SummaryIn just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and ... Read More
Directed By:George Tillman Jr.
Written By:Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker
Notorious
Metascore
Mixed or Average
60
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
56% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
38% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
88
A good film in many ways, but its best achievement is the casting of Jamal Woolard, a rapper named Gravy, in the title role.
75
Angela Bassett is great as his strict, single mother; The soundtrack is great, of course, and the ending features moving archival footage of the streets of Brooklyn after Wallace's murder.
User score
Generally Favorable
53% Positive
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
35% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
12% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Aug 27, 2014
8
There is some room for improvement in this movie but that didn't keep me from truly enjoying it. I watched this not knowing a thing about the Notorious B.I.G and I did not feel lost at any part in the movie. It is also a movie about music that actually contains a good amount of music from that artist. I'm thinking about checking out biggie after watching this movie.
Dec 5, 2019
7
Good movie, provides an honest look into the life of the Notorious BIG up until his untimely death. While its much better than "All Eyez On Me" as it delves into the man Christopher Wallace was and not the hardened rapper he portrayed on screen, there was still some room for improvement to be had here. The film isn't perfect by any means and I only wish "All Eyez On Me" could have been as good as this but that didn't stop me from enjoying it nonetheless
70
Through it all are the rhymes and the music, hugely enjoyable in their own right, and the long, large shadow of Biggie.
63
It's an engaging enough story, crisply told, and the lip-synced music scenes in the studio and on stage are brought off in high style.
50
The movie leaves us with the sense that, twelve years after Biggie Smalls's death, a lot of people are trying to extract whatever profit or pride they can from the chaotic life of a young man who was, as he well knew, a work in progress.
50
Like a drunk on a bender, Notorious seems to have given up even trying to moderate its dependence on cliché.
30
Cloyingly, Biggie narrates his tale from the grave. It's a device that feels irksome and condescending.
Jun 19, 2023
6
Filme razoável... 2Pac parece um lunático no filme, não faz muito sentido, parece que não sabiam o motivo pelo qual eles tinham brigado e ficou ruim essa parte.. o restante é legal..
Jan 7, 2017
6
Good casting and soundtrack, but Notorious feels too depressing to be an enjoyable movie after a while. The movie tells the story well, but leans on drama that is almost never fun or cheerful, although the ending was very emotional.
Apr 1, 2016
6
Notorious is famous and infamous at the same time. That's why we should fuse those two words together to form one word even though they'll result in the same title.
May 12, 2020
2
The movie is cheap and shallow (with naked scenes to keep your attention for lack of everything else).. the actors don't really look like the people they are acting.. the whole movie feels like a simple cash grab..
Nov 13, 2012
2
Bad in every way. Bad acting. Bad directing. Bad pacing. Bad dialog. Bad. Bad. Bad.
Production Company:
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Voletta Wallace Films
- Bystorm Films
- State Street Pictures
- Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group
- Fae Studio
Release Date:Jan 16, 2009
Duration:2 h 2 m
Rating:R
Tagline:No dream is too big
Awards
Black Reel Awards
• 4 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 2 Nominations
BET Awards
• 2 Nominations
