by SCOTT C

Despite the fact that it’s inspired by the real life story of the world’s most recognizable rap star, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ weighs heavy on the side of soupy gangster drama without providing any palpable insight into the tortured soul of 50 Cent.

Directed by Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan (In America, In the Name of the Father), the movie opens with a bang as Marcus (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) and his crew botch the robbery of a Colombian money-drop. After a violent exchange of gunfire, a quick getaway and a point-blank shooting, the movie reverts to flashback mode, finding a young Marcus growing up in the ’70s under the wing of his drug-dealing mother. It’s here we learn about his passion for hip hop, and where he makes boombox recordings of his earliest rhymes, with shades of the future nicely folded and laid out.

Exposed first hand to the pros and cons of the life of a street hustler, our hero enters this world while he’s still a tween, following the brutal murder of his mother. Underlying the rise of Marcus, the gangster, is the need for him to find the father he’s never known, a figure he replaces with powerful underworld thugs.

God knows the raging multitude of 50 Cent fans will see this movie, but whether or not this gangster story will resonate with non-fans is questionable. The choice to make the musical side of this story secondary to the crime drama lessens the impact of this tale of struggling to succeed, not to mention that Curtis Jackson has a long way to grow as an actor. Unlike Eminem’s 8 Mile—where all the obstacles and adversity faced feed directly into the development of musical sentiment and expression—Get Rich expects us to accept that if Marcus could make it through such a hard knock life, a successful career as a rapper will be easy as pie, even if that career isn’t remotely explored in the film.

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is now playing

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