Color, R (language, violence, sexual situations, drug use), 91 min., PPV 60, DVD $19.98, VHS rental
DVD: no extras
Street: May 18, Prebook: April 20
First Run: L, Feb. 2003, $$1 mil.
Cast: Mark Danvers, Michael "Bear" Taliferro, Marcia Griffith, John Cornelius
Director: Desmond Gumbs
LIONS GATE
Story Line: Jamaican disc jockey Julius St. John (Danvers) wants desperately to work in America, but it seems he can get the necessary documentation only if he agrees to smuggle drugs into the country. In so doing, he runs afoul of a drug lord named Biggs (Taliferro), who doesn't take kindly to outsiders doing business on his turf.
Bottom Line: There's nothing in the low-grade Rude Boy that devotees of this genre haven't seen dozens of times before--except, perhaps, subtitles. Early sequences take place in Jamaica and the accents are so thick that somebody decided subtitles were needed. As usual for this type of film, supporting roles are taken by rappers (in this case, Ninja Man and Beenie Man), and reggae music legend Jimmy Cliff plays a minor character as well. The other principals are mainly tyros, although Taliferro has had small parts in other movies. Shot on video, Rude Boy has the grainy, underlit look that passes for gritty atmosphere, and the movie's production values are practically non-existent. However, Rude Boy also has plenty of violent action and rap music, which are qualities that make low-budget urban actioners desirable. If you've got the right clientele, you'll get the average number of turns out of this one. --Ed Hulse