Kicks

I do love a nice pair of Jordan basketball shoes but it's not that serious! After all they're just sneakers. As a kid growing up in the late 80s and 90s I remember hearing stories of people getting jacked or killed for a pair of nice basketball shoes. I was surprised to hear recently that this type of stuff still goes on today. That's basically what this film is about. A 15 year old named Brandon would give anything to get his hands on a brand new pair of retro Air Jordan 1s and when he finally gets a pair they are stolen by a hardened thug in his hood and he goes on a ghetto adventure with two of his friends to try and get the shoes back, a nice little story with some nice little twists and turns. This film isn't the best indie film out there but it is a nice one just to kick back and enjoy. I did like the acting coming from Kofi Siriboe, who played Flaco and Mahershala Ali from "The Hunger Games". I think these two gave the film what it needed to give it that extra boost into making it a decent film because these two are some talented actors. With that being said, I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good indie film now and then.

1. Jordan Bred 1's 2. Fresh perspective from director Justin Tipping.

3. The first film to my knowledge to incorporate BART as a character.

4. The first film to shine some light on the sneaker culture.

5. The film has characters who feel real to their environment.

6. My favorite character in the film was Flaco, I like flawed people who are more than what they seem on the surface, he had a certain presence that was haunting.

7. I loved the astronaut, once he appeared the film took on a somewhat surreal feel for me, it added a unique flavor to the picture.

8. I really admire the director Justin Tipping, he made the film he wanted to make and that's what I plan to do.

A gorgeously done look at street life.

Kid saves some money to buy the fresh new Jordans to put on his feet other than the holely skips he was wearing, his life already changes from the confidence boost with a new swagger that attracts the girls. It also attracts trouble when the local crazy dude steels his kicks. Now the kid becomes obsessed with taking the slippers he's now force to wear off his feet and getting back his kicks at all cost.

I remember this life as a kid and how important Kicks were, and it sucks that Kids still have to worry about having their shoes taken. Then again, those 1st addiction Jordans could help pay someone's rent and put food on the table.

At first glace, its a horrible look at the what happens when you introduced Jordans to this culture (it seems to me not coincidence that the movie is about the re editions of the 1st Jordans), but all of that is superficial to the message of what really is important in life.

The young acting cast is very good, but I can't help but to give a shout out to Christopher Wallace Jr. not just because I'm a fan of his father Biggie Smalls, but I think it's cool that he's an actor and he's good at it.

Overall, kicks gives me that colorful feeling I got when I saw Dope and Dear White People, although it has slightly more of a serious tone to it, and it needs that to get the message across. I like where all three of these films are going and how they are going there. Kicks is worth seeing.

This film was a horror movie for me. It gave me nightmares, and it wasn't even scary, not in the traditional sense anyway. Yet, everything about the film was horrific for me. The language, the music, the neighborhoods, the culture; I could not relate, understand or accept absolutely anything that any of these children were referring to, and I felt like a better human being because of it. This movie shows how depraved certain parts of our society are, and how they exalt people and objects over the actual things that matter, like a career, a family, and not having a prison record. It is a glimpse into a depraved and diseased world that has no redeemable qualities, and would rather stew in its own fetid juices than actually rise above it. Let me walk you through it; A kid with crazy hair is the neighborhood punching bad. He is poor, and does not have money for the things that apparently make people popular, ie. sneakers. He decides that, in order for people to notice him, he should own a pair of sneakers (some Nike whatever's that are probably made for less than $10 in Vietnam). He saves up money to buy said sneakers, and suddenly, his friends are treating him better, girls are noticing him, and he is actually "somebody". Until the sneakers are stolen from his very feet. Feeling like a big man, he decides to get his sneakers back, and meets some of the most violent, belligerent degenerates the West Coast has to offer. Some people die, other's are seriously hurt, and a lot of blood is shed. All over a pair of ugly sneakers.

In a nutshell, this is what the movie is about. Along the way, it glorifies the 'hood, gang violence, drugs, alcohol, under-aged sex, bullying, abuse, absentee parenthood, convicts, potheads; essentially, the worst that society has to offer. It makes it all seem like these people were having fun being social deviants, and this is what made me lose sleep. It's like when you grow up seeing the reality of such of a lifestyle, and how it offers nothing but heartache to everyone involved, why would you make a movie out of it? Why would you show the world the depravity that is ever present in the 'hood? California in 2016 looks like Brooklyn in 1983, and that is not freaking compliment. It looks like a cesspool, where the worst of the worst congregate to serve no purpose to society as a whole, and are simply taking up space and air.

The film itself is competently directed, the acting ranges from mediocre to passable (even thought everyone was pretty much playing a version of themselves or someone they know), and the Sci-fi angle was interesting and unique. But none of it could equate to a wholly worthwhile film. To me, movies like this are scarier than any Exorcist, Paranormal Activity, or Descent. These people are real, they live among us, and it's the reason out society can never advance to greatness. I will never understand the mentality of those that come from these areas, and my mother should receive an award for keeping me out of that life. The sad part is, these people do not see the error in their ways, make no effort to make their lives better legitimately, and would rather earn respect through fear and intimidation than actually doing anything positive for themselves, their friends or their family. If that doesn't sound like a horrifying premise to a film for you,consider yourself a lost cause. I shudder to think of the people that see themselves in this movie and can relate to what was transpiring. I do not envy your life, or your disposition. Now excuse me while I go curl up in a corner until the horrifying images are scrubbed from my psyche.

"Kicks" (2016 release; 80 min.) brings the story of Brandon, a 14 or 15 yr. old kid in "East Bay", as we are reminded at the beginning of the movie. Brandon has a hard time fitting in, dreaming that "sometimes I wish I had a spaceship", so that he wouldn't have to worry about being chased or fitting in. He pines for Air Jordan sneakers (a/k/a "kicks"). After saving up and earning extra dough selling candy, Brandon is finally able to buy the much coveted black-and-red Air Jordans, but within a day, he is savagely ambushed and robbed by a gang in the hood. Brendan is determined to somehow get his sneakers back... To tell you more of the plot would ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut from writer-director Justin Tipping. He brings us an insight look at the African-American culture in the Oakland/Bay area, where image and perception apparently are paramount. To not have decent sneakers is to not belong. To not be a 'tough' guy is to be dismissed by girls and guys alike. BEWARE: the movie does not hold back on anything, not in the least the violence that apparently is rampant in those circles. The ambush of Brandon, where a gang robs him of his newly-purchased Air Jordans, is vicious and repugnant. It almost made me leave the theater. Then a strange thing happened: Brandon's quest to regain his sneakers becomes a journey towards self-discovery that becomes mesmerizing, aided along the way by his imaginary/alter ego spaceman who guides him when he desperately needs help. Whether the movie accurately reflects what life is like in that segment of the African-American community, or simply stereotypes it, I couldn't possibly tell you, but what I saw displayed on the big screen made me shake my head on more than one occasion. It's possible, if not likely, that these things are simply incomprehensible for a middle-class white guy like myself...

"Kicks" debuted with critical acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. It opened this weekend without any pre-release fanfare or advertising at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (only 2 people besides myself), and I can't see this playing very long in the theater. If you are in the mood for a tough "boys in the hood" tale that exposes/clarifies the importance of sneakers and other bling, this might just be the movie for you, be it in the theater, on Amazon Instant Video, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.