Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 14 June 2018
'Superfly' remakes a Blaxploitation classic

By JAKE COYLE stereotypical role.
Associated Press But it feels like the reason
Director X's "Superfly" trans- for remaking "Super Fly" got
plants the 1972 Blaxploita- lost along the way. Screen-
tion classic from Harlem writer Alex Tse and Director
streets to suburban Atlanta X have glossed up a story
mansions, flips Curtis May- that took its power from its
field's soul score for Fu- era's reality. "Superfly" lives in
ture's hip-hop soundtrack a music video dream world
and forsakes the original's driven by extravagance,
politically charged grit for where women aren't any-
shallow music-video indul- thing but dancing eye can-
gence. dy or threesome partners.
"He's got a plan to stick it Future's songs also aren't
to the man," went the ads especially distinct, though,
for Gordon Parks Jr.'s "Su- admittedly, Mayfield's
per Fly," with Ron O'Neal majestic score — which is
as Youngblood Priest, the heard a few times here —
suave cocaine dealer try- is untouchable. Comparing
ing to make one last score. the two versions of "Super
Coming a year after "Shaft" Fly" — one in two words,
(directed by Parks' father), the other just one — only
"Super Fly" was a post-civil- This image released by Sony Pictures shows Lex Scott Davis, left, and Trevor Jackson in a scene illustrates what movies can
rights-era time capsule ooz- from the film, "Superfly." lose by over-glamourizing
ing anti-authoritarian fury Associated Press themselves. q
and '70s style.
"The Man" is mostly MIA in cars, shoot white guns and
this "Superfly," which takes pretty much look like the
more after Brian De Palma's ATL chapter of the Storm
"Scarface" and familiar hip- Troopers.
hop fantasies than anything With one last score in mind,
channeled by the earlier Priest does what few ready
Blaxploitation films. If snort- to give up a life of crime
ed lines of coke were co- would do: He goes to great
pious in the original, Direc- lengths to prove himself to
tor X's "Superfly" is packed a powerful Mexican cartel.
with scenes of slow-motion "Don't let the pretty hair fool
booty shaking — imagery you," Priest pleads to the
the filmmaker is well versed cartel boss (Esai Morales)
in as the director of (some after circumventing his reg-
very good) music videos for ular supplier and mentor,
Drake, Rihanna, Jay-Z and the karate master Scatter
Kanye West. (Michael Kenneth Williams).
This Youngblood Priest Williams' presence begs the
(Trevor Jackson) is a pol- question: Wouldn't "Super-
ished businessman who fly" be better — and carry
runs a well-established, more of a sense of danger,
clandestine drug business of real threat — if Williams
with his partner Eddie (Ja- was starring in it? Jackson
son Mitchell). Financially comfortably carries the film
savvy, deeply connected with a smooth panache,
all over town and never but his Priest — like the mov-
rattled by the most lethal ie — doesn't make much of
interactions, Jackson's slick- an impression.
ly coifed Priest is almost as Yet "Superfly" is also a gen-
much superhero as super erally entertaining movie,
fly. Having risen well above with good things in it. Mitch-
the streets, Priest senses his ell ("Mudbound") is predict-
good fortune can't last. ably excellent as Priest's
He wants to get out, along less scrupulous partner and
with his two girlfriends (Lex friend; he's the film's high
Scott Davis, Andrea Lon- point. And any movie that
do), before fate comes casts Big Boi as the mayor
for him. There are already of Atlanta has done some
signs that his even-keeled things right. ("Superfly"
lifestyle is about to get would be better if there
rocky. A squabble threat- was more of him in it.) And
ens the peace with the ri- Jennifer Morrison, one of
val crew dubbed Snow Pa- the two crooked police de-
trol, a white-dressed gang tectives in the film, is unex-
of dealers who drive white pectedly terrific in a usually