Dope

Open Road Films | Release Date: June 19, 2015

7.5	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 169 Ratings

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FilmPhonicSep 21, 2015

Writer/ director Rick Famuyiwa attempts to weave together the comedic stylings of ‘Superbad’ and context of ‘Boyz n the Hood’ with the sensibilities of a teenage “outsider” comedy/drama into what is essentially a “triumph of the geeks”Writer/ director Rick Famuyiwa attempts to weave together the comedic stylings of ‘Superbad’ and context of ‘Boyz n the Hood’ with the sensibilities of a teenage “outsider” comedy/drama into what is essentially a “triumph of the geeks” proposition with a distinctly adult tone.

As a reflection of his own cultural preferences, Rick Famuyiwa chooses to make the 3 lead “geeks” uniquely “ghetto Hipsters” with the customary cultural appropriation that comes with it, in ‘Dope’ it features an obsession with 1990’s hip-hop culture which adds to the sense of being outsiders, the result of which is a delightful use of classic 90’s hip-hop within a strong soundtrack the way that ‘Superbad’ used classic soul & funk.

Indeed there’s much shared between ‘Dope’ and a number of coming-of-age outsider comedies like ‘Superbad’, from the risqué irreverent humour to the escalating outrageous situations, so when the novelty of the inner city setting wears-off, ‘Dope’ becomes very much your typical modern comedy which could easily have been named ‘Ghetto Geeks: A True Underdog Story’, albeit a contemporary version that makes good use of modern technology and social media.

Perhaps its biggest shortcoming is that for all the crazy goings on, ‘Dope’ is never really that funny, apart from a couple of scenes, and never gets close to the comedic levels of the films it clearly draws inspiration from. Despite this the unique nature of the setting does provide some rarely seen comedic fodder as well as scope for social satire, in fact the film builds towards an attempt at highlighting issues of systematic social discrimination in the US, with limited success it must be said.

The Bottom Line…
A moderately funny and mildly entertaining morality piece about staying true to oneself, ‘Dope’ is just about an original enough take on the teenage underdog comedy to be worth the watch, for Shameik Moore’s lead performance if nothing else, without leaving a particularly lasting impression.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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YoloSwag4DogeJun 12, 2016

It started off engaging and interesting, but just got really bizarre. The movie seemed to be trying to make a point, (or many points), but in the end it all becomes really convoluted. I liked the characters and I liked some of the dialogue,It started off engaging and interesting, but just got really bizarre. The movie seemed to be trying to make a point, (or many points), but in the end it all becomes really convoluted. I liked the characters and I liked some of the dialogue, but in the end the ridiculous plot just killed it for me. If you're into marvel movies, you'll love this.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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TVJerryJun 25, 2015

Malcolm (Shameik Moore) and his 2 friends are self-proclaimed geeks, academic achievers who endure humiliation and threats in their high school and their tough Inglewood, CA neighborhood. What starts out feeling like a nerd high school comedyMalcolm (Shameik Moore) and his 2 friends are self-proclaimed geeks, academic achievers who endure humiliation and threats in their high school and their tough Inglewood, CA neighborhood. What starts out feeling like a nerd high school comedy (with a decidedly black twist and not many laffs), turns into a risky teen adventure involving drugs, criminals and other community stereotypes. This trio has a hardscrabble energy that defies expectations and the movie has a smart attitude and plenty of heart: a blend of political concepts from "Boys in the Hood" with the sensitive life lessons of a John Hughes flick.… Expand