Set It Off poster & wallpaper

Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox

Even when it misses a dramatic opportunity in favor of generic action, Set It Off benefits from a sharp understanding of its well-drawn central characters. They're a quartet of young African Am...( read more  read more... )erican women in Los Angeles (Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise), all struggling against a system that seems designed to prevent them from realizing their dreams. The movie establishes their plight with credible attention to emotional detail, making their decision to rob banks believable enough to give the ensuing plot its inevitably tragic momentum. Cowritten by the screenwriter of What's Love Got to Do With It?, the film conveys genuine compassion for its characters, and the ensemble cast is uniformly strong--especially Queen Latifah as a brash lesbian whose fate is as certain as her forceful attitude.

Set It Off expresses a real sense that these women have been close friends for years, and that gives the film additional impact, even when their transition to crime and violence feels somewhat forced and superficial. A romantic subplot involving Pinkett and a social-climbing banker (Blair Underwood) is too contrived to be convincing, and director F. Gary Gray (Friday) tries too hard to combine hard-hitting action with social relevance (a weakness shared by Gray's following film, The Negotiator). Still, Set It Off effectively avoids passing judgment; its emotional complexity transcends simple notions of right and wrong, injecting vitality--and a kind of renegade integrity--into the traditions of a familiar plot. --Jeff Shannon

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86% liked it

48,781 ratings

R, 123 min.

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

Release Date: November 6, 1996

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DVD Release Date: September 14, 1999

Stats: 2,372 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,372)

  • AgentLexi2132
    February 3, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    Pending Review...

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  • sanjurosamurai
    January 25, 2007
    sanjurosamurai
    chicks rob banks and then they die
  • cartersimo
    January 24, 2007
    cartersimo
    Thought it wasn't too bad little far fetched at times but thought it was ok.
  • dreamfaeries
    November 7, 2006
    dreamfaeries
    Good movie. I love Queen Latifah.
  • RiderOfTheStorms
    October 11, 2006
    RiderOfTheStorms
    fantastic movie
  • dwairimu
    November 18, 2009
    dwairimu
    this is one of my favourite movie queen latifa men iliked your gats,nothing and nobody could come on your.vivaca ilove it when you run with the money and you shaved your hair,you looked great.jada bravo girl you did everything for your bro to get good education.get rich or die tr...( read more)ying .i dont get tired of watching this keep me goin men
  • rochaelizabeth18
    November 3, 2009
    rochaelizabeth18
    love this movie is the best ever
  • jjkljlk
    November 1, 2009
    jjkljlk
    Great Movie. Gripping tale of 4 women who turn to robbing banks to make it out of ghetto life. The 4, played by Jada Pinkett, (Not married to Will Smith at time of filming) Vivica A. Fox, Dana Owens (Better know as Queen Latifa) and newcomer at the time, Kimberly Elise all work l...( read more)egally until they figure that crime will pay them more than honest work. Blair Underwood is excellent as the love interest for Stoney (Pinkett) with his Harvard education mixed with a street knowledge. Pace of the movie is good, and it all flows very well. Excellent movie.
  • samanthaseaotter
    October 28, 2009
    samanthaseaotter
    Interesting notion - when the wives and girlfriends of criminals decide to pull a job on their own. NOT a comedy.
  • RachelJezel
    October 20, 2009
    RachelJezel
    Good film, just barely staying plausible. The build-up is sow, but the final few minutes are worth everything.

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Comments

  • sweetladyeec
    June 4, 2007
    sweetladyeec
    One of the best films I have ever seen........ love it.
  • rottm3
    May 21, 2007
    rottm3
    A movie that once wathced you'll have a different outlook on everyday life. A must see....over, n over, n over, n over again. I loved the girls parts, they all played the hell of em! An the Queen La..gangsta fo sho!
  • beautifulladyzee
    June 20, 2006
    beautifulladyzee
    love it
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  • What happened to Jada Pinkett Smith's character in Set It Off that pushed her over the edge?  Answer »
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