Set It Off (1996)

Here's a movie that bombed because nobody had any idea how to advertise it. It turns out that "Set it Off" is the devastatingly sad story behind a string of unusual bank robberies. I highly recommend it as you really grow to care about the characters, which makes the final act all the more harrowing. My only problem is that the romantic subplot seems out of place. Other then that, make sure you have a box of tissues ready.

Fmovies: i have watched the movie more than ten times already but i cry every time. some people might think its because I'm a feminist who just love them because they are women , I'm not sure thats not entirely true . you just cant resist feeling sorry for them. I think many people can associate with what they are going through because almost everybody has had one or more raw deals in their lives before.In the beginning i thought Cleo was the "motherly" character( u know what i mean now)but it turns out that Stony actually is.all the raw deals they experienced seemed so next door. they are just the girls next door who would do anything to survive and get by. their families came first especially for T.T and Stony . Look at what Stony did to get his brother the money to go to the best college.typical woman/ mother love. The brother's rejection does not make her love him any less. T.T was to do anything for her baby even if it meant getting involved in the robbery which she was very skeptical about. the love of the woman

"Set It Off" is about four African-American women(Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise) who decide to go out and rob a few banks. They don't rob banks for sheer enjoyment or because they have nothing better to do. No, they rob them because they are getting back at "the system" that they feel has screwed them over in their lives. Here are the reasons: in the opening bank robbery sequence, Frankie(Fox), who was at the time a teller, was fired simply because she knew the suspect who robbed it; Stony's(Smith) younger brother, Stevie was killed by police after being mistaken for the robbery suspect; Cleo(Latifah) joins them simply because she is p***ed off at society; Tisean(Elise) is a single mother who is barely able to support her son and when he is accidently poisoned and taken away by child services, decides she has no other choice. I feel I must point out that up until that point, she is reluctant to join the other three women.

This is a really good movie that is definitely Oscar-worthy material. Maybe not for the Best Picture category, but definitely Oscar-worthy. The performances are excellent especially from all four of our young stars. Queen Latifah should definitely should have gotten an Oscar or Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her portrayal of a fiery lesbian is right on key. F. Gary Gray, who also directed Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in "Friday", is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. I don't think you should really call "Set It Off" an action movie since there isn't really action until the ending.

A line from the movie, "if that crackhead Darnell can rob a bank, then so can we." This quote outlines the main message that the movie is trying to tell: the social standing of women in our society, saying that they have rights too. The movie says that women can basically do anything men can do (and probably better) and they must be applauded for their efforts. Now I'm not saying that women should all go out and round up their friends and start robbing banks. Director F. Gary Gray definitely should be praised for his smart casting choices.

10/10

P.S.: Now from the sound of this review, I've probably got you thinking I'm a woman. Wrong! I'm just a 16 year-old boy from Virginia.

Set It Off fmovies. I've just finished watching this movie 15 minutes ago and there are still tears falling down my face. I actually had to stop watching for a little while because i was crying to much. This movie started off happy and exciting, followed on with jam packed action and ended with tears going down my face. I haven ever watched a movie which i grew so attached to, the actors (the 4 girls) were truly awesome and really made you feel apart of the movie.

For anyone thinking whether they should or should not watch this movie, the answer is YES you should watch this movie, you'll have laughs, crys, you'll be on the edge of your seat wanting to see more, I'm shocked this movie didn't do better at box office, only made around $100,000,000 worldwide.

It is not often that a movie takes on race and gender issues with such bravery and force. They do it here and they succeed in a way that not many will ever be able to match. And by the way, it was a DISGRACE that the academy ever overlooked Kimberly Elise's AMAZING performance in this film.

This movie gives us a graphic insight into the possibility of what people might do under certain circumstances and situations. These young ladies' misfortunes in life have driven them to do something that otherwise would not have entered their minds: robbing a bank. Their participation in this criminal activity is a crying-out against the evils of their society and environment. In other words, they are saying "because of what you did to me...this is how I will respond". Anyone who has seen this film honestly knows that what they're doing is just as morally wrong as what has happened to each of them, but, for some deep-seated reason, we find ourselves rooting for them - even hoping that they get away with it. Each character reveals a problematic area in our working society: unfair employment and termination practices, inadequate childcare options, hindrances and distractions of the ghetto and other social plights and dilemmas.

We may not agree with what these young ladies are doing but somehow we understand. (please see this movie...)