4.5/10 “I Ain’t Mad at Cha,” just disappointed. What could have been a solid biopic of a very interesting person became a rather run of the mill movie that goes through all the familiar beats that we have seen in other music biopics before (from rags to riches, loyalty/betrayal, drug addiction, etc). The problem with this movie is that it lacks focus and feels like a Spark Notes version of 2Pac’s life. The movie goes on too long (they could have easily cut 20 minutes or so) and instead of diving into a portion of his life (like the movie “Lincoln” did), this movie jumps back and forth too much and doesn’t settle down anywhere. It doesn’t help that the production values are low which makes it feel like a made for TV movie at times. That is not to say that this movie is all bad because it isn’t. It is just very mediocre. The acting and in particular, the man who plays 2Pac is amazing and almost makes you feel like he is the real 2Pac. There are also moments when we see the softer, more emotional side of 2Pac and those are very real, raw, emotional moments that elevate those parts of the movie. It was interesting to learn some new facts about his life, even if die-hard fans will most likely already know everything this movie offers. Despite dragging at times, the movie is mostly entertaining and having his music sprinkled throughout helps set the mood. I like that the movie didn’t shy away from all his controversy and even showing characters in the movie calling him out for some of his contradictions. If this movie had a higher budget and a stronger director with a tighter script, it could have been something special. Although it is worthy of a rental for big fans of 2Pac, you are better of watching the highly superior “Straight Outta Compton.”
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