While the cinematic interpretation of N.W.A's story is no doubt littered with some corny dialogue and melodramatic "Hollywood movie" moments, they never distract from how special the story is.
Director F. Gary Gray has crafted a film in Straight Outta Compton that is timely in its themes and delivers all the betrayal, deceit, violence, and folly of a Greek drama. This movie doesn't just explore the true-life twists and turns of N.W.A's journey to the top. It chronicles the birth of an entire genre of music at a time when racial tensions in Los Angeles were at a historic high.
With founding members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre in the producers' credits, you can be sure that anything less than total reverence for the subject matter was unacceptable. It's obvious that Gray doesn't try to sanitize anything about the world these young men came from. Though not without fault, the performances, production design, and screenplay do satisfying justice to N.W.A's legacy.
The cast is largely full of unknowns. Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson, Jr. fills his dad's shoes while Corey Hawkins stars as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Neil Brown, Jr. as DJ Yella, and Aldis Hodge features as MC Ren. Hawkins and Mitchell are the true standouts, as we are riveted to the edge of our seats during Dre's tense moments with Suge Knight and E's fight to keep Ruthless Records afloat while his health begins to deteriorate. Mitchell delivers all the right emotional cues to paint E as a tragic hero, and he is easily the most fascinating character in the film. Gray does well to balance a satisfying amount of screen time between Cube, E, and Dre's stories. Perhaps screenwriters Jon Herman and Andrea Berloff thought that audiences would connect best with the group's 3 most recognized faces, but it certainly feels like Ren and Yella, two important founding members, get the short end of the stick.
Another minor quibble with the screenplay is that the dialogue too often resorts to corny, fan-service remarks. When Dre confronts Suge about his desire to break away from Death Row Records, Dre touts his plans for a self-managed company. "What you gonna call that shit?" Suge asks. As the score builds to a dramtic swell, Dre stops and turns as he's walking out the door and says, "Aftermath." The movie doesn't really suffer as a whole because of it, but there are too many moments that feel like on-the-nose fan service.
There are also one or two scenes that took me out of the drama of the moment, such as when Dre leaves the studio in a fit of rage and leads police on a high speed chase through downtown L.A. in his Ferrari. Allegedly this really happened, but it feels like something out of The Fast and the Furious, as if it were tacked on for the sake of having a big-budget action scene.
On that note I would've liked to see the narative explore even more of the characters' alleged troubles with the law. Dre's assault charges (likely either Denise Barnes and/or Damon Thomas) are all but glossed over in a passing remark by N.W.A's manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti). Heck, I would've even liked to see more behind-the-scenes on Ice Cube's early film work with Boyz N the Hood and Friday. As it stands, though, I have a hard time truly begrudging the filmmakers on this simply because those subplots are extraneous to a story that's supposed to be exclusively about N.W.A. If Gray's alleged 3.5 hour-"director's cut" ever sees the light of day, perhaps it'll offer more individual, post-fame character insight.
Despite the flaws, I can't say I didn't love Straight Outta Compton. The story of N.W.A is an electrifying one outright, and its told affectionately here thanks to terrific performances and confident direction. It's as timely a picture as Selma. I cannot wait to see this film again soon. I wouldn't be surprised if Cube, Dre, and Legendary Pictures build an Oscar campaign around this thing.
PROS:
-the Music!
-Strong cast
-F. Gary Gray's direction
-Authentic production design
-Timeliness of the story
-Narratively well-constructed
CONS:
-Some corny dialogue
-Flashy "Hollywood" moments prematurely remove you from an emotional payoff
-Not enough room for more individual, post-fame character insight
B+
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