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Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, John C. McGinley ... see more see more... , Blair Underwood , Chaz Lamar Shepherd , Dr. Dre , Vincent Baum & Van , Darryl Gibson

The sophomore film effort from music video director F. Gary Gray, Set It Off is a crime thriller about four women bank robbers from a housing project in L.A. Ever since her parents' death, Stony (Jada... read more read more... Pinkett Smith) has had to act as a parent to her little brother Stevie (Chaz Lamar Shepard). She works in various capacities to make a future for him at U.C.L.A. Cleo (Queen Latifah) is a butch lesbian who wants nothing more than to customize her classic car. Tisean (Kimberly Elise) is a painfully shy single mother to her son Jajuan, struggling to make ends meet. Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is the stylish bank teller who gets fired in the opening scene and ends up working with the other three at a janitorial service owned by irritating boss Luther (Thomas Jefferson Byrd). With Frankie upset from her unjust firing, Stony angry from the wrongful killing of her brother, and Tisean losing her baby to the child protective services, the four friends are motivated to rob a bank themselves. Looking for thrills, Cleo gets some guns from Black Sam (Dr. Dre in a cameo role), and they pull off their first job without a hitch. Their success starts a trend and they rob other banks in the area, all the while being investigated by Detective Strode (John C. McGinley). In a romantic subplot, Stony finds romance with wealthy Harvard-educated Keith (Blair Underwood) before the violent chase-scene ending. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Flixster Users

85% liked it

52,241 ratings

Critics

63% liked it

24 critics

R, 2 hr.

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

Release Date: November 6, 1996

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DVD Release Date: September 14, 1999

Stats: 2,494 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,494)

  • FilmFanatik
    December 21, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    Pretty decent heist movie.
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 25, 2007
    sanjurosamurai
    chicks rob banks and then they die
  • dreamfaeries
    November 7, 2006
    dreamfaeries
    Good movie. I love Queen Latifah.
  • xxdebxx
    February 16, 2011
    xxdebxx
    The Only Breaks You Get Are the Ones You Take.

    Stoney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleo (Queen Latifah), Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) and Tisean (Kimberly Elise) have been close friends for years living in the Los Angeles ghetto; each of them struggles with economic and emotional hardship... read mores. Fed-up with how life has knocked them around, and desperate to escape the ghetto, the four friends decide to resort to robbing banks. But what begins as a daring plan to make some extra cash soon grows out of control, as the four of them test the limits of their friendship with the police hot on their trail. There were some great moments in this film, particularly among the four principal characters culminating into a nice finale.
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  • InaHH
    August 30, 2009
    InaHH
    Surprisingly good film - fast-paced, emotional and with highly likeable female characters and cast.
  • ileo
    December 12, 2007
    ileo
    A great film!
  • JennabGreat
    May 24, 2011
    JennabGreat
    I was bored as hell & I saw this on tv, & I decided to watch it. Wow. Definitely wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. The four actresses were pretty great & overall, it was a sweet heist movie.
  • brandankurtis
    January 13, 2011
    brandankurtis
    My first impression was "Gangsta flick with chicks." And, to some extent, that's what I got. But there was a lot more, and I was deeply impressed with the realism, with one exception. The exception comes near the end and I won't give it away, but it involves police officers takin... read moreg shots at a suspect with a bus full of people in the background.

    One of the recurring themes of this film is how innocence and good intentions can turn into a nightmarish reality.

    A bank teller is confronted by a robber that she knows from childhood. She can hardly believe what is happening, and she doesn't react in the manner in which all bank tellers are trained. A hostage dies, and she loses her job. A slow reaction leads to a death, accusations, and the loss employment.

    A bright young man gets a haircut that is identical to a robbery suspect's. The police surround him. He has a champagne bottle in his coat that he doesn't want to break and tries to pull it out. They think it is a gun. An innocent mistake leads to a death.

    A loving mother can no longer afford a babysitter. She has to bring her child to work, and he gets into some cleaning supplies. A mother's good intention turns into a hospital trip and a custody battle.

    There were other instances where one mistake led to dire consequences, but I found them all believable, and none of them gave me the impression of being mere vehicles to advance the plot.

    I enjoyed some of the other representations of Life as it is. One being the inclusion of a lesbian (Latifa) in the cast without making a big deal out of it. Although exhibiting some stereotypical lesbian traits (denim overalls for example,) she wasn't overly "butch." And homosexuality wasn't used as a plot device to include nudity either. Speaking of which, the sex in the movie was pretty well done. When there was love, the sex was passionate. When Stony was doing it for money, she looked ready to burst into tears. For the most part, the sex came without nudity: disappointing in some ways, but adding credibility to the movie in others.

    I did have a few problems with this movie. One is a failing that I see in many movies. When a character's friend or family member is killed, he or she expresses initial shock and pain, but later on exhibits no outward mental stress. There is also the "I would have done it differently" factor. I felt this a few times, the first being the opening scene where Frankie (Fox) is being held up. Or when Cleo (Latifa) is stealing get away cars and tossing the previous owner's CDs out the window. Both of these are cases in which one needs to move fast and do what is needed to move on. You don't have time to stare blankly at your old friend. You don't have time to select the proper driving ambience. But these flaws didn't take too much from the general feeling.
  • jam233
    April 23, 2010
    jam233
    Good cast, Queen Latifah is particularly good. It also has a fine score. The plot has some holes in it, but overall it does what it intended, it entertains. There are some very exciting action scenes in it and the characters are well developed. Good movie.
  • jjkljlk
    November 1, 2009
    jjkljlk
    Great Movie. Gripping tale of 4 women who turn to robbing banks to make it out of ghetto life. The 4, played by Jada Pinkett, (Not married to Will Smith at time of filming) Vivica A. Fox, Dana Owens (Better know as Queen Latifa) and newcomer at the time, Kimberly Elise all work l... read moreegally until they figure that crime will pay them more than honest work. Blair Underwood is excellent as the love interest for Stoney (Pinkett) with his Harvard education mixed with a street knowledge. Pace of the movie is good, and it all flows very well. Excellent movie.

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
January 12, 2007
Emanuel Levy, Variety

Influenced by Thelma & Louise and Waiting to Exhale, this well-crafted Girls N the Hood has social conscience and soul; Queen Latifah gives a career-making performance that should made her a big Holly... Full Review

January 1, 2000
USA Today

Overlong, overdone and overwrought, the narratively challenged Set It Off gets off on exploitation shock and social-conscience schlock in equal measure.

Chris Cabin
July 30, 2009
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com

Despite Gray's galvanic ability with action sequences, there are very few surprises to be found in Set It Off Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
April 9, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

One of the rare movies sporting great action sequences and a ring of truth. Full Review

Larry Carroll
September 17, 2004
Larry Carroll, Countingdown.com

A tense, original caper film full of excellent performances, particularly by Queen Latifah

Nick Davis
August 16, 2003
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

Fierce and emotionally resonant action-drama, anchored by four smart performances.

Lisa Schwarzbaum
September 7, 2011
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

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

Click to read the article Full Review

Esther Iverem
January 22, 2002
Esther Iverem, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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  • What happened to Jada Pinkett Smith's character in Set It Off that pushed her over the edge?  Answer »
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