BlacKkKlansman [Blu-ray]

Fresh off of watching it and I really love this movie. First off, straight to the point of why I like this movie the most. The characters. I really like the characters because to me, they're more than just their role in the story or what they represent. They're likable characters I could see being in their own series like this movie. The writer did an excellent job with the humor because there were many times I was rolling from some of the scenes.Some people complain about the pacing, but I was invested the whole time personally. I agree it's a bit slower than normal, but I knew the premise before going in and they were doing cool things before getting into the juicier cuts of story. The progression of the story made sense to me, despite the pace, and it was always interesting, which is why I never got bored. In fact, I was always anticipating what was happening next, often gripping my pillow at times.I also liked the juxtaposition between both supremacy movements throughout the movie, visually, auditory, and otherwise. I particularly find the initiation of Flip with the other robed Klansmen before they watch Birth of A Nation with one of Jesse Washington's friends talking about the horrific injustice and brutal treatment that claimed Jesse Washington that day to be the most poignant. I also like David Duke's lines being interwoven with the scene before the C4 goes off to be pretty cool. However, this is why I find the ending a bit weird, because of the false equivalency Spike Lee makes between then and today. It didn't completely obliterate my viewing experience like it did for some people, but it definitely did have me like but "Why?". I know it's a thing Spike Lee does, you know with the whole incorporating real world footage often times to show that the message he's showing in one of his "joints" has a broader historic scope and that "history repeats itself", but idk I just find comparing the struggles of the people in the movie to those of today to be really overgeneralizing how much things have changed and are not the same nowadays. This is where you start to see Lee's bias and ofc the jab at Trump makes everything go into unsavory territory. Believe what you want, but don't try to make a false equivalency between Trump and those white racists in the movie. He's not explicitly saying that, but he's heavily implying it. That can misguide people who don't know what's going on enough to make an informed decision about how they feel. I'm not so mad despite how I sound, but it's just the taste in my mouth would've been more pleasant leaving this film. At the end of the day, Spike Lee's been doing this too long to change what he does in that sense. Gotta take it or leave it, and clearly some people left it XDI still rate it 5 stars cuz I can't rate it 4.5P.S. (OPTIONAL READ)There were some weird details that seem off to me in the movie like Ron not sticking to doing Flip's more laid-back voice after the guy (I think his name is Walter) called him out on it the first time. To be fair, he was only really talking with David Duke in that voice from then on out, but with the way some of the promotional posters look, I actually thought Ron himself was gonna don a Klan robe and interact with him, which makes that poster(s) kinda misleading. I thought the voice consistency detail would've mattered in that scenario but it never was a thing later. Also, the guy that aids Felix with the C4. He just stands out like such a sore thumb with his NY wiseguy accent and his more tan looking complexion and his curly hair. I know that whites in general in the Klan movement don't make it such a big deal to discriminate on looks in the sense of not looking like a blue eyed, blonde haired individual with super Anglo-Saxon features. It helps your cause, but it's not a must (i.e. Mengele and even Hitler himself). Like, as long your ideology aligns and you look the part and you're not obviously a part of any ethnic grouping they don't like, it's fine. But with how much Felix was riding Flip's ass throughout the course of the movie, you would've thought that guy would've been met with more suspicion than none. Maybe he proved himself like Flip? It's still weird though. You have to wonder if Spike Lee did it for any reason like visual dissonance. Maybe it's just me being unnecessarily descriptive and adamant about this one detail. And I'd be ok with that. I don't know, that's just a weird thing that stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Phew, rant officially over.

Do The Right Thing! and Malcolm X established Spike Lee as a unique (and angry) voice in Hollywood in the 90's, but that voice has been growing quieter and more restrained over the decades. But not anymore: his extraordinary talent is in full form here, as is his passionate message, which has never been more disturbingly relevant. When I was younger, I would see films such as Schindler's List, Amistad, or even Mississippi Burning and be emotionally torn apart, but there was always a certain naive ability to go to sleep with the belief that "things aren't like that anymore." Frankly, that was never true: the events of Hotel Rwanda were taking place at the height of the attention Schindler's List was getting and the same world leaders who demanded we see Spielberg's masterpiece were turning a blind eye to third world atrocities. But with BlackkKlansman, Lee has made a searing and powerful film that smacks you in the face with just how scary things are right now, in our own backyard, and our leaders are a big part of the problem. The choice to release the film on the first anniversary of Charlottesville is no accident, but it's no crass gimmick. It's a much needed wake up call.As a leading man, John David Washington has both the advantage and handicap of reminding one so much of his legendary father (and frequent Spike Lee collaborator) Denzel Washington. The fact that he doesn't have quite as commanding a presence is no slight against him, because frankly no one does. But the younger Washington proves to a serious talent deserving of his own accolades, and promises a bright future, a rising Michael Douglas to Denzel's Kirk. Ironically, given some of his vociferousness in the past, the most promising Oscar contender performances come from white actors, specifically Drive and Grace. A great supporting characters is made to make a huge impression, and both of these men absolutely nail their performances, with Grace finally finding the vehicle to allow him to put Spider-Man 3 in the past.This is a great film the truest sense of the term, and while the cast, script and the excellent cinematography by Chayse Irvin all deserve major kudos, it's a director's picture all the way. Lee tones done some of his most frenzied tendencies, but his signature shots are still there, and they've never worked better (what we like to call the "Segway shot" is expertly employed to make Ron and his girlfriend look like blacksploitation heroes as they brandish guns walking down a hallway.). This film is a labor of love, albiet an angry one, and it comes from a true artist at his most inspired level. While the element of Driver's character Judaism is an invention of the film, and not part of the true story, it's more than a strong dramatic choice. It's essential one in order to fully convey the message of the film's ending, and it shows a growth and maturity from Lee in wanting to make sure that aspect of the klan's insidious agenda is given as much attention as their hatred on black people.This is a movie everyone should see, and even watch with their kids.