ability to bring its wild vision to life in such a vibrant way should be commended, making this one of those rare Netflix originals that justifies ones time spent with it.

Final Say -

A future cult classic in waiting, They Cloned Tyrone might not always work but thanks to impressive craft work and trio of energetic performances, Netflix's latest original release remains a lot of fun.

3 1/2 church sermons out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Off the bat I was interested in this movie from the title alone. This movie was reminiscent of Undercover Brother, Black Dynamite, and especially Sorry To Bother You.

You can gather what the movie is about just from the title, but the story leading to everything is a fun ride. John, Jamie and Teyonah individually did a great job playing their characters. All providing something different to their unique, mystery solving trio team.

The elements of this movie were great too. Combining the eeriness with fantasy and bits of comedy. At times it almost had an 80's sci-fi feel to it too, where I would question what year it was even though it was modern day.

Overall, this movie was fun. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Again, if you're a fan of Undercover Brother, Black Dynamite or Sorry To Bother You, then you should check this movie out.

Lovers of Jordan Peele's off-centre take on Black cinema should like co-writer (with Tony Rettenmaeir) / director Juel Taylor's comic-thriller "They Cloned Tyrone". Hard-ass drug dealer John Boyega, flamboyant pimp Jamie Foxx & sassy ho Teyonah Parris (terrific) discover a sinister plot (led by Kiefer Sutherland... or is it?) to experiment on & control all the folk in their run-down 'hood... and they fight back against it. Initially darkly stylish it soon becomes too silly, before deeper undertones emerge. Taylor's ambition can't be faulted, but he may have bitten off a little more than the average audience can chew on here. He is however, clearly one to watch out for.

Whoever thought to pair John Boyega with Jamie Foxx is brilliant. Pure genius. Teyonah Paris in the third spot of the badass trio drug dealer, pimp, prostitute just brings it all together flawlessly.

Part sci-fi, part mystery, part action, and part comedy, "They Cloned Tyrone" is a perfect combination of mixed genres, intriguing plot, smart dialogues, and best of all believable chemistry among its actors.

The movie takes us down a rabbit hole of hilarious conspiracy and fantasy that not only African-Americans would appreciate. But to truly enjoy the shenanigans you have to have some understanding of Black American history.

And that's really the only downside of the movie - it's not made for an international audience that is unlikely to know the racial history of the U. S., the medical experiments done on minorities, the policies that kept people poor, etc.

That knowledge by the audience is an essential ingredient to get the most out of the movie.

Nevertheless, I think the general viewer can still enjoy "They Cloned Tyrone."