Credit: Amazon.com
Director:
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Starring:
Tyrese Gibson ………. O2
Meagan Good ………. Coco
Larenz Tate ………. Lucky
The Game ………. Meat
Henry Hunter Hall ………. Junior
The Movie
When people describe a movie as “action-filled”, you expect it to be just that. In reality, though, the movie in question can be one of two things. It can be, in fact, “action-filled” and a fun ride that never lets you have time to breathe. That can be entertaining and most of the time you can ignore the flaws of the film. However, more times than not when a movie is called “action-filled” it really isn’t, and it’s just a way to cover up the flaws and make people watch it. Waist Deep falls into this second category of “action-filled” movies.
Waist Deep stars Tyrese Gibson as O2, an ex-con who is a single father now and trying do good for the sake of his son. That changes when his car is jacked with his boy inside. O2 must do whatever he has to do, including breaking many laws, in order to get his son back from a drug lord named Meat (The Game). Meat got his name, it seems, because he likes chopping off arms and legs of people who don’t pay him. O2 will stop at nothing to rescue his son and that could mean creating a gang war. Along for the ride with O2 is a woman named Coco (Meagan Good), who is a street hustler, and his shady cousin Lucky (Larenz Tate), who is caught between family and criminal loyalities.
Tyrese Gibson is a singer/rapper who turned to acting in the late 90’s. He has been in some successful movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious. He has definitely improved his acting skills, and he has the looks of a leading man in Hollywood. That said, he definitely carries this movie. Meagan Good is average at best, but she does have a undeniable chemistry with Tyrese on the screen. Larenz Tate is just okay in this role, but there is not much for him anyways. The Game makes his first feature film debut and as the villain in the film he does a respectable job. The movie could have been better with some better acting, but there is nothing too horrible to bring the movie down to the “awful” level.
Now to the action scenes, where this movie was supposed to shine. Except for the beginning and the ending and some scenes in the middle, it wasn’t that “action-filled”. There are some good car chases and shootouts here and there, but it slows down in the middle immensely and you are not always “on the edge of your seat” as the film suggests. There is time for the chemistry between Tyrese and Meagan to grow here, but in the end that is not enough to raise the movie in quality. More action scenes should have been added in the middle of the movie.
One of the things that did work in this movie was the relationship between O2 and his son, Junior (Henry Hunter Hall). Hall did a fine job in only his second movie role and first in 9 years. You could actually believe that the two were father and son, so it creates an emotional bond that drives the movie forward. Too bad there are many holes in the film that prevent it from being better.
Usually if the action is fast and furious, no pun intended, you can ignore the expected flaws found in “action-filled” movies. Too bad that Waist Deep was not fast enough to make us look right past the many plot holes in this movie. The acting is just okay, but there is some chemistry between Tyrese and his son and love interest, so it’s not all bad. I can only really recommend this film to Tyrese Gibson fans. That may be the only ones satisfied with the end result here.
The Video:
The video is given in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen color. It’s pretty standard quality. No real problems at all.
The Audio:
The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. There are subtitles available in English SDH, Spanish, and French. No problems here either.
The Extras:
Deleted Scenes/Outtakes–
These are scenes that didn’t make the final cut of the movie as might expect. There is nothing that was really needed as all of these pretty much slowed down the movie even more. There are some outtakes included here, though, which are fairly amusing.
Going Deep: Analysis of a Scene –
This follows the step-by-step process of creating the carjacking scene at the beginning of the movie. Director, Vondie Curtis-Hall works with the stars of the film along with the stunt coordinator and the director of photography to choreograph the scene and the all the action involved in it. This is a pretty good featurette on one of the most “action-filled” scenes in the movie.
Drive-By Filmmaking –
This is an insider’s look at the techniques used by filmmakers to create the “action-filled” driving scenes and car chases. Another good featurette on the strong chase scenes. Too bad there is not more of this.
Music Video: “Bad Girl” by Black Buddafly feat. Fabolous –
Just as it says. This is a music video of one of the songs in the movie. Nothing too special, but it’s there if you like the song.
THE INSIDE PULSE
If you are a fan of Tyrese Gibson, you will probably enjoy this movie. If you are expecting an “action-filled” movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat at all times, you won’t like this one. You’ll be disappointed. It has some good chase scenes in it, but there is not enough here to make you see past the many holes and flaws of the movie. A rental at best, unless you’re a Tyrese fan.
