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8 Mile (Widescreen Edition with Censored Bonus Features)

8 Mile (Widescreen Edition with Censored Bonus Features)

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Please don't waste any money in buying/renting
Review: this garbage. Oh, pooh, pooh that sorry Eminem, who was forced to live with his mother after breaking up with his girlfriend. He's being hailed as "Elvis of Hip-Hop," which I don't think so because he had help from various rappers such as Doctor Dre.

Still don't waste your hard-earned dolllars on this pathetic piece of trash.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Worse Than I Expected
Review: A bunch of undereducated and unemployed (or underemployed) losers waste their lives (1) either rapping or hanging out with their rapping friends in hope something will rub off on them, (2) riding around aimlessly (3) bemoaning their fates as they do nothing to improve them. It used to be dreams of basketball success that mesmerized so many young black urban males and left them with nothing--apparently now it's dreams of rap music success that ensnare too many young black urban males (along with some young urban white trash) into worthless lives. The whole scene is just pitiful. Eminem can't act, by the way--he has exactly one expression: sullen. After seeeing this movie, I'm more convinced than ever that rap is nothing more than a cute vocabulary-based parlor trick. It's not music, and this isn't much of a movie.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A movie that doesn't try to be more than it is
Review: Okay, so like, Eminem is a poor white rapper on the wrong side of town in Detroit. The roads are numbered, and 8 mile is the bad area where the prostitutes are. I know this, because Maleficent lived near (but not in 8 mile, heavens no!) there.

Apparently, there's a whole rap culture going on. Eminem, playing a guy named Rabbit, finally starts to realize that the world he lives in sucks. Actually, he's always known that, but he was embarassed about it. The movie is about him coming to terms with who he is and where he comes from.

And that's about it. For the most part, 8 Mile is a very clean movie. It has all the same plot of a Rocky movie -- poor guy competes against big winner against all odds. Big bad winner has an outside-of-the-competition conflict with underdgo/protagonist. There's a girl from whom the protagonist draws his strength. And he has friends who are faithful to him to the end.

There's some important differences. In this movie, the girl is actually a [...] sleeping her way to the top. But the movie recognizes that her way is just as valid as anyone else's to get out of the hell hole they live in.

Additionally, the whole final contest -- a freestyle showdown involving rap -- is basically meaningless. Winning isn't about the admiration of people who could give a crap if Rabbit lives or dies. It's about him finally putting his demons to rest by admitting he's white trash. Rabbit draws upon the raw ugliness of his background to pull himself up by his bootstraps -- not his girlfriend, not his family, and not his friends.

And for that, you can respect Rabbit. At the end of the movie, he doesn't go on to become a rapping champion or getting that sweet record deal. He goes back to work.

Formulaic? Yes. Is Eminem a great actor? Hardly. But the movie doesn't try to be more than it is, and for that it earns my respect.

The only thing that seriously mars it is Eminem's "I'm friends to all the gays" rap. His gay pal covers for him at work and Rabbit defends him with his rap.

If you've forgotten, Eminem was seriously slammed for his homophobic lyrics. Eminiem seems to be trying to say that's part of his language. In other words, it's not that HE'S homophobic, it's just part of his speech. Which is complete and utter crap. Reality is, the culture he comes from is homophobic, and that's just the way it is. Ironically, in trying to pretend he recognizes his roots, Eminem rejected the ugly parts.

Please -- those moments in the film reminded me that this is a movie whose sole purpose is to perpetuate the myth and legend of Eminem. A black mark on an otherwise servicable film.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: If anything, buy it for the freestyles
Review: "8 Mile" (2002)

While there isn't much plot to this movie (it's just a lot of stuff that happens to B-Rabbit [Eminem]), this movie is entertaining for the freestyles ("I Live At Home in a Trailer" is hilarious), the battle raps (especially the second to last one against Lotto: "Tank top screaming/"Lotto, I don't fit you!!"), and the DVD extras including battle rap auditions and the X-rated "Superman" video. It was also interesting to see how B-Rabbit put his words together for the song "8 Mile" through the course of the movie.

As for Eminem's acting, he is surprisingly good. He's no Richard Gere but he is better than most rappers who try to act (Nas, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, Method Man, etc.). The score is also dope: since this movie takes place in 1995, all of the hot songs from that era like Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones, Pt. 2" and Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money" are played, making me relive my high school senior days. This is a great movie. -EJR

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quite a nice show
Review: Lets face it... Eminem is no innocent bunny. Lamenting about how girls treat him? Well he himself didn't treat them right or picked the ones which were notorious... I wasn't a fan of his, and still am not after watching this..
However I have to say that this movie overall is a good piece of entertainment. The scenes of the mc contest and stuff is really good fun to watch too!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: is this movie worth it?
Review: i think this movie is well worth the money. especially because of the ending. the last battles are AWESOME!!! get this movie and you'll enjoy it

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: GIMME A BREAK!!!
Review: 8 MILE: when it came out in theatres, you could tell it was going to be one of the biggest hip hop culture phenomenons. From the trailer, it looked like it would also be a chance for artist Eminem to show what else he has. The movie was not what it looked up to be, or at least what I hoped it would be. It should've been way better, being loosely based on Eminem's actual life. It was a big letdown. I do think they could've done a better job portraying their lives. They could've given the movie or the characters more purpose. Rabbit (Eminem) is the only round, or multi-dimensional character. Everyone else seemed to be flat, or stereotypes that either helped him get ahead, or held him back. The movie had more of a theme - a white man trying to earn respect as a rapper. Eminem did a great job acting, probably because the role was somewhat personal. The story had the potential to have a better plot. It could've been more of a real film than an excuse to make a lot of money. I thought that it could've done a lot better, especially because it's about Eminem (loosely). As an Eminem fan, I was impressed with the acting and the imagery, but the writing was off. The movie is pointless and you can basically the whole thing in the trailer. Not to mention that nothing happened at the end of the movie. He wins a battle, and walks away. That's it. That is an event that could've happened anywhere in the movie and not meant anything. They barely showed how he got respect, all you could hear was the cheering. He walks away, and you don't know anymore about him. You assume he must get some respect and his daily life must have some sort of drastic change must've happened. They dont show you. He walks away and they play the famous theme song. From the preview it looks like could be a movie that may have some OSCAR buzz or something. None. I am a big rap fan, but I'm also a big movie fan, so I have speak the truth-this is an excuse to gather up big names in hip-hop, throw in some music, and give a bunch of people lines. I think that a film about one of rap's biggest superstars, one of my favorites, who draws most of his lyrics from his life, would be more interesting and filled than this. There wasn't enough motivation for me to become engaged in the events, which basically lead to one another without any plot. They just eventually lead to him winning a battle with the skill he had all along. i was disappointed. But I must give credit to all of the actors, and the director, but the story needed more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Im Impressed
Review: For a first movie, I am supremely impressed with the acting, I just want to clear up one common misconception, this is NOT about Eminem's life, he said it himself, there are some parts that did happen to him but he didnt wanna base it on his life because they could do more with the movie if they didnt.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Listen to the Soundtrack Instead
Review: Curtis Hanson delivers a purely unintelligible, plot less, slice of rap drama that quite frankly has been done much better elsewhere. The entire film is a big set piece that leads up to the last minute and a half of Rabbit (Eminem) winning a rap competition. That much is good but the competition itself is given minimal screen time and instead we find Rabbit and his friends in a Detroit backdrop that looks like something from Bosnia with the trailer trash appeal to woo us all into feeling for these "kids" (Most of them grown men living with their mothers). Contrived yes, but it get worse when Rabbit's mom (Basinger) pops out of the blue with the line "We are being evicted" and with that the film is lost to stereotypical black men pulling guns, insulting people and picking fights.

Very few will take this film seriously enough and although Eminem merits a nod for this performance (yes he can act) the script is like something that popped out of a twelve year old Eminem fan's computer printer, and feels like it too. Oh wait a minute - this is a vehicle for Eminem fans. A quick slice of Hollywood cash making, filmed with token characters and a story won in a packet of cornflakes. Even though I like Eminem this one is a real stinker and a waste of time and money. Do yourself a favor - Buy a Eminem CD or even one of his music DVDs. This is complete and utter $$$$$$$$$$$$-making on a shoe-string concept and a plot that will boggle your mind (What is it with that girl of his? Get a brain dude!)

It's bad.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: passionate acting, hackneyed plot
Review: A troubled young adult from the wrong side of the tracks has prodigious skills in a hobby that is outside of mainstream America. A band of neighborhood hooligans terrorizes the young adult. These hooligans are tops in the neighborhood at the same hobby that the young adult is involved in. The young adult is disillusioned and about to throw in the towel. He is about to give up his dreams of big success and escaping the dead- end prognosis that his upbringing has rendered. A romance with a spicy young woman inspires the young adult to give it another chance. There is a big showdown with the hooligans and the young adult shows them up. The movie ends with the young adult's star rising.

Does this all sound familiar? I could be describing the plot of this movie or countless other movies (mostly b movies) from the 80's to present. It doesn't matter whether it is breakdancing, surfing, skating, karate, etc. The plot is always the same.

Sometimes I feel bad about being so critical of this movie and comparing Eminem's ascendency to a bad b movie. Parts of Eminem's life are inspirational (stress on PARTS of his life). Then I realize how boring this movie is and how much money he made off of it.


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