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Kadeem Hardison, Bokeem Woodbine, Joe Don Baker, Courtney B. Vance, Tyrin Turner ... see more see more... , Marcus Chong , Ralph Ahn , Angela Bassett , Charles Cooper , Joseph Culp , Robert Culp , Mark Curry , Richard Dysart , David Greenlee , Dick Gregory , Anthony Johnson , Jay Koch , Kool Moe Dee , James LeGros , Jenifer Lewis , Mario Van Peebles , Manny Perry , Jeris Poindexter , Tim Riley , Chris Rock , Jerry Rubin , James Russo , Roger Guenveur Smith , John Snyder , Melvin Van Peebles , M. Emmet Walsh , Ann Weldon , Yolanda Whittaker , Michael Wincott , James Bigwood , Mark Buntzman , Preston Holmes , William Fuller , Thyais Walsh , Anthony Griffith , Reginald Ballard , Bobby Brown , Steven M. Gagnon , Lahmard J. Tate , Robert Peters , David L. King

This controversial political drama semi-fictionalizes the history of the radical Black Panther Party, an African-American organization that polarized America from 1966-70. Huey Newton (Marcus Chong) a... read more read more...nd Bobby Seale (Courtney B. Vance) are a pair of Oakland, California, men who form a new political party dedicated to protecting Blacks from bigoted cops through violent means. Their "Black Panther Party for Self-Protection" serves free lunch to kids, educates the community in African-American awareness, gets drug dealers off the streets, and has gun battles with the Oakland police. Two members of the Panther Party are Tyrone (Bokeem Woodbine) and Judge (Kadeem Hardison). When FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Richard Dysart) suspects that the Black Panthers' leftist leanings are an indication of communist involvement, Judge, an affable Vietnam vet, agrees to become a double agent, reporting to both the Feds and the Panthers. After the Panthers storm the State Assembly in Sacramento, political paranoia grows, and Hoover conspires with the mafia to flood urban streets with cheap heroin, thus destroying the party. Director Mario Van Peebles, who also appears in the role of Stokely Carmichael, worked from a script written by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book about his real-life experiences with the Black Panthers. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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71% liked it

1,304 ratings

Critics

27% liked it

11 critics

R, 2 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: Mario Van Peebles

Release Date: May 3, 1995

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DVD Release Date: December 22, 1998

Stats: 84 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (84)

  • jacobsanders90
    April 28, 2011
    jacobsanders90
    GREAT movie! This film truly is a piece of history. If you have any interest whatsoever in Black history, you have to watch this movie. Just a warning though, the language is extremely intense in the movie. The F-bomb and "N word" get thrown around every other sentence. Obsceniti... read morees aside, this film is quite educational.
  • ms2pittman
    March 22, 2010
    ms2pittman
    I saw this movie in late 80"s I believe. It was very, very instrumental to my situation. At the time my older brother had been preaching (he wasn't a preacher, though) about the main reasons drugs were being introduced to the Black community, however, despite this knowing and bel... read moreief, my brother was also a user. After seeing this movie I began to understand what my brother had been preaching to me was indeed his and many Black Americans' nightmare. He was living this movie. Thank God, he never got as bad as Bobby Brown in the movie. "Panther" not only warns the Black Community, It is an eye opener for blacks, whites, browns and whoever will listen. This master- conjured- up- plan truly did back-fire. Excellent, directing, casting, etc. A must see.

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
October 6, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

In his fictionalized story, Van Peebles simplifies the history of the Black Panthers, doing harm to a subject that he presumably intends to honor. Panther suffers from the same narrative and stylistic... Full Review

Fred Topel
July 14, 2003
Fred Topel, About.com

Doesn't really shed much light on the movement.

Todd McCarthy
February 23, 2012
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
September 7, 2011
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

April 4, 2011
Entertainment Weekly

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Michael Eric Dyson
May 21, 2003
Michael Eric Dyson, New York Times

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Kenneth Turan
February 13, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

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Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

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Rita Kempley
January 1, 2000
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

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Peter Stack
January 1, 2000
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

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