Search - Crooklyn on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/19/2023...

Not impressed with this. The same actors are recycled in Spike's films.

A truly unique & superior effort from Spike Lee

MilesAndTrane | Chicago, Il USA | 12/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a huge Spike Lee fan, it means much when I say that "Crooklyn" ranks very high, just beneath "Do The Right Thing" and "Malcolm X". Naturally, this coming-of-age family comedy set in Brooklyn during the 70's obviously has a strong autobiographical slant to it (the screenplay was written by Spike and two of his siblings, the story itself was credited solely to his sister, Joie), but if you've read Spike's out-of-print diary of the making of his first film "She's Gotta Have It", then you get an even stronger idea of how personal this film is to Spike; the Clinton character is obviously molded after him. The acting, cinematography, cultural references, music and acting are all superior. Most creative was the debut of Spike's "slimmed-in" cinematography during the Virginia sequence, which would soon become a Spike Lee trademark. Fans of Delroy Lindo who haven't seen this film will be surprised with his gentle & sensitive performance.I'll tell you why this film has such a profound impact on me. I, like many others, have seen hundreds of films set in different times, places, etc. But very few films have been able to transport me back to another time & place as effectively as "Crooklyn". For the duration of the film, I really feel as if I'm enjoying an intimate portrait of a working-class black family in Brooklyn during the 1970's, it's like I'm right there. The irony is, I'm a middle-class white boy from Chicago who was born in 1974. This film is a grand artistic & personal triumph for Spike Lee."

A Great movie about Family

Kenneth M. Gelwasser | Hollywood, Fl USA | 06/11/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Crooklyn" is a nostalgic story of the ups and downs of an African-American family living in 1970's Brooklyn . It is probably the second best movie that director, Spike Lee has ever made. Lee's best was the classic 80's flick "Do the Right Thing".But while "Do the Right Thing" was about ethnic tensions, racism and strife, "Crooklyn" is a film about love.In the movie we meet the Carmichael family. They yell, scream, call each names, even get into physical fights.But it is very evident, that love is very strong among this large brood.Dad (well played by Delroy Lindo) is a musician who is trying to create some honest music thats important to him. Mom (fabulously played by Alfre Woodard) is pulling her hair out, trying to keep this inner city family's finances above water, while trying to stop the kids from killing each other.But the film really centers on 9 year old Troy (Zelda Harris) who shows us the ins and outs of her family life and the close Brooklyn neighborhood that she is growing up in. Juvenile actress, Zelda Harris gives us an amazing starring performance that is totally believable. The movie is pretty much autobiographical (Lee wrote it with his sister Joie)and it richly lays on the 1970s nostalgia with cultural references among other things to "Soul Train", the "Patridge Family", Walt Fraiser, and baseball stategamatic.The film also has a wonderful soundtrack which is packed with '70s R&B and pop music from groups like the Jackson 5, the Spinners, Curtis Mayfield, the Staple Singers and Sly and the Family Stone.In fact, my favorite part of this movie is the opening credit sequence, where you hear Marc Dorsey's "People Make the World Go Round", while the film shows us the neighborhood's children playing various sidewalk, kids games.Between Soccer practice and video games, do kids even do this anymore? I just love this movie and I highly recommend it!"

Another great film by Spike Lee

Arnel | Brooklyn, NY | 02/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first time I saw this film, I was at my aunt's house. Each character had their own uniqueness, especially Troy. I loved her. The film is one of those timeless classics. Growing up in Brooklyn, this has to be one of my favorite films. I was born in 1982, but the film still resonates with me, because it shows me how life was back in the 1970s. Spike Lee, when is Hollywood going to give you an Oscar?"