Wassup Rockers

First off, I'm not the hugest Larry Clark fan. I think Kids was his Citizen Kane and no other film of Clark's has matched up to it. Why Kids? Because it didn't flinch and it hit issues pertinent to young people head on. I think what would've made Wassup Rockers a great movie is if it dealt with issues Latino youth, in this case who happen to skate and play music, are facing head on, with that same "unflinching" boldness that Kids had. Instead, Clark replaces that integrity with sensationalism and camp for purposeless "entertainment" value. Not only that, it's hard for me to believe that the close-knit group of friends in the film A) left one friend while he was being beat up by a cop and B) left one friend dead and went home and literally told no one about it? That left me with the emptiest feeling.

This reminds me a lot of The Warriors because throughout the second half of the film, there couldn't be more obstacles keeping them from getting back to their home. Certain parts of this are very surprising to me and it's funny how many things happen to this group of kids. A little tame for a Larry Clark film but still very entertaining. My favorite characters in this are Kico, Milton (aka Spermball), and Jonathon, but it seems like they all remind me of people I know or once knew. That's the thing when you're watching real people try to act. It's just more exciting that way. One thing I'd change about it would be to make it a little longer because the ending is really abrupt.

Larry Clark is an intelligent film maker.There is no doubt about it. With "What's up rockers",he has given a human face to his film making career.Before this particular film most of his films were based on his personal experiences on dangerous psychology of young kids phenomenon. One thing which his fans and their parents will like is that compared to "Kenpark" there is much less controversial matter or rather nothing objectionable at all.This film does not preach but in an unofficial manner it has been successful in delivering its message of trust,peace, respect and brotherhood.A good aspect is that all the events of this film are in accordance with its pace whether they might be comical,sad ,hilarious or bizarre.One may also be tempted to rename it as "a day long road movie about Latino kids".This is only partially true as all communities made their presence felt.If exploration of young teenage minds is your favorite field of study, this is the film which you need at the earliest.

I have been a fan of Larry Clark's for many years. Unfortunately the quality of his work is inconsistent. "Kids" was an amazing movie. "Bully" was (in my opinion), terrible. "Wassup Rockers" falls somewhere in between the two, but closer to "Bully." All other criticisms aside, this movie was a snoozer. A bunch of kids trying to make it home through hostile territory, dodging police, encountering odd-balls, etc., losing a few of their group en route. It was already done in "Warriors" which was a much better movie. None of the main characters stood out, and all of the people were portrayed as very two-dimensional. The rich people were racists, except for the girls who secretly wanted kids from the other side of the tracks. If you aren't white and rich, don't set foot in Beverly Hills. And so on. Pure stereotypes, but not very good ones.

For the sake of your time, and mine, I'll skip the synopsis and get right to the point: Larry Clark's Wassup Rockers loses none of the Clark appeal, that his fans have grown to admire, in the switch to a softer film that Clark hopes will be more accepted by distributors than his previous movies. As most of Clark's fans know endeavors such as Ken Park, Kids and Bully have all focused around 'bad' kids, however, in Rockers, the kids are just trying to be themselves without getting harassed by their peers for not succumbing to the hip-hop element so present in their South Central neighbourhood. During the boys' eventful day in Beverly Hills, a parallel to The Warriors, a favorite of Clark's, can be clearly drawn. In short, this has been Larry Clark's best film to date. So great in fact, even my girlfriend who is not a fan of Larry Clark at all really enjoyed it.

I work with youth in Los Angeles, and Wassup Rockers is probably the most accurate non-documentary depiction I have ever seen of LA youth on film. Granted, the "acting" is choppy as it clearly jumps between the kids being themselves, and then saying scripted lines. But the characters are real. The most poignant point of the film was that murders are taking place in impoverished neighborhoods just a short bus ride away from the multi-million dollar homes and cushy lifestyles of Beverly Hills. The story was weak and lacked fluidity, but the reality of the characters made up for it twofold. With the exception of the "preppy" kids, who seemed a bit forced, the characters are all spot on for how LA kids today truly are. And the graphic descriptions of sexuality are not exaggerations. If you want to know exactly what the inner-city youth look like today, look no further than Wassup Rockers. This film is a must see for anyone who intends to work with kids, especially in an urban environment.