Get Rich or Die Tryin' Review

Get Rich or Die Tryinâ?? is the third film in as many years, and the second one this year alone, to focus on the story of a down and out criminal who cleans himself up by discovering his talent for rapping. While the formula for this type of film has been beaten to death by dozens of other films, focusing on rappers and the lives they lead before being discovered, is at least superficially, a little different. Get Rich or Die Tryinâ?? follows the formula to the letter so if youâ??re expecting to be knocked out of your seat with originality, think againâ?Š

Ever since 8-Mile debuted in 2002 and proved that rags to riches stories set in the world of rap can be very successful with audiences, more and more studios have been working on similar projects. This year alone has seen two stories emerge, with almost identical storylines. The first was Hustle and Flow, starring Terrence Howard, which focused on a pimp who discovers he has a talent for rap. This film is a bigger, more expensive, star studded copy of that film, and unfortunately, isnâ??t even as good.

Get Rich or Die Tryinâ?? is a semi-autobiographical look at the real life of rapper Curtis â??50 Centâ? Jackson. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, Marcus (played by Jackson) is given the rough end of the stick at an early age. His mother is murdered, and he is forced to live with his grandparents, and ultimately turns to a life of drug dealing to make ends meet. Working for a notorious gangster named Majestic (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Marcus and his crew are the hardest workers on the team, but all that comes to an end when a random police bust lands him in prison.

While in prison, Marcus meets a friend named Bama (Terrence Howard) who encourages him to pursue his musical talents, eventually leading to a direct conflict with his former employers when he decides to give up on his criminal life to follow his dream. Unfortunately for him, quitting with a boss like Majestic is never an option.

While I am sure there is some truth to this story, donâ??t forget that it is â??semiâ? autobiographical, and I guarantee many liberties were taken with the story in order to make it as interesting as possible for audiences.

As with 8-Mile and Hustle and Flow, this movie has pretty decent music accompaniment if youâ??re into rap. 50 Cent actually sings several new songs for the soundtrack, which can be heard playing throughout most of the film. Several other G-Unit and Shady artists also appear on various tracks, and really enhance the film overall.