Review of Set It Off (1996) by Philip R — 29 Mar 2011

Released in 1996, is director F. Gary Grayâ(TM)s (Friday, The Italian Job, Law Abiding Citizen) action-crime-drama-thriller SET IT OFF. Lifelong friends since childhood and raised in the dangerous projects of Los Angeles, California, Four young African-American women: Lita âStoneyâ? Newsome (Jada Pinkett-Smith â" Madagascar, TVâ(TM)s Hawthorne), Cleopatra âCleoâ? Sims (R&B and Hip-Hop musician/actress Queen Latifah), Francesca âFrankieâ? Sutton (Vivica A.

Fox â" Kill Bill: Vol. One, Independence Day), and Tisean âT.T.â? Williams (Kimberly Elise â" Tyler Perryâ(TM)s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, For Colored Girls), struggle through life with lack of money while working as night janitors.

And after they each witness a series of tragic events, they decide to turn to a life of crime by robbing banks. The film also stars John C. McGinley (TVâ(TM)s Scrubs) as L.A.P.D. Detective Strode, Rap artist/record producer Dr.

Dre as Black Sam, Theater actress Ella Joyce as L.A.P.D. Detective Waller, Anna Maria Horsford (TVâ(TM)s The Wayans Bros.) as Ms. Wells, Thomas Jefferson Byrd (Ray) as the girlsâ(TM) cold-hearted boss Luther Morris, special appearances by Charlie Robinson (TVâ(TM)s Night Court) as Nate Andrews and F.

Gary Gray himself as a low rider driver, and Blair Underwood (TVâ(TM)s L.A. Law) as Keith Weston. Iâ(TM)ve heard about this film since as long as I remembered. I finally watched it, and I thought this was a very entertaining movie.

The performances by Pinkett-Smith, Latifah, Fox, and Elise I thought were fantastic. There is one scene of the film that I thought was hilarious to watch is when the women are imitating characters from Francis Ford Coppolaâ(TM)s THE GODFATHER, with Fox as Vito Corleone and Latifah as Peter Clemenza.

Before she would go on star in Tyler Perryâ(TM)s films DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN and FOR COLORED GIRLS, SET IT OFF marked the theatrical film debut of Kimberly Elise, who was waitressing at a restaurant during the start of her career and was discovered by the filmâ(TM)s producer Dale Pollack.

Filmed entirely on location in Los Angeles, California from December 19th, 1995 to February 12th, 1996 with an estimated budget of $9,000,000, the film was released on November 10th, 1996, with $11,807,451 opening weekend, and later grossing over $36,049,108 nationwide.

SET IT OFF is one of the greatest crime movies Iâ(TM)ve ever seen, next to THE TOWN and DEAD PRESIDENTS, and I make it a definite must see for all movie lovers to watch.