Flics sans scrupules

Detectives Divinci and Rodriguez are crooked cops involved in dealing drugs and murdering the competition. When one of their victims turns out to be an undercover DEA agent, they are put on the case to find the murderer. With DEA agent Richard Simms desperate to get the killer, Divinci and Rodriguez realize that they have to frame someone else for the crime. Settling on homeless man 'Joe', they give him drink, get him to sign a statement and falsify the evidence to make a strong enough case to convict.

I had half wanted to see this film for a few years simply because I am keen to take the few chances I have to try see Tupac acting – for me he was the saviour of Poetic Justice and he is much better than the vast majority of the hip hop 'actors' we have seen recently. The plot here is pretty much a standard thriller plot based around two dirty cops and, although it lacks real flair or imagination, it still manages to do its job and be an enjoyable and occasionally quite gritty little thriller. It could have done with a greater sense of tension though, for the majority of the time it merely unfolds as opposed to being fast paced or very exciting but it is still an enjoyable enough little film even if it pretty much goes where you expect it to.

The cast is a big factor in making this film more interesting and making it rise above the other genre films that it will be competing with on the bottom shelf. Belushi has been in more than his fair share of sh*t video thrillers but here he is actually quite good and seems comfortable with material that, although not great, is certainly nowhere near the low level that he is getting used to. In his last film, Tupac is great and he should be a role model for all hip hop stars who want to act – even just in the choice of role he gives a great example – can you imagine many other rappers playing a corrupt cop with as little glamour as Tupac had? Snoop is a fine example, his last few roles have been versions of the caricature he plays in his music and many other rappers do the same – trading on their image rather than acting. Tupac is far from his gangsta image and he delivers a very down to earth performance – as with several other of his films he made this better by his presence. The gorgeous Lela Rochon is given an eye candy role at the start but she is able enough to make a good performance out of it (as well as having a body and looks to die for!). The smaller roles add the feeling of cast depth even if some of them add little else. Quaid for example has so little to do you wonder why he bothered – he feels like he should be a bigger part of the film but he isn't. For the opposite reason Jones, Cole and Paymer are all quite good because they are minor roles and they just feel like quality padding.

Overall this is not a particularly earth shattering thriller but it does its job well enough and I found it pretty enjoyable. A well-known cast certainly helps to make the material rise slightly above the rest of its genre but it is a great performance by Tupac in a different role that made it for me; if only other rappers were less afraid of their image when making role choices then we may not be experiencing a wave of awful blaxploitation films all over again.

Corrupt cops Frank Divinci (James Belushi) and Rodriguez (Tupac Shakur) kill a drug dealer to rob him with stripper Cynthia Webb (Lela Rochon). Rodriguez owes a large gambling debt to a loan shark. Divinci and Rodriguez are assigned to investigate the murder of the drug dealer who turns out to be an undercover DEA agent. They frame a homeless man (Dennis Quaid) for the crime. The cover-up becomes more and more complicated.

This is an interesting little crime drama. The Dunner trial should be extended because that provides some of the tension. He gets off and is never heard from again. The various story threads should combine and cross until the whole thing blows up at the climax. Belushi does bombastic but he needs more desperation. Tupac is pretty good and shows that he could have been an interesting actor if he lived.

Gang Related had a great premise, which was enough to get me to want to see it. James Belushi (K-9, Race the Sun) and the late Tupac Shakur (Gridlocked, Poetic Justice) play two corrupt cops. They sell stolen drugs, kill the guy they sold it to, take the drugs & money, and label the crime as gang related. This has worked for the first ten times, but the 11th doesn't. The 11th guy they killed, turned out to be an undercover cop. So the two are put in charge of finding the killer. So knowing that they themselves killed him and could be in huge trouble, they begin to look for possible candidates to take the fall. Eventually they decide on a homeless man, wonderfully played by an unrecognizable Dennis Quaid (Switchback, Dragonheart). They then get Belushi's girlfriend and stripper, Lela Rochon (Waiting to Exhale, The Chamber) to testify against him. Soon though things don't work out as Rochon starts to lose confidence and more evidence comes out about the mysterious homeless man. Belushi and Shakur start to lose their trust and confidence with each other. This is a well-written film with some great dialogue and an awesome ending. James Belushi is great as the mastermind behind the plot and the one who won't give up. Tupac Shakur is just as good (in his final role) as the partner who has at least some sort of a conscience. Rochon is good. Fine support work is turned in by James Earl Jones and David Paymer as Quaid's lawyers. I highly recommend this movie. Rated R: (violence, language, nudity)

I really didn't want to rent this film, but one of my friends, PA(nick-name)who was a big fan of Tupac Shakur talked me into it. I am glad he did, because this was one of the best films of 1998. James Belushi was great in this film, and so was Shakur and Lela Rochon. James Earl Jones appears in a little role in the last 40 minutes of the film.He was great, too. However, the film is about two corrupt cops who sell drugs, then they kill

the buyer and steal the drugs and everything else of value on him. It had worked 10 times. But unfortunately the 11th time(The one we saw) goes wrong.The buyer was a undercover-cop and they has been set to do the investigation.Now the film really starts. The two cops now start looking for someone to blame, and a

homeless man named Tom looks like an easy target. The rest you can see for yourself.You really should. The movie is Great

I gave it 9/10!

Good movie....has a few twists and turns you don't expect. Both James Belushi & the late Tupac Shakur were well cast in the main roles - especially Belushi - this role being very different from his usual ones.

The only other two cast members that have some grunt in the movie are Lela Rochon and Dennis Quaid. James Earl Jones has an appearance - if only small - but for me I will never be able to disassociate him from the voice we have all come to know as Darth Vader.

Dennis Quaid however does some lime light stealing - but you'll just have to watch it to find out why! Overall good entertainment - may not be everyone's cup of tea - but had me engrossed. In a sense a typical good cops go wrong movie - but one that at least grabs you and sucks you in to watching it to find out what happens next.

I gave it a 7/10.