Jason's Lyric (1994)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Jason's Lyric is a sexually charged film whose violent streak weakens or, depending on your perspective, supports the melodrama.
Jason's Lyric Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Jason
as Joshua
as Lyric
as Maddog
as Gloria
as Alonzo
as Marti
as Rat
as Ron
as Elmo
as Teddy
as Fast Freddy
as Ms. Murphy
as Leroy
as Street Preacher
as Jason (age 11)
as Joshua (age 8)
as Carjack Victim
as Jelly
as Latin Man
as Black Girl
as Erma
as Darryl
as Clown
as Lola
as Bus Driver
as Jazz Player
as Sandy
as Himself
as B.T.
as Herself
Critic Reviews for Jason's Lyric
All Critics (22) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (8)
The film seems overextended and unbelievable both as love story and as urban tragedy.
Stumbles into a lame love story and ends in a conventional shootout and bloodbath.
McHenry's control of the nicely unsentimental tone is pretty assured, while there's a bonus in the soundtrack which mixes bluesy electric guitar and soul standards.
A muddled film that takes a standard urban action movie and adds a veneer of overwrought romance.
Convincing and heartbreakingly tragic.
Uncertain but uplifting.
Audience Reviews for Jason's Lyric
A man falls in love while attempting to curtail his brother's criminal behavior. If I recall correctly, this is John Singleton's fault. Though it's unfair to judge an artist based on his imitators, Singleton's Boyz 'n the Hood began a rash of "hood" films that eventually culminated in the Wayans brothers' parody of the genre. Jason's Lyric "feels like" an imitation, stuck in a particular time, fitting all the generic requirements in, unable to breathe on its own. The abusive father, the aspirations of escape, and the burgeoning love are all things we've seen from Singleton, and there's nothing radically new here. What is more, the love story plot, which, during the first hour of the film, is evenly interspersed with the "hood" plot, is so excessively sappy. Every elevator song you ever heard underscores Jason's courtship of Lyric, and the idyllic landscape gives the plot a maudlin feel. He washes her feet for Christ's sake! Then, the film tries to be realistic in the "hood" plot, and when the two plots converge, I couldn't shake the feeling that the film had multiple personality disorder. Forest Whitaker's performance during the film's first ten minutes as the damaged Vietnam vet was fantastic; Whitaker set the bar so high that it's no wonder the rest of the actors could only disappoint. Jada Pinkett is alluring and beautiful, but there's not much of a character here. It doesn't help her that the script gives her the most expository lines, especially before Jason reveals the truth about his dreams. Overall, this is a poor imitation of John Singleton; see Boyz 'n the Hood and you can tell everybody that you saw Jason's Lyric too.
Super Reviewer
Suprisingly well acted by EVERY actor involved. . . A sweet love story that will please those who want to see it and suprise those who find themselves watching it "against their will".
Super Reviewer
A personal favorite.
Super Reviewer
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