Tupac: Resurrection

There is no doubt that Tupac Shakur is one of the most intriguing, fascinating personalities in pop music history. He is made up of a seemingly endless list of contradictions: ruffian / nice guy, obnoxiously arrogant / sweetly humble, hedonist / activist, "gangsta" / poet. And most interesting is that none of these "sides" of him seem at all false. He really is that complicated.

Being a fan of his, especially his acting, ("GRIDLOCK'd" is one of my favorite movies) I choose to remember the admirable parts of his personality more often, but I know that he was no angel, and I'm glad that "Tupac: Resurrection" doesn't try to paint him as a hero.

Made very much in the style of last year's great documentary "The Kid Stays In The Picture" (so much so that I was surprised there is no connection), it combines seamlessly edited footage, photos that "float" around to look 3-dimensional, well-chosen music, and fluid narration to create a dreamlike and slightly eerie portrait of one person's lifetime in his own words.

Unlike "The Kid Stays In The Picture", though, in "Tupac: Resurrection" the narrator telling his life story is dead.

Tupac is the one and only narrator of this film (through an edited collection of insightful interviews), and it's a distinctly poignant and eerie experience to hear it, almost like he is, "Sunset Boulevard"-style, telling you his story from beyond the grave. Adding to the "Sunset Boulevard" feeling is that the story starts in Las Vegas where he was killed, and then rewinds to the beginning of his life. But sadly, you know it's eventually going to end up in Las Vegas again.

This is an extremely well done, gripping documentary that I highly recommend even to people who don't care for rap music. Tupac's life story is a true American tragedy, and anyone can learn from those.

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 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.

I liked the movie very much. The documentary summarized 2Pac's life. It's very informative and it educates us. You could learn a lot by watching this movie. I'm a big 2Pac fan. I've listened to his music, read his books, and watched, heard and read his interviews and speeches. He is a standout from all the other rappers I've seen and heard throughout the years. He is more than just a rapper. He is a poet, prophet, revolutionary, activist, actor, singer, intellectual, leader, orator, and artist. He is a man of many accomplishments. That's why many fans and rappers strive to be like him. But I don't think that we will ever see another one like 2Pac. There is only one 2Pac. He was so different from the rest of us. It's a shame that he was taken from this world at such a young age.