Light It Up

I love this movie. People say it just another teen rebel movie, well I beg to differ. This movie will open your eye to the issues that go on in school to date. They say that it was completely on unreal, everything in that movie could happen. First off, the cast choice couldn't have been better, everybody gave a great, promising effort in this movie. Especially, Usher, he held it down. See would think Usher was soft with all his songs he make, but in this movie he meant that sh*t. Rosario Dawson, also good performance and Fredo Starr just made the movie a little do gangster but it was still good. The movie had a lot of feeling and suspense to it, and that made me keep on watching the movie. If had a chance I would have want to be cast in this movie, but this is the type of movie that will make your heart turn warm, but still know about the cold. There were very few problems in the movie and I like that. Overall I would buy the DVD, and ask for a date with Rosario Dawson.

This film is a stirring tale of the events of a day at an inner city public school. Where a few of the students end up holding a police officer hostage. This film really shows the way students in the innner city can be pigeon holed into a horrible situation.

This movie is not for people (like me) that know what the police is all about. EVERY COP is depicted as a itchy-trigger finger, and the Negotiation, and SWAT tactics are very stupidly done, for instance cops shooting at people with apparently no weapons! I understand and respect the message of the movie, but it can be anti-cop. I give this movie an E for effort, but the director needs to do his research on Real Police Tactics.

I don't normally go into a movie and get surprised because, usually, I'm pretty good at judging the plot of the movie by the trailors. But, "Light It Up" surprised me. I was expecting a home-boy driven, ghetto school, non-stop cursing, lunitical rampage by a bunch of pissed of kids. What I got was a movie filled with smart kids, except for Rodney, looking for a way to get their voices heard, but soon falling into a downward spiral after it all goes wrong. My favorite character of the movie was Ziggy. Robert Ri'chard was great as Ziggy, and I felt that, even though he wasn't as visible, you could feel more connected to him than to the rest. Forest Whitaker was great as Officer Jackson, the real reason behind the school hostage situation. Usher was pretty good as Lester, and I have to say, Lester's destiny in the movie really surprised me. I did not expect the final outcome to end as it did. Fredro Starr played the thug, Rodney. He's normally pretty good at these roles, and this movie was no exception. I really hope anyone that sees this will get past the school violence B.S. and concentrate on the message. The schools are the kid's. They have a right to be heard too. If you see the movie with that type of mentality then you won't come away dissappointed.

LIGHT IT UP / (1999) **1/2 (out of four) By Blake French: "I thought it would be interesting to make a film about inner-city high school students from their point of view," explains "Light It Up" writer-director Craig Bolotin. "In most films set in a high school, the adult is the protagonist – a principal or teacher would come into a troubled school and change the students' lives. In ‘Light It Up' the students take responsibility for their actions, and I thought that would make an interesting story." It is an interesting story, Craig, but unfortunately, it is one riddled with problems and predictable circumstances. "Light It Up" about a group of rebellious teenagers taking charge of their troubled school in New York, shines an intriguing light on the controversy involving poverty-stricken public schools-but the movies style makes for an awkward, disjointed picture that does good things with its material, but could have done so much more. I hate it when a movie develops its characters through brief voice over narration during the first five minutes, all while their names appear on screen. "Light It Up" portrays its main characters as stereotypical people we feel like we already know. There is an overachiever, a punk-rocker, a hustler, a basketball player, a gang member, and a talented artist. These characters are played convincingly well by some welcome young actors, including pop singer Usher Raymond, Rosario Dawson, Nickelodeon's Robert Ri'chard, the fast-rising Clifton Collins, Jr., Rap musician Fredro Starr, and Sara Gilbert, best known for her role in the TV comedy "Roseanne." The students barricade themselves in side of their school after a uncommonly unfair day. First, the school's only decent teacher is fired. Second, an accident occurs that leaves a police officer wounded, but not because of the students, because of his own bias judgments. The police officer is played effectively by veteran film actor and director Forest Whitaker, who brings an involving motivation to the story. Of course, the authorities blame the students for the injury, so they take justice into their own hands and hold the officer hostage. The middle of the movie doesn't really know where to go. The story seems to hit a place where it simply becomes idle. There are interesting relationships that develop, and the more we watch, the more we care about the characters. But every time we start to feel for someone, or when the plot hits an emotional connection with the audience, the film changes its mood so abruptly we couldn't absorb the power it has even if we really wanted to. The film's often overzealous style clearly gets in the way of an otherwise mature script. Rap music plays as highly stylized montage is displayed on screen-"Light It Up" obviously tries way too hard to be hip. Some of the angles are played on enough, and the story takes several wrong turns. It has a nice setup, respectable issues, and the situation is understood and well developed. There are rational character motives, an intriguing premise, but at the same time the plot often injects necessary informational nuggets when needed. The ending is right on money, but parts are obligatory. The concluding shoot-out and the character's final "promise" speech is involving, but we spot it coming an hour away. I liked a lot of "Light It Up" including its themes and performances. For producer Tracey E. Edmonds and executive producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, the film's message was a major draw. "It deals with the importance of education, the disparity of the educational system, and says that kids should not have to fight to get a decent education, quotes Tracey. "The script covers a lot of important issues." Unfortunately we have already seen the issues covered in better movies.

I thought I'd give it a chance because it has some decent actors in it but after 45 minutes it was so dumb, so unbelievable, so stupid I couldn't watch any more. Their method for creating tension and suspense only makes it worse because it's so unbelievable. Don't even waste your time with this garbage

I found this movie to be preachy and unrealistic. It tries to be a movie showing kids fighting against the system, but it doesn't even present a positive solution. I guess I didn't feel really for the kids. I totally can understand what their gripes were and I know how poor the state of schools are, but I found their solution and the way the outside dealt with it to be a big bunch of phooey. If this comes on TV, don't waste your time. Watch Short Circuit again for the 235th time.

Granted, this movie isn't particularly true-to-life, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. This is a surprisingly good movie with some superb performances. My conscience wouldn't let me sleep if I didn't take time out to mention that Usher gives a fantastic performance, restoring hope in a world where musicians try hard to be actors and fall miserably short of the mark. This movie is well worth your time; go see it.

I was watching a movie the other day and saw the preview for "Light It Up", and i must say i had my reserves about seeing it. I am the type of person who will see anything at least once to give it a shot. I must say I am very pleased I watched this movie. The movie revolves around six students from Lincoln High School in Queens New York trying to make a change in their school. Each at school for different reasons. Usher Raymond, in his first leading role, played the role extremely well. He took you on a roller-coaster ride, one minute as a sensitive confused young man, the next a young men with a vendetta against those who have done him wrong. He tries to balance the responsibility that he brought upon himself and deciding what is the best for him and his peers. Forest Whitaker plays the officer the young students of Lincoln high take hostage and plays the role pretty well. Rosario Dawson plays the lead female and is a believable good girl. Fredro Starr plays his usual gangster role as in Save the Last Dance. He is great in those roles because he can put that fear in you that he is crazy and will do anything. Robert Ri'chard makes his big screen debut as Ziggy. he is the quiet kid always trying to make peace and avoid controversy. If your looking for a movie that will get you thinking about how things are and should be changed this is a movie for you. There is plenty of drama in this movie. There is comedy, a little romance, and a real message in this movie and i suggest if you have not seen it go out and rent it.

Someone finally tells the truth. Light it Up is the story about a group of high school kids pushed to their very witts end. First they're given a learning facility with no heat and not enough text books, then the window breaks and brings in all the cold. When their burocratic principal ignores the complaint and leaves the class taught by prof. Knowles (played by Judd Nelson) but to continute the class at a warmer and more nourishing establishment. When the principal finds out about the last minute field trip that he allowed, he suspends Mr.Knowles. Mr.Knolwes devoted students voice their discontent for these actions and the principle continues to throw his weight around by suspending the protesting students. When the few students grow in numbers, school policeman Dante Jackson handles things his way. To make a long story short (too late) Jacksons' prejudice judgements forces the students fordge the ultimate revolt and hold Jackson hostage in the school library. This is a film that doesn't spare any expense to tell the truth about the urban school system and youth culture. The story is powerful, provacative, and true to life. It spotlights the students using sound judgement in the face of ignorent adults. Usher Raymond gives his best performence to date, and Rosario Dawson shows her versital talent as a character that is far different from her Valerie Brown character in "Jossie and the PussyCats" It is unfortunate that this film came out when it did, in the mist of the Colombin massacre, or it would have been received better by the public. My only problem with this film is that it took the "Kramer vs. Kramer" route in its epiloge. I felt that this story would have made more of a public statement had it ended without the last ten minutes, but the overall presentation was still good and the message was still there. This is a film more for the adults interest then the teens, even though teens will be eager to see Usher and Dawson. The film does have a good deal of strong language, drug-use and urban themes that under 17 viewers will need to watch with their parents. I give this film one of my highest acclaims. It is a must see.