187 Reviews

I wasn't sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Samuel L. Jackson, I thought I might as well give it a try. At first, I must say that I was rather impressed. Indeed, the whole thing started with an intense dark and gloomy depiction of your average inner-city school and I thought it was a nice fictional counterpart to an interesting documentary I saw recently called 'Waiting for Superman'. Basically, in this completely hostile and filthy environment, is it really possible for an average kid to learn something or for a decent teacher to do his/her job? It is an awful and depressing system that only lead to some major failures. So, it was really interesting and Jackson's really solid performance was making all the other movies in this genre looking like some kind of family features produced by Disney. Unfortunately, during the second half, they decided to add a rather half-baked and underwhelming vigilante angle and the whole thing pretty much lost it. I mean, sure, the guy was traumatized and his actions were understandable but it was just poorly developed. To conclude, in spite of its flaws, I still think it was a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look.

Class of 1984 gets a reboot and the result is probably one of the most powerful films ever made about teachers and students. It represents that time period in the late 90's when filmmakers scorched the screen with style and bravura. In this case, Kevin Reynolds creates such a distinct atmosphere from the camera filters, soft focus shots, experimental techniques, and of course the amazing trip-hop soundtrack. It's a real feast for the eyes and ears, while maintaining a very tangible world with real issues at play. The message is profound, the themes and images will stay with you. The centerpiece to all of this is Samuel L. Jackson in one of his most underrated performances. The rest of the cast lends great support, especially Clifton Collins Jr. as the menacing Cesar. Highly recommended for fans of 90's stylized cinema, LA Neo-Noir, and violent teacher/student flicks.