Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] A now cult film that was for many years wrongfully forgotten. The Hughes Brothers hit it out the park with the clash of realism and crime thriller elements that structured Dead Presidents, which I believe is… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] A now cult film that was for many years wrongfully forgotten. The Hughes Brothers hit it out the park with the clash of realism and crime thriller elements that structured Dead Presidents, which I believe is a deeper and more affectionate film than it was ever given credit for when it first came out. There are many reasons why it never deserved to be slagged off. Firstly, if we wind the clocks back two years earlier the Brothers released "Menace II Society", everyone who loved movies found themselves completely knocked out by how good it was. The general consensus was that it was well directed, powerfully acted, sharply written and discussed important themes. Personally I see no creative differences between said film and Dead Presidents. As it unfolds you learn more about the characters and emotionally invest, it therein becomes incredibly gripping and emotionally fulfilling. Which is key to why the action works as well as it does and the final scenes have a greatest impact to anything seen earlier on. The performances are very well researched and at no point do you believe that any of the characters are being portrayed by actors, it nails believeability persuasion right on the head. The period setting and atmosphere is also captured perfectly, and the sense that our hero Anthony Curtis has literally nothing and no one to live for is realistic and makes for an interesting and equally awesome lead. It intelligently depicts the lives of Vietnam war veterans who upon returning home to the Bronx receive no compensation whatsoever for their physical and emotional struggle in combat. It does so in a fashion that is both hugely entertaining and completely unbiased. But what I really loved about this film is how the Hughes Brothers decide to play everything that happened completely straight while changing very little of the truth in it's story for dramatic purposes. I think the fact it was brutally realistic and changed little to work as a piece of cinema was the reason behind it's poor first impressions that ended up appalling the critics. But as a true story put on screen, whether it's structurally tight or not, it tells it in a way which is tense, funny and entertaining. It does have it's fair share of flaws, but there's no way of hiding that it deals with a touchy subject brilliantly.

• xGary X

  
  An intelligent update of blaxploitation flicks from the 1970s, Dead Presidents is the story of Anthony, a promising young student who upon his return from the Vietnam war finds his old neighbourhood completely transformed. Without a job, suffering post traumatic stress and unable to… More
  An intelligent update of blaxploitation flicks from the 1970s, Dead Presidents is the story of Anthony, a promising young student who upon his return from the Vietnam war finds his old neighbourhood completely transformed. Without a job, suffering post traumatic stress and unable to feed his young family he becomes embroiled in a plan to rob an armoured car. Unfairly appropriated into the slew of movies from the "hood" in the early 1990s, this film from the Hughes brothers (Menace II Society) is a clever blend of coming of age, Vietnam war and urban crime dramas. Larenz Tate heads a young cast who all acquit themselves well, although none can match the dominating presence of veteran character actor Keith David; even the normally excruciating Chris Tucker is pretty good here. It's full of memorable scenes taking a lot of stylistic cues from Goodfellas, particularly the gripping heist sequence and it's all complimented perfectly by a wonderful soundtrack of the best of American soul and funk of the period. I think it would have benefited from a non linear timeline to break up the episodic nature of the script and considering the power of the build up, it ends in something of a whimper; the Hughes brothers feeling the need to hammer home the "crime doesn't pay" message at the expense of a satisfying narrative conclusion. But considering the many disparate elements cleverly combined and some excellent set pieces, it's a strong and worthy action driven crime drama with a message.

• Emil K

  
  This is captivating and powerful film-making from The Hughes Brothers. Dead Presidents is one of those rare films that goes succesfully from genre to another without breaking it's pace. What starts as a 60's period piece soon turns into a Vietnam war-film and from there into… More
  This is captivating and powerful film-making from The Hughes Brothers. Dead Presidents is one of those rare films that goes succesfully from genre to another without breaking it's pace. What starts as a 60's period piece soon turns into a Vietnam war-film and from there into a very well structured crime-film. There are some visually over the top moments here and there, but mostly Hughes keep their camera firmly where it should be. I think that this film never got the attention it should have received back in the nineties. In many ways this surpasses even crime films like Heat, which is considered as the crime film of nineties. Final 20-minutes of Dead Presidents shows us one of the most captivating robbery sequences in film history and nails the viewer to seat with all the building tension. This is very well made film that deserves much more attention than it ever got. Danny Elfman's wonderful score is possibly his best in his career also. See it!

• Manu G

  
  It was a good movie and had some good drama and action. We can see some young actors here like Chris Tucker, Larenz Tate and Terrence Howard showing there work and bringing there usual style to the movies. This action drama was the second film by the movie-making twins, Albert and… More
  It was a good movie and had some good drama and action. We can see some young actors here like Chris Tucker, Larenz Tate and Terrence Howard showing there work and bringing there usual style to the movies. This action drama was the second film by the movie-making twins, Albert and Allen Hughes. The two started their careers with the urban drama, Menace II Society, and this effort has a 70s urban setting. The style and skill of these talented filmmakers is immediately apparent and the script which they co-wrote with Michael Henry Brown has well-developed characters and great tension along with explosive action scenes framed with an engrossing small scale story. The acting is excellent, but the real star here is the Hughes direction which is cool and inspired. Larenz Tate is Anthony Curtis, a good-natured high school kid in 60s New York who is enjoying life with his girlfriend, Delilah and good friends, Skip (Chris Tucker in an early role) and Jose (Freddy Rodriguez) and running numbers for a local tough guy, Kirby (Keith David). Those days are not to last, however, as all three of the young friends end up in Vietnam. Following a fairly lengthy and well-done segment in the Nam, all three end up back in the old neighbourhood, where Anthony finds adjusting to civilian life difficult. Soon (and rather suddenly), the whole bunch of them are planning an armoured car heist, and ohhhh boy, what a heist it turns out to be.

• danny d

  
  a sad but powerful film about people who come home from war with nothing, and the life that awaits them. the cast was excellent, particularly woodbine, tucker, and tate. the shootout at the end is full of lasting images and the war scenes are truly effective as well. great movie.

• Aaron N

  
  Kirby: Everyone in this town knows I've only got one leg. And that motherfucker grabbed the wrong one. Years ago I saw the previews for this movie; and all I gathered was that Hendrix's "All Arond the Watchtower" sounded really cool next to atmospheric shots of… More
  Kirby: Everyone in this town knows I've only got one leg. And that motherfucker grabbed the wrong one. Years ago I saw the previews for this movie; and all I gathered was that Hendrix's "All Arond the Watchtower" sounded really cool next to atmospheric shots of a mime heist in New York. Of course, seeing this film now, there is a complete hour and 35 minutes before any element of a heist film really comes into play. That being said, there is a lot of good movie here, before the last act takes things off the rails a bit. One thing is for sure, the Hughes Brothers no how to make a great looking cinematic feature. Larenz Tate is Anthony Curtis, a good-natured high school kid in 60s New York who is enjoying life with his girlfriend, Delilah and good friends, Skip (Chris Tucker in a pretty good performance) and Jose (Freddy Rodriguez), and running numbers for a local tough guy, Kirby (Keith David, who's always awesome). Those days are not to last, however, as all three of the young friends end up in Vietnam. Following a fairly lengthy and well-done segment in the Nam, all three end up back in the old neighborhood, where Anthony finds adjusting to civilian life difficult, with a new family all of the sudden and not much respect for his service added to it. Soon (and rather suddenly), the whole bunch of them are planning an armored car heist, but things don't turn out as planned. Based on true events of an actual veteran, the film has four basic parts. First at home, then in Nam, then back at home, and then the heist. The first two parts work much better than the latter. I kind of blame this on Tate's character, which is sad, because I like Larenz Tate; for some reason, despite only just recently seeing him in these Hughes Brothers movies, I've always noticed him in roles through the years, but in this movie, his character just doesn't seem to justify the actions taken by the end. There is a lot to like in this film however. Despite the autodrive ending act, the film looks great throughout. Just as in Meanace 2 Society, the Hughes Brothers show again that they are very gifted with their camera work (which could bode well for Book of Eli). There are great shots and sequences in this movie. The score by Danny Elfman of all people is quite effective, as well as the awesome 60s soundtrack featured throughout. By no means a great movie, there are still plenty of good merits, namely the filmmaking and supporting actors featured, that make this a watchable film. Anthony Curtis: No bad habits, ma. Except for a little killing.

• Lenny M

  
  Upgrade to 4 stars. An underrated movie man, it's quite a pimp movie. Dark portrayal of inner city life and the hardship of Vietnam vets. Great soundtrack, dark 70's funk.

• Nani V

  
  I remember watching this when I was just a little kid, but, I still remember it being a good movie. Larenz Tate was great in here.

• Khris N

  
  A great black crime thriller depicting the sad story of how Vietnam Vets return home to nothing.... no job opportunity, no chance to raise a family properly... nothing.... except crime. With a star cast listing, each with their individual talents, its fascinating to see how the war… More
  A great black crime thriller depicting the sad story of how Vietnam Vets return home to nothing.... no job opportunity, no chance to raise a family properly... nothing.... except crime. With a star cast listing, each with their individual talents, its fascinating to see how the war affected the lead characters, from the nightmares to heroin addiction to finding God... and how the ultimate prize draws them together for a bloody heist which destroys all of them. It is pretty gory and explicit for violence... well to put it short, we see a guy who was castrated and had his lovejoy put in his mouth.... well thats a gruesome as it can get. Plus body parts blowing up and such. No shorts on graphic violence. ^___^""

• Dean !

  
  Tough, gritty crime drama that is well made.

• Michael G

  
  An amazing tribute to blaxploitation films from the 70s. Larenz Tate is amazing.

• Jeffrey M

  
  Consistently engaging, well acted, and ambitious in its themes, Dead Presidents is a strong and interesting look at the Vietnam War, race in the 60s-70s, and class differences. It features strong performances from its leads, with excellent efforts by Larenz Tate, Keith David, and… More
  Consistently engaging, well acted, and ambitious in its themes, Dead Presidents is a strong and interesting look at the Vietnam War, race in the 60s-70s, and class differences. It features strong performances from its leads, with excellent efforts by Larenz Tate, Keith David, and Chris Tucker (who provides a lot of needed comic relief). What is most impressive about Dead Presidents is the films world building. The Bronx we see is undeniably authentic, with the film seamlessly transitioning to Vietnam, without missing a beat. When the film transports back, we see the passage of time (a few years), in a very real way. In that sense, the direction is quite strong, with a good build up for most of the film, and an emphasis on the characters. The script is good from the standpoint that it has sharp dialogue, and doesn't opt for film cliches or really easy stereotypes. Instead, we're treated to an intelligent examination of a lot of themes. This, however, came back to hinder the film in the final act, with an overly rushed heist set-up, with the heist itself seeming tonally inconsistent and implausible. The last third of the film just doesn't seem to be very cohesive, we never fully understand the character motivations, it all seems to happen quickly, in an otherwise patient narrative. It was as if the filmmakers tried to tackle too much ground, and spent too much time focusing on themes and story lines that don't fully pay off, and weren't directly related to the climax. Despite its weak ending, however, Dead Presidents does more than enough right to make it well worth watching, if not for the strong performances and unique take on Vietnam. 4/5 Stars

• John B

  
  A bit mediocre I think. There are better 'hood films out there and better Vietnam films. It is entertaining at least.

• Marcus W

  
  If the Hughes Brothers made more than one film every five years they'd be better known, and deservedly so. Here we have black youth going off to war and then struggling to cope upon returning. It's the mid-section that drags, but then along comes a beautifully shot heist… More
  If the Hughes Brothers made more than one film every five years they'd be better known, and deservedly so. Here we have black youth going off to war and then struggling to cope upon returning. It's the mid-section that drags, but then along comes a beautifully shot heist that ranks with Heat and The Dark Knight for sheer style. The film also avoids a "Hollywood" ending by way of an excellent Martin Sheen cameo. And it has a decent score by Elfman. Hey, even Chris Tucker is less annoying than usual. Worth watching.

• Richard F

  
  Wow! How did I miss seeing this movie for so long? This is one of the most riveting, intense, and disturbing films I've seen in a long time. Albeit the writing was a bit uneven at times, and I wasn't sure what the audience is supposed to take away from it, except for more of… More
  Wow! How did I miss seeing this movie for so long? This is one of the most riveting, intense, and disturbing films I've seen in a long time. Albeit the writing was a bit uneven at times, and I wasn't sure what the audience is supposed to take away from it, except for more of a predisposition for nightmares, but this is one amazing film!

• Lee K

  
  not a bad movie, i like larenz tate and this is one of his better flicks

• Chosen 7

  
  Good Film, great perfomance by Larenz Tate.

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