Screened Out – Dope

[four-star-rating]Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, A$AP Rocky[/four-star-rating]

Yo! Yo! Yo! Get ready to get hooked on Dope!

“Dope” has a few definitions – drugs, stupid people, and excellence. The comedy Dope has all three things. So, strap on your Air Jordans and chill, for this slammin’ comedy about kids obsessed with ‘90s hip-hop is da bomb! The hilarious script and direction by relative unknown Rick Famuyiwa takes stereotypes and turns them into something fresh.

The flick follows three inner-city LA geeks who accidentally get sucked into drug dealing. All three friends have dreams of getting out, but “the pit” where they live often precludes success.

Our main hero Moore just wants to listen to old-school hip-hop, front his punk band, get all As in high school, and gain entrance into Harvard. He knows he’s nerdy, but he also knows what makes him happy – he commits. Maybe, also, it’d be nice if he lost his virginity…because, really, parts of Dope are a typical coming-of-age teenage sex comedy.

Other parts aren’t: the constant threat of drive-by shooting, the life-and-death situations, the poverty, and the harsh bullying at school.

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Director Rick Famuyiwa has had a few other indie films, but with Dope he movies into another level.

This comedy might remind audiences of Risky Business meeting Boys in the Hood. Dope is also a great mix of light and dark humor and an unusual and comedic view into the world of single parents, gang warfare, and big-time drug dealing. Despite its grimness, it’s shocking how entertaining it all is.

The movie is replete with a nostalgic mix-tape of a score, with new geek-punk songs contributed by Pharrell Williams. He, Forest Whitaker, and Sean Combs are some of the producers.

I fell in love with the characters first. Moore’s home skillets are an equally nerdy multi-ethnic outcast (Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and a lesbian who often passes as a boy (the scene-stealing Clemons). These three friends and their throwback styling are the most unique comedic trio to hit the screen since We are the Best (a Swedish film with another awesome music-obsessed trio). Moore has a ridiculous Kid-n-Play high-top fade, and Clemons reminds us of Salt-n-Pepa androgyny. Revolori successfully integrates himself into their culture, borrowing their style, as many non-blacks have.

For the most part, Famuyiwa knows how to pace comedy and vary filming styles to keep things moving. His Dope is genuinely funny, from the characters to the story to the small gags popping up throughout the film.

[rating-key]

Sure, to nitpick, the film could be more unified – with one narrator at the beginning and a different one at the end. The complicated plot doesn’t always make sense. Certain montages – like the kids getting deeper into drug dealing – drag. And nothing feels as life threatening as some tense moments early in the film.

The rest of it, though, is packed with laughs until Dope finds small ways to shock with realization. These kids are just kids. Under their old-school trappings and despite their grim environment, they deserve to succeed. And we want them to! And that’s what really makes Dope pimpin’!

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