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Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vonte Sweet, Larenz Tate, Ryan Williams ... see more see more... , Samuel L. Jackson , Charles S. Dutton , Glenn Plummer , Bill Duke , Khandi Alexander , Christopher M. Brown , Marilyn Coleman , Julian Roy Doster , Robert Gonzales , Clifton Collins Jr. , Anthony Johnson , Arnold Johnson , James Pickens Jr. , Clifton Powell , Tony Valentino , Yo-Yo , Eugene Lee , Brandon Hammond , Reginald Ballard , Nancy Cheryl Davis , Rolando Molina , Toshi Toda , Chad Dowdell , Mike Kelly , Saafir

This debut offering from twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes was one of the most critically-acclaimed urban crime films to appear in the wake of John Singleton's influential Boyz N the Hood. Set in ... read more read more...the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, the film is narrated by 18-year-old Caine (Tyrin Turner), a drug dealer and car thief who lives with his religious grandparents. After graduating from high school, Caine shows no ambition beyond hanging out with his friends, so his grandparents kick him out. Among his other troubles are his best friend O-Dog (Larenz Tate), a vicious thug hunted by the police, and the friends and family of the girl Caine got pregnant and then turned his back on. Perhaps the lone positive influence in his sphere is Ronnie (Jada Pinkett), a single parent struggling to raise her young son without the boy falling prey to the 'hood mentality. When their friendship becomes a love affair, Ronnie tries desperately to convince Caine to move with her to Atlanta; soon afterward, he is shot and nearly dies. After recovering, he accepts Ronnie's offer, but tragedy strikes as they pack their van in preparation to leave. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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88% liked it

59,288 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

33 critics

R, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes

Release Date: May 26, 1993

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DVD Release Date: July 3, 2001

Stats: 3,124 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,124)

  • LoughnerWasLucid
    July 23, 2011
    LoughnerWasLucid
    "yea, ima git a double burger... and some fries.."
    "ay, ay, nigga what da fuck i say? wit cheese, mutha fucka, wit cheese!"
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 25, 2010
    sanjurosamurai
    just short of boyz in the hood as an urban drama with real chops, the film is a bit more reliant on entertaiment than reality than boyz in the hood is. overall however, the film also boasts great performances from nobody's and sells its message better than almost any film of thi... read mores genre. worthwhile for any film fan but excellent for fans of the genre.
  • DrZeek
    January 6, 2010
    DrZeek
    Grocery Store Man: I feel sorry for your mother.
    O-Dog: What'd you say about my mama?

    A ghetto drama about a young hustler who was equipped to have a better life if he was raised in a different environment. Instead, with the friends and role models available to him, the life... read more of crime pays its tolls on him. The darker side of a coin that would have Boyz in the Hood on the other side. Some energetic performances and authentic dialog mixed with the very well handled visual style by the Hughes Brothers make this a very watchable film about unfortunate characters.

    Tyrin Turner stars as Caine, the protagonist of the film. He is not much of a hero, though likable in a way. He spends his days as a young drug dealer, mostly going around the hood with his best friend O-Dog, played really well by Larenz Tate, who tends to lose his temper at nearly any situation. While not completely plot less, the film more or less lets us spend a few months with Caine, as he participates in some stupid crimes, learns a bit from the various mentors in his life, and essentially tries to come to terms with what he thinks it is to be a man.

    Despite how vulgar and very heavy on the use of two particular words the film was, the way the characters living in Watts speak always rings true. Nothing in the way the characters act ever feels false. Its certainly a good way for the film to keep its tone together, as well as providing for bother very real and sometimes very humorous exchanges. This is especially the case for the dynamic between other characters and Sharif, the one character opting away from crime life, being educated, despite hanging with the rest of these people.

    Sharif: What's up, black man?
    Caine: Coolin'. Man, why you got that goddamn hood on your head, lookin' like the Grim Reaper?
    Sharif: It's cold out here, my brother. You know us black folks not used to this cold air. We a tropical people, you understand? Let them Europeans deal with this madness.
    Caine: Then why your tropical ass sittin' on the goddamn cooler?
    Sharif: To keep you fools from drinking this poison. That's why.
    Caine: Man, you better get your Shelenkem-Shilom ass up off this box and pass me a motherfuckin' brew.

    Most impressive in this film was the direction by the Hughes Brothers. Twins who had come off of music videos at the time, they were only 21 when they finished making this film, and their work here is very impressive. The use of color schemes, camera movement, editing, and other visual tricks to keep up a certain momentum and hold together this film was interesting and intriguing throughout.

    Its wandering story and overall depressing factors certainly don't make it a film I need to revisit anytime soon, but its made and acted very well, which certainly warrants it a good rating.

    ...Oh, and watch out for Sam Jackson's brief appearance with his Afro.

    [Caine Lawson reflecting after being shot]
    Caine: After stomping on Ilena's cousin like that, I knew I was gonna have to deal with that fool someday. Damn! I never thought he'd come back like this, blasting. Like I said, it was funny like that in the hood sometimes. I mean you never knew what was gonna happen or when. I've done too much to turn back, and I've done too much to go on. I guess in the end it all catches up with you. My grandpa asked me one time if I care whether I live or die. Yeah, I do. Now it's too late.
  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    Better than Boyz in da hood, this is gritty and real. There is not one hint of Hollywood or Disney, it?s a long hard look at the true nature of the Hood.
  • garyX
    February 6, 2009
    garyX
    Tyrin Turner stars as Caine, son of a drug dealer and junkie, raised by his grandparents in the projects and typical product of the 'hood. The Hughes brothers' film of life on the LA streets is one of the many released after the burgeoning mainstream popularity of hip hop in the ... read moreearly 1990s. It is a film with a message, namely that the same cycle of crime and violence is repeated through the mistakes of each generation and a youth without hope inevitably turns to crime as an "easy" way to escape poverty. The film is inevitably a little dated and there is a certain level of glamorization, the love scene in particular coming across as a chart R'n B video. The main flaw is in the fact that the characters are so self centred and obnoxious that it's difficult to care about them, but I guess that's also part of the message; take away a man's respect for himself and others and you take away his reason to live. It certainly has some good moments and it's well intentioned but the dialogue is a stream of cliched ghetto speak and the ending very contrived. Well worth a look, but Dead Presidents' more mature and involved approach makes it far superior film.
  • 76Majikat
    January 29, 2008
    76Majikat
    I was really into these type of films in the 90's when I was in my early teens, it really does seem quite dated now.

    An enjoyable nostalgic watch, but nowhere near as good as I remembered it.
  • EightThirty
    August 26, 2007
    EightThirty
    Brace yourself when U watch this!
  • Deano78
    July 14, 2007
    Deano78
    A very good if extremely violent crime film. Similar to Boyz N the hood it charts the life of a young man in the LA hood. Great performances and very dramatic.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    March 1, 2007
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Powerful.
  • mjgildea
    November 28, 2006
    mjgildea
    I only saw it once but I remember loving it. Anybody want a cheeseburger?

View All Menace II Society Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 17, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Don't let the silly styling of the title put you off; this is a powerful, convincing, and terrifying look at teenage crime in contemporary Watts. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
March 17, 2008
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Bleak, brilliant, and unsparing: a full-scale vision of the madness that is tearing up the black inner city. Full Review

Leonard Klady
March 17, 2008
Leonard Klady, Variety

Fierce, violent and searing in its observation, the film makes previous excursions seem like a stroll through the park. Full Review

Stephen Holden
May 20, 2003
Stephen Holden, New York Times

If Menace II Society is terrific on ambiance, it is considerably less successful in revealing character. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Nothing the Hughes brothers have done in their videos for Tone Loc, Tupac Shakur and others prepares you for the controlled intensity and maturity they bring to their stunning feature debut.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Anyone who views this film thoughtfully must ask why our society makes guns easier to obtain and use than does any other country in the civilized world. And that is only the most obvious of the many q... Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

It's maddening and enlivening. It's brilliant and tacky. It's funny and horrifying. It will gratify the worst elements in the crowd; it will engage the very best. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

It won't be a fun time -- at least not in the conventional sense -- but you'll sit through a ninety-seven minute odyssey that won't be quickly forgotten. Full Review

March 17, 2008
Film4

The Hughes brothers' debut is an exhilarating urban nightmare. Full Review

March 17, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

An impressive first feature from the 21-year-old twin brother directing team of Albert and Allen Hughes. Full Review

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    • Caine Lawson: My grandpa asked me one time if I care whether I live or die. Yeah, I do... and now it's too late.
    • Grocery Store Man: i feel sorry for your mother
    • O-Dog: what you say about my moma
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Menace II Society Trivia

  • Who played O-Dog in the movie Menace II Society?  Answer »
  • In what movie did the line "Pay me in bud..." come from?  Answer »
  • "Which actor played O'Dog in Menace II Society?"  Answer »
  • In Menace II Society, who said "You're acting real paraoid right about now" ?  Answer »
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