Set It Off (1996)

Even when it misses a dramatic opportunity in favor of generic action, Set It Off benefits from a sharp understanding of its well-drawn central characters. They're a quartet of young African American women in Los Angeles (Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise), all struggling against a system that seems designed to prevent them from realizing their dreams. The movie establishes their plight with credible attention to emotional detail, making their decision to rob banks believable enough to give the ensuing plot its inevitably tragic momentum. Cowritten by the screenwriter of What's Love Got to Do With It?, the film conveys genuine compassion for its characters, and the ensemble cast is uniformly strong--especially Queen Latifah as a brash lesbian whose fate is as certain as her forceful attitude.

Set It Off expresses a real sense that these women have been close friends for years, and that gives the film additional impact, even when their transition to crime and violence feels somewhat forced and superficial. A romantic subplot involving Pinkett and a social-climbing banker (Blair Underwood) is too contrived to be convincing, and director F. Gary Gray (Friday) tries too hard to combine hard-hitting action with social relevance (a weakness shared by Gray's following film, The Negotiator). Still, Set It Off effectively avoids passing judgment; its emotional complexity transcends simple notions of right and wrong, injecting vitality--and a kind of renegade integrity--into the traditions of a familiar plot. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

very good

well i think the movie was well done they picked the perfect people to play the right parts i can watch that movie over and over again. December 10, 2008

"Set it off like Vivica!"...(Notorious Big)

I ordered this one through Amazon, it's a classic and has Jada Pinkett in it...(pause for the cause)...she is fine! Ok, back to the review...I ordered it and it came within a few days which was cool cause, I really wanted to check it out. I won't go into the movie, you can read up on that if you choose but as far as my experience goes, I enjoyed the movie when it first came out and I still like to watch it from time to time. Ordering was easy and I suggest it for anyone's movie collection. YMMV. NEOSOUL06. October 30, 2008

review

Iam pleased with my purchases from amazon. they always get me my orders in a hurry and I will stay a loyal customer for years. August 11, 2008

Kick a55 movie with a decent soundtrack

Another flick in my collection that gets frequent watches. Set It Off features four women that finally had it with being dealt fates bad hands. They come up with ideas to rob a bank. Of course, if the job is successful. Why not try it again? I mean, that's what I did... or would do. I will tell you this, these women are fine and we can share a hot tub for real. Threesomes is cool and even four but there is always room for one more.

The acting is very solid to me and this group of bandits is impossible to dislike. The writing is good and there is a bit of character development. The action scenes are pretty good and the movie never slows down to me.

If action and drama is your thing then check this out. It can feel a bit light hearted and funny at times. But make no mistake, I know plenty of people who went to tears watching this. Also if you're a fan of R&B especially, it would be ok to pick up the soundtrack too. Now, I'm not THAT crazy about R&B. I usually keep it around just to set the mood. But the soundtrack does get spins once in awhile. Even though at times it feels like a mixed bag. May 31, 2008

Not to be missed!

Set It Off is a brilliant film about ordinary women driven to a life of crime by circumstances beyond their control. A sibling murdered by police, a child taken away unfairly by a social worker, an abusive employer -- that and more push them over the edge.

The performances here are so wonderful, that you can forgive any flaw. You just may have seen this good-folks-gone-bad story line done before, but never quite so compellingly. Queen Latifa is a standout in the cast, and every one was outrageously good!

This is a DVD that belongs in your collection, especially if you're looking for a movie to watch with friends. It's the kind of film you'll talk about for quite some time. Don't miss it! March 2, 2008

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