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Biker Boyz /

Rated: PG-13
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Tyson Beckford, Lisa Bonet, Kadeem Hardison
Directed by: Reggie Rock Bythewood, Gina Prince-Bythewood
Produced by: Gina Prince-Bythewood, Stephanie Allain, Erwin Stoff
Written by: Craig Fernandez, Reggie Rock Bythewood

Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures

 

Movie Image

Movie Image

Movie Image

“We’re the Biker Boyz, and from now on, we set our own rules!”

     This is the stupid and unoriginal quote that Biker Boyz lives by. Almost a direct rip-off of the Fast and the Furious, this film would seem as dull and lifeless as one could be. Thanks to some energetic and ripping fun, it isn’t. Unluckily, this is not enough to save Biker Boyz from its poor writing and abominable direction. Viewing the anticlimactic plot unfold is just too painful for me to recommend the film. There are some fun, music-video style shots, which I will admit to enjoying. Biker Boyz needs more than motorcycles to impress us. It makes a clear attempt to do this, with a side-story, but does not succeed. There are morals and values in its content, but they are overshadowed by sexy women and unjust parties. I did like Derek Luke’s performance, though. Not quite as good, or well-crafted as his character in Antwone Fisher, he still provides an honorable achievement. Biker Boyz is debatably worth renting, but it’s definitely not worth a ten dollar theatre trip.

     After the death of his father, in a brutal street motorcycle race, Kid (Derek Luke) wants to move on. After a short rest, and the deception of his mother, Kid begins to race again. He creates a team of racers, called the “Biker Boyz.” The Biker Boyz face two other teams, the Black Knights and the Strays. Kid wants to win the title, along with every other racer in the neighborhood, which basically says that he is the best motorcyclist on the street. Of course, most of their races are illegal, and they never race on real tracks. The infamous title is currently held by Smoke (Lawrence Fishburne), a good friend of Kid’s father, who was competing against him when he died. Smoke is the bearer of a motorcycle helmet, which signifies the title, that Kid would love to have. Even though Kid is much less experienced than Smoke, he actually believes he has a shot at winning the title. After a wretched fall in a preliminary race, and his motorcycle breaks, Kid suddenly realizes that he has a one in a million chance at winning the this  catastrophic position among the other racers. Will he prevail, and somehow be ready for the race? Will he not even be up for it? I wonder…The answer is obvious.

     The direction is wretchedly godawful. Every shot, still, sharp, or full of motion, is so shaky and unclear, the entire film is just plain sickening to watch. I understand what the director was trying to do: make the entire film look like an action-packed thrill-ride, but his execution is a problem. Biker Boyz needed a higher budget, because it is literally impossible to make balanced shots, full of motion, under the restraints of little money. The direction is one of the things that makes this film so pretentious. Entertainment is laid-back material, Biker Boyz is not entertaining because it is not at all laid-back. But the grim angles and positioning aren’t the only bad aspects in it. The writing is lame, obvious, and stupid. The one-liners, that make xXx seem like god, are poignantly boring and grammatically absurd. This script is an insult to even a toddler’s intelligence. This film is an over-the-top exercise in testing the audiences’ ability to withstand dumbness.

    Biker Boyz has its moments, like every other film, but stretches itself far from my recommendation. I appreciate Derek Luke’s acting talents, but cannot say that he picked a good script. By the end of this flick, I wanted to put a bullet through the director and screenwriter’s heads because of their ability to turn a good premise bad. For a fun and outgoing rental, Biker Boyz isn’t a bad choice, but its one of the worst films playing at the local cinema right now. Thanks to some bad work behind-the-scenes and a few stark moments, Biker Boyz is instantly forgettable.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews