Baadasssss!

2003

Action / Biography / Drama

6
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 91% · 107 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 84% · 2.5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.3/10 10 5330 5.3K

Plot summary

Director Mario Van Peebles chronicles the complicated production of his father Melvin's classic 1971 film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." Playing his father in the film, Van Peebles offers an unapologetic account of Melvin's brash and sometimes deceptive conduct on the set of the film, including questionable antics like writing bad checks, tricking a local fire department and allowing his son, Mario, to shoot racy sex scenes at the age of 11.

Director

Mario Van Peebles Photo
Mario Van Peebles

Top cast

Nia Long Photo
Nia Long as Sandra
Terry Crews Photo
Terry Crews as Big T
Rainn Wilson Photo
Rainn Wilson as Bill Harris
Adam West Photo
Adam West as Bert
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
1001.21 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds ...
2.01 GB
1920*1072
English 5.1
NR
us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 1

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Ronin47 7 / 10

Almost great, but not quite (***)

Aw, damn. We can't make fun of Mario Van Peebles anymore. Always something of a laughing stock (despite a few good contributions, like a good performance in "Ali" and directing "New Jack City"), Mario Van Peebles has made himself instantly much cooler by making this fun and suitably chaotic film, which chronicles the making of his father Melvin's landmark film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song". I've never seen that film, but from what I understand it's not exactly great, but was revolutionary for existing at all. It's about a black man "taking it to the man" and actually getting away with it, which was unheard of at the time. Mario plays his own father, and "Baadasssss!" certainly doesn't candy-coat it. Melvin was essentially a good man, but could be incredibly cold and mean, and to his own family, and the film shows that. It also takes us back to the notorious scene in "Sweetback" where Melvin used his own 13 year-old son in the scene where the the titular character loses his virginity. This scene was difficult and uncomfortable for everyone involved, EXCEPT Melvin, which is telling. The movie is swiftly paced and stylish, but I couldn't help feeling that it could be a little better. It feels a little messy and disorganized at times. Still, good stuff.
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Reviewed by stewiec85 8 / 10

The Academy can suck it

Mario Van Peebles gives us a biopic unlike any other bc unlike others he was there when his father written, acted, and directed his film 'Sweet Sweetback Badass song' and this film gives us a movie history lesson bout how that movie broke grounds cinematically. This is one of my favorite films by far bc how good Mario made this film and it is such an awesome and honest movie. This movie came out in 2003 and I'm surprised this film didn't get a Oscar nod at all. If the academy couldnt recognize this film, we are still in trouble today. If you love movies and black history, watch this film bc as a white man I'm happy to see a glimpse of a man who against all odds and traditional Hollywood, made his vision of a successful film and made history.

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