BN-W Snapshot - Think Like A Man - Mediocre!

Yes, n-word used multiple times – including as “nigolo.” (Pathetic!)  This film is really just big-screen hawking and product placement of Steve Harvey’s book, which is all throughout the film along with enough mentions of his Family Feud hosting gig to remind the gullible audience about buying into what Harvey is selling! The big booty/big ass references by Black men are so old school and disrespectful! The continued needless and inexplicable use of the n-word by Black men is simply a disgrace. Meanwhile, you don’t hear one whisper of a self-defeating self-imposed derogatory racial slur by the White cast members. You don’t hear them calling themselves cracker, honky, dago, wop or...

BN-W Snapshot - Tyler Perry's Good Deeds - Mediocre!

No, n-word not used.  Overall this film is the standard Tyler Perry writing with the positive messages about living your best life and ultimately doing the right thing. Yes, it has the struggling female with a child – this time she’s homeless and amongst the working poor – but it also has the well-to-do characters (males and females) who are miserable in a different kind of way – spiritually.   It would be great to report that this film was not only filled with uplifting messages but that it was also powerfully written; unfortunately that’s not the case.   We in the BN-W camp will always support Perry and his Tyler Perry Studios (TPS) but he has to be willing to let go of some of the control; he simply cannot do it all in a quality way.  There are really wonderful. ..

BN-W Snapshot - Safe House - Mediocre!

No, n-word not used.  This film is decent but nothing eye-catching or eye-opening.   It’s advertised as a big action thriller with a lot of intrigue and suspense but you get little of that.   There’s a lot of shooting and car chasing but why is never clear until more than halfway through the movie when you haven’t connected enough with the characters to care. Is Denzel really rogue or is he just a good guy who is tired of the...

BN-W Snapshot - Red Tails - Worthy!

Yes, n-word used once.  Although this film bordered between mediocre and worthy from BN-W’s standpoint, the latter was chosen because of the importance of its historical nature. Unfortunately, the film is not well written, which is probably why the production team conveniently described the dialogue as “corny” and with a “comic-book feel” during promotions.   While this big-budget film is obviously not a documentary and the plot is undoubtedly only “based” on true events, there’s enough substance to it that should trigger curiosity and motivate many...

BN-W Snapshot - Pariah - Worthy!

Yes, n-word use at least five times.  This is a very necessary film for young people who are struggling with not only parental acceptance of their sexual orientation but being emotionally/physically taken advantage of by same-sex peers who just want to tease, flirt or experiment – but not be in a “real” relationship.   It also focuses on issues, such as homelessness, employment, and education, faced by teenagers who are kicked out...

BN-W Snapshot - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Worthy!

No, n-word not used.  This film was very entertaining – action with healthy doses of comedy.   The humor in it is a big plus because knowing what we know about action flicks (and the fakeness of the “action”) it’s not a bad idea to...

BN-W Snapshot - New Year's Eve - Mediocre!

No, n-word not used.  While this film is very basic, it’s better than its predecessor, Valentine’s Day, which BN-W monitored in May 2010 and gave a “BS” – read the synopsis here:   BN-W #101 .   A quick summary: there’s Sofia Vergara playing the usual accented character; porcelain veneers are everywhere...