Baby Boy

While watching this movie, I had absolutely no idea what I would end up rating it. It was not an enjoyable experience. Not until it was over did I realize what a good job John Singleton had actually done. This was not a comedy, nor a romantic story, but a true depiction of SOME (NOT ALL) aspects of Black life. I recognized each and everyone of these characters, for better or worse. They were not exaggerated or sugar-coated, but portrayed in a true light which is often difficult to watch or accept. Which explained my uncomfortableness, I'm sure that was the point and it was well received. 7 out of 10***

I love all of John Singleton's film ever since I seen his brilliant debut Boyz N The Hood which I was blown away by. When I heard about Baby Boy I was expecting a follow up to Boyz N The Hood but both films are very unique although some aspects are similar. Before I seen the film I wasn't expecting Tyrese Gibson to be that good because the late great Tupac Shakur was suppose to play the role of Jody but I was astounded at how good Tyrese is at acting. This also has to be the best film Snoop Dogg has starred in because some of his earlier efforts e.g. Urban Menace are just pitiful. I recommend this film to anyone who is interested in life in the hood or to people who like enjoyable dramas with good acting and dialogue. 8/10

Director John Singleton hits the black manhood where it hurts. His theme for the movie from the start is that black men in America are little more than babies. He rails against the culture that infantilize them and the men who live that way.

Joseph Summers (Tyrese Gibson) is a young black man struggling to get by. He lives with his mama (Candy Ann Brown). His baby mama Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) is frustrated with him. She starts going with gangster Rodney (Snoop Dogg). His mother has a new boyfriend Mel (Ving Rhames) who's done time.

It's very tough. Joseph makes mistakes. He's an idiot at times, but he isn't a bad guy. Tyrese Gibson doesn't allow him to play the fool in this. He instills the character with humanity even when things are at the lowest. If there is one message, I think Singleton is trying to tell young black men to get their sh14 together.

R&B Crooner Tyrese takes a stab at acting in this realistic film about 'Baby Boy' . He thinks he's a man... he's got 2 kids. But really, he's just a baby who doesn't want to leave the cosy confines of his momma's house. There's no actual real plot-line to this movie, it's basically just an excerpt from Baby Boy's life - detailing his relationships with his mother, his kids, his kid's mothers and his mother's new man. Rapper Snoop Dogg also appears in this, as a rather nasty-lookin ex-boyfriend of Tyrese's woman. Fine directing, strong acting, a good metaphorical element about him being in the womb and sly humour make Baby Boy a good watch... although those sexually inhibited might find this a bit strong!

Baby Boy (2001) is a John Singleton picture that I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows a young man who lives with his mom, has a baby mama and has a side chick. He does his best to treat his baby mama right and create a direction with her...but is too selfish to let his side chick go. Meanwhile, his mom has a new lover and he's worried about getting kicked out. Will Baby Boy grow up and become a man and do what he needs to do to do right by the women in his life, or stay at his mom's house for life acting like the world owes him something?

As previously referenced, this movie is written and directed by John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood) and stars Tyrese Gibson (Transformers), Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Omar Gooding (Ghost Dad), Mo'Nique (Precious), A. J. Johnson (House Party), Snoop Dogg (Training Day) and Tamara Bass (Boston Public).

This movie is so well cast and written and contains a nice blend of comedy, drama and self-discovery. A. J. Johnson and Taraji P. Henson are absolutely gorgeous in this picture. There's some good shower and sex scenes in this picture. Ving Rhames steals the show though as his performance is hilarious, strong and impactful. Every scene he is in is tremendous. The breakfast scene, mom sex sounds through the wall and clothes selling sequences always crack me up. The acting is also very good, Henson's "he don't love me anymore" scene is tremendous. The ending with the character evolutions and new perspectives is also perfectly written. The one aspect of the movie that frustrated me was Tyrese's acting, which was inconsistent. His dreams and the shooting sequence were poorly done.

Overall, this is a very worthwhile film that isn't Singleton's best work but is definitely worth a viewing. I would score this a 7-7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.