A motorcycle drag race saga set in southern California, “Biker Boyz,” was a spin-off of “The Fast and the Furious”-which happens to be a far better movie.
Derek Luke, the intense young star from “Antwone Fisher,” sports a shaved head to play the loyal and intense Jaleel, who has lost his father in a freak racing accident. The two main stars of this biker bomb are Luke and veteran actor, Laurence Fishburne.
The moment Jaleel appears in the back-alley biker world, riding out on his ‘souped-up chopper’, he becomes Kid, a daredevil with an oversized desire to establish his manhood.
I spent Friday night in a crowded theater looking for a seat so that I could watch what I thought was going to be a fast-paced, non-stop biker movie. I must say that I was disappointed. I could have stayed home and waited for this flick to reach pay-per-view.
In almost every scene, Kid seems to be trying to prove something from his daredevil tricks. He has many confrontations with Smoke (played by Laurence Fishburne), a middle-aged speedster king, and Kid’s rival and role model.
The director, Reggie Rock Bythewood, knows how to get the drama working. There is something at stake in each of the races. In order to earn the right to compete, Kid forms his own motorcycle club, the multi-ethnic Biker Boyz, and for the duration of the film, he tries to win a race with Smoke.
The film was laughably bad. In fact, most of the audience was laughing at the dramatic twists and turns that occur in the film. They are all super-cliché and come out of left field.
The acting isn’t bad, but it could have been a lot better. In one particular scene, I thought I was watching an extended music video, because there were fancy stunts, beautiful bikes and beautiful women (Lisa Bonet and Salli Richardson-Whitfield).
This film is very mediocre and the hype surrounding this biker film will not last very long. Nevertheless, I must say that this movie with all its faults had me wishing that I too had a motorcycle and Lisa Bonet.
“Biker Boyz”-Starring
Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Orlando Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Brendan Fehr, Kid Rock, Lisa Bonet, Meagan Good, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Larenz Tate, Terence Howard and Eriq La Salle
RATTNG C+
Julian Thompson can be reached at Jay_e_Thompson@hotmail.com