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MOVIES / ON DVD / HOODLUM
Hoodlum

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Hoodlum (1997)

41%
80%
63%
N/A
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41 %
Reviews Counted: 17 Fresh: 7  Rotten:10 Average Rating: 5.5/10

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 2 hrs 13 mins

Synopsis: Bill Duke's HOODLUM, with its rich visuals, brutal violence, and moral probing, pays homage to THE GODFATHER and other classic gangster films while exploring the nature of black empowerment as it relates to criminality. The film is Duke's second collaboration with Laurence Fishburne, and... Bill Duke's HOODLUM, with its rich visuals, brutal violence, and moral probing, pays homage to THE GODFATHER and other classic gangster films while exploring the nature of black empowerment as it relates to criminality. The film is Duke's second collaboration with Laurence Fishburne, and as with DEEP COVER, Fishburne delivers a compelling performance. He plays Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, the legendary Harlem gangster of the 1930s who fought Dutch Schultz for control of the numbers racket. Tim Roth is hilariously grotesque as Schultz, a villain whose foul mouth sets a new cinematic standard. Duke gets strong performances from Andy Garcia as Lucky Luciano and Chi McBride as Bumpy's right-hand man, Illinois. Vanessa Williams plays Francine, a social activist who loves Bumpy but can't understand the violent path he's chosen. Bumpy, a surprisingly civic-minded criminal, goes to war with Schultz to protect Harlem from the interloper, but as the body count mounts in the community he's trying to protect, he ends up losing the support of those closest to him. The film's uneasy mix of mayhem and humor makes for compelling viewing, and the moral questions it raises about black empowerment and criminality only add to the intrigue. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams, Cicely Tyson

Director: Bill Duke
Screenwriter: Chris Brancato
Composer: Elmer Bernstein
Producer: Chris Brancato, Bill Duke, Paul Eckstein, Laurence Fishburne, Frank Mancuso, Helen Sugland

DVD Info

Release:

Jul 14, 1998

[DVD Details]

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Reviews

 
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3/5

No review available.

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07/28/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

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04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
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2/10

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03/15/04
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews
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2/5

No review available.

comment Comment
03/27/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
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4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
12/22/02
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
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2/5

It contains nothing of any lingering interest. On the other hand, Laurence Fishburne may be the only man on the planet who makes that mustache look good.

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11/01/02
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium
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2/5

No review available.

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10/25/02
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal
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06/05/02
Boxoffice Magazine
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2.5/4

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04/12/02
Globe and Mail
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01/01/00
Houston Chronicle
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3/4

The Sting-like ending with its crosses and double-crosses could have been better handled, but there are plenty of other payoffs.

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01/01/00
USA Today
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01/01/00
Washington Post
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01/01/00
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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01/01/00
E! Online
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01/01/00
Barbara Shulgasser
San Francisco Examiner
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01/01/00
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies
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01/01/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper
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N/A

A collection of elements rather than a distinct story, the film takes what should have been a fresh perspective on the genre and paints by numbers.

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01/01/00
David Luty
Film Journal International
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5/10

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01/01/00
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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