Release Date: January 16, 2009
Production Companies: Fox Searchlight Pictures (Later known as Searchlight Pictures after Disney acquisition)/Bad Boy Films/By Storm Films/State Street Pictures/Voletta Wallace Films
Wow. It had been quite some time since I had last seen this. I recall seeing this on opening weekend at the start of 2009. So it’s been a little more than 14 and a half years since I had last watched. Not to say I didn’t have chances of revisiting it, but after doing my re-review on “All Eyez on Me” (the film), it was a given that I would revisit this.
Back in the late-2000s, I remember hearing that a movie on Biggie Smalls (or The Notorious B.I.G.) was in production. I know that as a longtime hip-hop head that I would see it because up to that point, aside from an MC Hammer movie done for VH1 (which was in 2001, the early-2000s), there had not been any biopics done on rappers. I knew I was going to see it anyway, especially since my younger cousin, who was about 12 at the time, wanted to see it.
It’s crazy to think that Biggie had quite an impact and legacy after his untimely demise. He had only recorded two albums (though for the second one, he died weeks before its release). He had a crew of his own, Junior M.A.F.I.A. (it stood for “Masters at finding intelligent attitudes”) whom had released an album of their own. He also was known for getting the East Coast back on the map in the rap world as up to that point (the 1990s), the West Coast was getting big with the likes of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Too $hort, E-40, etc. I can go on, but the point I am making is that even though the East Coast originated hip-hop, during the time of Biggie’s rise, the West Coast was at the top of the rap game but Biggie helped bring it back to the East as well.
So it was no surprise that a biopic about him was made. Plus, this was the first one to get a theatrical release.
Before I get into my review, let me just say this – I can’t say that I was the biggest Biggie fan out there. Now don’t get me wrong. The man ripped the mic well. He was good at rapping and had different topics he rapped about. He was popular. I have listened to his albums, “Ready to Die” and “Life After Death,” and his two posthumous albums, “Born Again” and “Duets: The Final Chapter.” But what has always gotten in all my years of listening to hip-hop, when looking at Top 10 or 20 lists, you often see Biggie and Tupac at the top of the lists. Again, Biggie was popular and sure knew how to spit, and he does earn the respect he was given as an artist, and I say this as someone who lived to see his career up to his untimely death, it just feels like when it comes to rap legends, it’s always either Tupac or Biggie at the top over everyone when there are other artists to consider legends. Hell, I remember an old coworker (who was much younger than me) asking me who I chose between Biggie or Tupac, but I had to school him on other artists, many of whom he had never heard of. Part of me wonders if it’s because they’re deceased, but I never ever denied that Biggie had a good flow and storytelling. So a biopic on him was in order back in those days. I still wouldn’t consider him to be one of my top favorite artists, but I did like his music even when he was alive.
With all that being said, it’s time to talk about the film.
The story starts with a young Christopher Wallace (Biggie’s real name, by the way) at school with his friend talking about rapping and stuff. I also found out recently that young Biggie was played by Christopher Wallace Jr., who was Biggie’s real-life son with Faith Evans. I found that interesting that his son played his father as a child. Anyway, so it showed bits of him in childhood then into his teen years when he was pushing crack up until he started rapping and then his rise to fame and then everything that led to his untimely demise.
Biggie was portrayed by Jamal Woolard, who is a rapper himself and he captured the essence of the late rapper. He not only had the look but his voice was similar enough, but what really stood out was that it seemed he did his own rapping for the recreations of some songs or the scenes when he would freestyle. It didn’t sound like he was lip-synching over the real Biggie’s vocals.
So it was good to see that Woolard did his own rapping for this film. He was a rapper before he got cast, after all.
As for any other performances, I can’t complain when Angela Bassett is on screen as she did fine as Voletta Wallace, Biggie’s mother. However, I can’t say the same thing about Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur.
I must say this. When I went to go watch this in theaters and I saw who was supposed to be Tupac, I was like “Huh? Him?!” Okay, yes, while he may be known for portraying Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but because it was 2009 when this came out, I mostly remembered him as Poppa Doc in “8 Mile,” who got roasted to bits by Eminem in the climactic rap battle scene. Even when he was in 2013’s “Pain & Gain” I still saw him as Poppa Doc. It doesn’t help that he didn’t feel like Pac in the scenes he was in.
But aside from that, I like how the storytelling also paints Biggie as a not-so-good person. While he may have been beloved as a rapper, he was definitely no saint. He not only sold drugs but also treated women badly, especially the women in his life like Faith Evans and Lil’ Kim. Did I also mention that he wasn’t very faithful to both women? I guess what I said is evident of such behavior.
Many of the characters felt shallow and if you think about it, there was a lot to be told in this story that there wasn’t enough focus on the others because it had to touch on some events that had occurred. Yes, this film was full of clichés, but a lot of films are like that.
After this long since the first time I saw it, I have to say that it holds up for what it is, but when compared to other biopics, at least those released in cinemas, “Straight Outta Compton” still felt superior. I know I need to revisit that one because it has been a long time since I last saw it, but regarding “Notorious,” it’s miles better than “All Eyez on Me.” I won’t pretend that this film didn’t have flaws. I already mentioned Anthony Mackie’s performance as Tupac (which in a lot of ways is kind of funny in hindsight) but there were some parts that felt a little unnecessary. For example, one scene with Biggie and Lil’ Kim having a moment. I am sure it wasn’t meant to turn anybody on, but still, it was kind of disturbing. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Lil’ Kim was portrayed by Naturi Naughton, who was a member of the girl group 3LW (3 Little Women) back in the early-2000s. I just thought that was an interesting casting choice. I wonder if she did her own rapping in those scenes.
Overall, I would call this film average, if better than average. Despite some clichés and some cheesy performances, I did like the concert scenes and the studio scenes. The film had a good soundtrack by The Notorious B.I.G. himself. I mean if the movie was about him, would you expect anything else? I would say I didn’t mind it, if liked it enough, but I didn’t love it.
3.25/5
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