Ride or Die (2003)

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

Craig Ross Jr.

Writers:

Duane Martin (writer)
Jay Wolcott (writer)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Music | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Super fly P. I. gets bad guys the cops can't touch. |

Plot Keywords:

Hotel Clerk | Motorcycle | Luxury | Martial Arts | Massage

Cast

Duane Martin	...	Conrad 'Rad' McRae
Vivica A. Fox	...	Lisa
Meagan Good	...	Fake Venus
Michael Taliferro	...	B Free
Jadakiss	...	Benjamin / Killer Ben
Geoffrey Blake
Daniel Dae Kim	...	Miyako
Brooklyn McLinn
Sticky Fingaz	...	Demise
Iona Morris
Miranda Kwok	...	Tommy Wong
Stacey Dash	...	Real Venus
Gabrielle Union	...	Masked Woman
Faizon Love	...	David Rabinowitz
Zachary Williams	...	Basketball Player

Also Known As:

Hustle and Heat (Canada: English title) (DVD title) (USA) (DVD title)
Ride or Die (UK) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and some sexual content.

Runtime:

Germany:84 min (DVD version) | USA:88 min | Argentina:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Denmark:11 | Germany:16 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Company:

Strange Fruit Films

Trivia:

A character in this movie is nicknamed Armageddon. Michael "Bear" Taliaferro, who costars in this movie, was in a movie called Armageddon (1998/I).

Goofs:

Continuity: Rad says that he knows Benjamin did not commit suicide because the gun was found in his right hand, while Benjamin was left-handed. However, in an earlier scene in which Rad and Benjamin face off with a trio of thugs, Benjamin pulls his gun with his right and aims it with his right hand for several moments. Then, the gun appears in his left hand. Finally, he puts the gun away on his left side, using his right hand.

Movie Connections:

References "The Jeffersons" (1975)

not a "Shame", but no shame in it

The first thing that has to be said is that this is a low-budget rapidly shot action film that doesn't feel low-budget rapidly shot. There's a car-motorcycle chase scene in the middle of this that was apparently shot in a day, but it is so crisply shot and edited, it easily outdistances a lot of similar chases in much more expensive films.

This is both a bit of a nod to "blaxploitation" and a comic remark on it. The weakness of the film is that it is on the same terrain as Keenan Wayan's "Low Down Dirty Shame" but lacks Wayan's ability to draw out the most from every little comic bit. Other's have remarked how silly some of the scenes are - well, they're supposed to be silly, they just aren't silly enough.

Still, I find the film very likable despite its failings. The characters are not very deep, but they are appealing. The pace I think is generally good, and the camera-work and editing are excellent.

Don't be mean-spirited about this film; it could have been better, but it is still very entertaining.