Get on Up (2014) Online

I feel like there really was an interesting film somewhere in here, somewhere buried deep inside here though. The performances here are solid, if not a little too over-the-top that venture on caricatures from the supporting roles. The lead performance, though, really is fantastic, and it's such a shame that the film drags him down so much. The editing here is pretty atrocious, although much of it could be attributed to the screenplay's problems and wanting to go through his whole life in little segments that really feel way too erratic. The set deigns are good as is the music segments, but James deserved a much better film, and the lead as well.

I know folks have been talking about a James Brown biopic for years and I secretly hoped that it would not come to pass. I feared that it would be butchered in an attempt to "butts in the seats". I know folks need to make money but don't kill something wonderful in the process. This movie was WAY better than I had hoped. Kudos to Mick Jagger and a standing ovation for Mr. Chadwick Boseman.

I did not see "42" but the brotha knocked this one clean out of the park. Loved seeing Voila Davis, Octavia Spencer and my girl Jill Scott as well. Of course, the music was amazing! I couldn't get over how Boseman captured James Brown's pattern of speech, walk, dance moves, etc. This performance was electric. Now I have to go read, "The One" to find out how much was fact and how much was fiction.

If you have any interest whatsoever in JB music, catch this one!

Two viewings in three days, to fully appreciate the magnificent achievement that's on screen. Not one extraneous word, scene, shot or sequence. The whole is as tight as James Brown's hits - or his pants.

The underlying construction of these snapshots of James Brown's life is flawless. Far from being haphazard or out-of-sequence for mere "effect," this non- linear storytelling technique has rarely been used with greater impact. Thankfully, Tate Tayler, Mick Jagger, the other producers and writers, decided AGAINST the boring born-in-a-shack and then this happened, and next that happened, and finally he died structure.

Result? The film has unexpected rhythms that never let go and build to the astonishing, electrifying re-creation of Brown's Paris concert that - even on second viewing - had me jumping out of my seat, fist-pumping the air and screaming, "YES!"

I wasn't alone.

Chadwick Boseman may be the black male Meryl Streep. His technical achievements alone are remarkable: Brown's moves, speech rhythms and timbre - but mainly his lip-syncing to Brown's vocals: flawless!

Even in the final moments, as the aged Brown silences his band, then begins the haunting "Try Me" a capella - in a closeup so tight you practically see Boseman's tonsils, his mouth, tongue placement, breathing and facial emotions are so perfectly and intensely aligned with Brown's voice you'd swear Boseman were doing his own signing.

But Boseman is equally true portraying Brown at any age, any stage, from any distance. You can't fake that level of acting proficiency. Whether he wins best actor, he is certain to (deservedly) be nominated.

Boseman'surrounded by an equally perfect cast, not one of whom rings false: ultimately a tribute to the director - stunningly supported by the script, cinematography and editing.

By comparison, Clint Eastwood's "Jersey Boys" looks exactly like what it is: a tired, clichéd jukebox Broadway musical with great old safe, whitebread hits (distinguished mainly by Frankie Valli's falsetto) and nothing else to write home about.

James Brown, on the other hand, was always in your face. So were (are) Mick Jagger and the Stones. And so, rightly, is "Get On Up" as a rousing cinematic experience that has to be seen to be believed.

An eye opener for me. James Brown was one of the great innovators and leaders in American music and yet for many people he is a total unknown. Watching the movie one finds that his influence was immense on many of the musicians that followed him in all the many forms American music has evolved over the time, from rhythm and blues to rock and roll. It is fascinating look at the times from the post World War 2 period through the turmoil of the Civil Rights era. It is also a revelation about the music and the man. Amazing performance by Chadwick Boseman. The contrast between his portrayal of Jackie Robinson in 42 and this shows a great strength in acting ability. It is a truly Oscar worthy performance in and of itself. Hats off to Mick Jagger for producing this movie.

Chadwick Boseman is James Brown as he recreates his evolution as a performer in exhaustive dimension and magnitude. The raw and charismatic excitement of Brown's presence are all here. This shows dedication and natural ability as Boseman reminds us of a heritage that music cannot deny and a story that needs to be told again and again as Brown's influence continues to mesmerize us when we hear him. The entire cast were soulful and talented. Viola Davis was very moving as Brown's mother who had abandoned him as a young child and we sense the deep sorrow and loss that Brown must have endured and helps us understand his determination and inner fire as he himself catches hold of his spiritual connection to source and allows his musical genius to take hold of him and us. The words and messages in the songs that Brown wrote may at times seem simplistic but true as he sings them with such knowing, a man who has experienced life in all its dimensions.

This film is long overdue, although it seemed to me that there was so much more content excluded from the storyline. If a film maker chooses to focus on the artistry and creativity that came forth from an individual then it is best not to delve too deeply into the demons, which for James Brown (Chadwick Boseman) were much bigger than portrayed in this film. I wasn't a fan of the style of filmmaking applied to this tale, I would have preferred a more linear approach to the historical events that shaped Mr. Brown's personality. Starting a story with some event that takes place at the end is not that unusual, but there was so much jumping back and forth from childhood to young adult to the 'Godfather of Soul' that it was hard to connect to the story initially. Then there were the soliloquies, I didn't quite fathom why they were needed since they really did not add much to the storytelling other than try to place the audience inside of James' head. This story of the lifelong friendship of James and Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis) was interesting and engaging, but nothing about this film was more entertaining than the music. I tried to be a good moviegoer so I didn't song along aloud, but it was almost impossible to just sit without moving to Caldonia and Get on Up. I couldn't help but reminisce as Please, Please, Please and This is a Man's World permeated the crowded theater. And yes, I fought back the tears during Try Me. The story did include a pivotal encounter with Little Richard (Brandon Smith) and the events that led to Bootsy Collins becoming a band member, but there were other musical icons that touched his life that were not mentioned. I guess the movie would have been too long to cover everyone. Mr. Boseman did a fine job of mimicking the enigmatic dance moves of Mr. Brown and his lip-syncing was palpable, but I just wasn't fully convinced with the vocal recreation. James Brown had a distinctive style of speech that few have been able to capture. Eddie Murphy did it with his comic genius on SNL with Hot tub, but he too may have fallen short if he was expected to maintain the sometimes indistinguishable speak throughout a feature film. I enjoyed this film, I saw it with my mother who is 74 and she loved it. The first concert that I ever attended was a James Brown concert. You don't know at the time that when you're just out for some entertainment, you're actually in the presence of greatness and that you are a part of historic events.

James Brown, a musical legend whose funk and soul spread from city to city over decades. With movies looking for anything to make a story about, these days, it was only a matter of time before the Godfather of Soul was chosen. Yet despite his musical influence, could the directors make a film that would do justice to him, or like other tributes fall short and are nothing more than a bore. Going in for my third movie this weekend, I'm here to share my thoughts about Get On Up, titled after one of my favorite songs.

After seeing Four Seasons, I worried that this movie would be another drawn out drama with only tidbits of music here and there. Yet the directing team decided to actually bring the music to the front and give the audience the music they knew and loved. Get On Up plays a plethora of songs from toe tapping Get On Up to the soulful Please, each timed in the story to mimic the emotions at hand. While some of the songs are only segments, the movie gives you enough of a show to satisfy the funk within you. The numbers are well designed, with Chadwick Boseman bringing some impressively choreographed moves, including the famous split that will have guys cringing. One feels like they are in a constant, at home with the crowd as the cameras circle around the bandstand. What's also nice is that the songs are spread throughout the movie, and one doesn't have to wait to long before another song is blasting through the speakers. However, this also leads to a little problem, as so many songs leads to a messy story that is fractured, sporadic, and sometimes confusing to follow.

This leads me to the next part, the story. Like many movies about musical icons the story is predictable mess, again showing traumatic backstories and showing their rise to fame. However, Get On Up diverges from the typical linear presentation and decides to jump around Brown's life. In the beginning, it is confusing to follow, because the order doesn't make sense, nor is it easy to find the relevancy at the time. As the movie continues, you get an idea of what the director is trying to do, using the scenes as an illustration of his thoughts at the time, the primal drive to his actions. It's cool, but again confusing as you try to pick up what is going on at the times. Some of the flashbacks are also awkwardly timed and sometimes seem to are left untied as the movie continues. At times I asked, "What was the point of that scene?" only to get an answer an hour down the line. It's diverse yes, but the approach needs to be ironed out a little more for this reviewer to get the most out of it. Unfortunately, this movie's plot is still similar to all band stories, in the fact that there is an inevitable rise and fall that we will see them go through.

Despite the order of the scenes though, Get On Up has some impressive production behind the movie. As I already mentioned, the music scenes are the most entertaining of the bunch, but the drama surrounding it is well designed. Plenty of my fellow audience members commented on how well they captured the decade, designing the various cast in the costumes of the era. Backstage hassles, luxurious hotels, and studios were all crafted into smoke filled wonders, and you feel drawn in to Brown's life. What was also nice to see was the lack of using a grey filter, a very popular filter at the moment, to make the already dismal world even more depressing. Instead, the world is colorful and vibrant, much like the music.

Finally the acting. Boseman steals the show, managing to bring a lot of energy and fun into the enigmatic Brown. His raspy voice sounds much like the voice in the singing, though it is not an exact match, I think he did nice on the vocals and delivery. He is funny, and seems to be a natural at playing the self-involved performer, because he didn't seem to try too hard. Boseman captures the emotional spectrum of Brown brilliantly in this movie and next to the music, is the biggest highlight of the film. To counter the selfishness of Brown is his friend Bobby Byrd played by Nelsan Ellis who also does a great job. Although his character takes a backseat through most of the film, and only speaks at key points, Ellis does a lot with his limited lines. And just like Boseman, Ellis can bust a move, though his pipes are drowned out in the numbers. As for the rest of the cast, the iconic Dan Aykroyd plays the same arrogant business man he always does, though with a bit of a softer side when it comes to James. Viola Davis brings the same passion to her role, though like Ellis is limited to the amount of time on screen. Octavia Spencer brings her sass back to scene and has some guiding insight, but does take a back seat to Boseman as well.

Overall Get On Up is a visit to the past of powerful music. Fans will travel back in time with Brown's hits, and the beat will have you tapping your toes. Yet the predictable drama, the dark and depressing mood, and the unique presentation had me feeling the movie lasted a little too long, especially at the slow parts. Recommended audience members are big James Brown fans, or those looking to take older audience members to a movie. Otherwise, skip this film and wait for it to come to your home entertainment set up. My scores for this flick are:

Biography/Drama/Music: 7.5 Movie Overall: 6

Without question, the singular reason to watch this film is the performance by Chadwick Boseman. Everything else about this movie is uncreative, lazy, and offensively unfunny at points. There is a sequence in the film involving a white couple which objects to staying in the same hotel as James Brown and the band, their scenes included some of the worst dialogue ever provided to actors. This couple is used later as comedic relief, because you know, even if you're racist you love James Brown music, not a white man alive could not enjoy the music he produced. The movie is extremely predictable, one scene where James Brown hits his wife is so poorly done, it was an embarrassment to biographical films. It is almost like the director watched Ray, picked up the style and just didn't even bother with the context of the story. Dan Aykroyd returns to form in being terrible at actually acting, he was actually good in Behind the Candelabra. Where 42 had at least one redeemable white person, this movie literally tries to have not one positive white character, the only white character outside of Dan Aykroyd, who doesn't come off as racist, is a pool cleaner at the end who is used purely to make the point, look how far we've gone, now the white man cleans our pool. The movie is actually more about the relationship between James Brown and Bobby Byrd by the end, which is obviously a big piece of James Brown's life, but I find it disrespectful to avoid the real problem which James Brown faced in his life. Cocaine is seen once in the film when he rolled up a joint laced with cocaine which he apparently smoked right before the shotgun accident. Now when you are dealing with some iconic, that doesn't mean you try to make them look better by telling a made story. Walk the Line and Ray were critically acclaimed because they dove into the problems which the subjects had, this glosses over every problem and tells you that the only problems James Brown ever faced were Financial, Racists who hadn't heard his music before being ignorant and a bit of a mental problem, but because the directing is soo awful it's hard to tell if certain moments are supposed to interact with the audience, much like Zach Morris in Saved by the Bell, or show that James Browns mind would drift away from him. This movie is simply an over rated, it reminds me a lot of The Butler, which was just another awful movie, which was over hyped and completely done in a manner where the historical facts are extremely rare. I also must say, they really over exaggerated the car chase after the shotgun accident, it makes the ending of Argo look tame.

Chadwick Boseman is turning into the king of tame African America biopics. Not to say that his performance wasn't astonishing; capturing everything from James Brown's raspy, sometimes undecipherable, Southern twang, to his often mimicked but never duplicated dance moves, Boseman absolutely nails it, giving an Oscar worthy performance. That said, it's the choppy, redundant and consistently PG-13 direction from Tate Taylor (The Help) and the overall lack of emotional connection that had my enjoyment level taking a nosedive a little after the first hour.

First off, why was a movie chronicling the life of James Brown rated PG-13?! "Get on Up" alludes to Brown's history with drug abuse, but never really goes into it. There is one scene of him striking one of his wives, but it never really goes into his womanizing or issues with spousal abuse. There is one scene where we see Brown as a boy having a minor brush with the realities of the segregated South, but we never really see any of his early physical hardships. All of this amounts to a PG-13 film about a rated R character.

This tameness is only made worse by the strange lack of emotional connection throughout. I mean, bad stuff does happen, but since there are only two or three sequences which elicit a true emotional connection, if you aren't already familiar with Brown's history, hardly any of the would-be powerful/tragic moments will resonate. In other words, if you enjoyed this movie, it's either because you went in ready to "love it", or the 10 plus musical numbers and Boseman's strong performance were enough to win you over.

More problems: The editing choices were undoubtedly the most noticeably distracting flaw of the film; to the point where I just gave up trying to figure out why Taylor chose to tell this straightforward story by RANDOMLY (and relentlessly) bouncing through time like some kind of Kurt Vonnegut novel. From the very beginning "Get on Up" plays as though Taylor had seen a linear cut of his finished product, wasn't happy with it and then decided to put scenes in random order, with the thought that maybe it would make it a more entertaining watch. Guess, what? It didn't work.

There are a few other things Taylor tries that didn't work; namely the use of surreal visuals, which in this instance sounds like a brilliant filmmaking technique, since Brown is a character with a fragile mental psyche. But in Taylor's hands, this technique comes off as dreadfully heavy handed. Oh, and don't even get me started on the countless instances of annoying 4th wall breaks! Final Thought: For about an hour, "Get on Up" was good enough; getting by on Boseman's performance, some interesting back-story and the first few musical numbers. But as the latter half of this 138 minute movie rears its ugly head, "Get on Up" becomes repetitive with performances consisting of the same choreography (It isn't as though Brown's dance moves weren't entertaining, but it's a movie! Mix it up!) and conflicts between characters I had no emotional stake in. Make no mistake, I am a fan of James Brown aka "the hardest working man in show business", aka "the Godfather of Soul". And knowing how eccentric the man was in real life, I was really looking forward to a film about the life and times of this controversial and groundbreaking musical figure. And when I heard that "Get on Up" was to be directed by Tate Taylor and produced by Mick Jagger, I asked myself: "how could this idea possibly fail?" But as I sat in the theater this afternoon, even with all of the supposed funk flying around, I was absolutely shocked with how bored I was.

James Brown was a unique musician. He was the Godfather of Soul and inspired many musicians. He had hits like "Get Up Offa That Thing" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Tate Taylor (who did a wonderful job adapting "The Help") takes on Brown's story in "Get On Up" and tries to cram almost all of Brown's life story in a little over 2 hours. Taylor tries to make the film as bold and sporadic as Brown was by jumping around in time and breaking the fourth wall, but I don't think it worked.

In the first 15 minutes, we jump around to 3 different time periods, but it doesn't feel like it has much purpose for the juxtaposition of these time lines. We have to follow all these different story lines that don't always connect. A character says he's leaving Brown in one scene and by the next scene, the character is with Brown again like nothing happened. The lack of chronological flow makes it harder to appreciate what Brown did for his time, like the concert after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death. It can be confusing and I think it could have stronger moments if it was done chronologically. The film didn't hook me within the first half hour and all the jumping around in time made the film feel never ending.

The breaking of the fourth wall isn't used consistently and well enough to make it useful. It took a long time for the film to establish that breaking the fourth wall was going to be apart of the film. I think it's better when a film starts with breaking the fourth wall instead of waiting 20 minutes to introduce it. It seemed like Taylor was trying to be like Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" or Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," but I don't think it worked as well with "Get On Up." I admire how the film was trying to break the music biopic formula. However, I don't think it did it well.

"Get On Up" does have interesting juxtapositions when it merges Brown's older life with his younger self, but Brown is the only one we get to focus on and learn anything about. There is a large cast that surrounds him with great actors like Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. These actors do the best they can, but the film doesn't give them enough time and they feel flat and one-dimensional. It's hard to connect with any of the supporting characters and Brown is a narcissistic jerk that you don't really want to connect with. Chadwick Boseman does a really good job showing all of Brown's charms and flaws, but everything around his performance feels weak.

Taylor's "Get On Up" tries to be a lot of different things, but it doesn't juggle them well. Brown went through so much in his life that it may have been better to focus on one of these important moments than to throw them all together. What we get is a slow moving and messy film that doesn't always add up to what it could have been. The film ends strongly with a montage that sums up Brown well and a song, but the two hours we go through to get there doesn't feel worth it.

I loved the sheer energy and dedicated portrayal that Chadwick Boseworth was able to channel from the late Great Godfather of Soul. From the groovy tunes, to the steps but, most importantly for me the voice. Hands down he captured Mr. BROWNS vocals eerily similar to the point of feeling as if the man's spirit was in the theater with you. Yes, we see a small snippet of him as a flawed man and father. We look at his poverty stricken past and what it was like to grow up with extreme segregation and racism. I was able to pity him, love him, want him,hate him,worship him and be awed by him in the small allotted time that I was given. Sometimes the story skips between decades and you never get a full scope of this personal life but you do get a revelation of the genius that he was during a time where being black and about your business, taking no prisoners was not highly thought of or widely accepted.

This is a good film about one of the greatest musicians in American music history. Could it have been better? Yes, but it was still good enough to keep me interested. The story line and plot were pieced together OK but the performances were great. With performers like Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer I thought the story line and plot would be strong and very well written but I guess the main concern of this film were the performances by Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick Boseman did an excellent job portraying James Brown, from the way he talked to the way he moved on the stage, it was great. So if you want a top notched powerful film you might not necessarily get it with this one but you still won't be disappointed because the performances in this film are excellent.

If there was ever a person who actually 'changed' the music world, it was James Brown. I mean how many famous artists today and of the past have looked to James Brown as inspiration for their music. The man is simply one of the most influential musicians of all time. Even though I didn't know much about him before this film, I'm happy to say I think this film did Brown's work justice.

Chadwick Boseman is a rising star in this game. First he was the most famous African American athlete of all time and now he's the grooviest artist to ever walk the face of the earth. Next up? Oh just the most popular African American Marvel Superhero, Black Panther, no pressure Chad. He's great in this role. You can just tell how much fun he had playing this iconic figure. His performance is easily the best part about this film. Even if he cant sing or dance he sure made it seem like he could do everything exactly the way Brown could. And man how catchy is that music? I already want to download the soundtrack.

What this film lacks is direction. I think the nonlinear style of storytelling can work in biopics but I didn't see it fitting here. I enjoyed all of the flashback scenes and I thought they were beautifully acted but I just think they would have been better served in a different place. Or even telling the complete story and ending with Brown looking back for a few minutes on his childhood. I also don't think the 4th wall breaks were necessary. It worked with Wolf of Wall Street but not here. Some of the material was too serious to crack a joke with the audience. And as much as I enjoyed watching him perform, I think it did drag a bit at times. Condensing the material would have been very beneficial. So with Boseman's performance and the music itself it's an enjoyable film, but the execution just wasn't all there.

+Boseman

+Musical performances

+Makes me want to dance

-Direction/length

-Nonlinear structure

6.9/10

I'm glad I did not go to the movies and pay full price to see this movie. Get on up was a catchy title and I thought this movie was going to do me more. It did not do me any justice at all. I did not enjoy this movie. It nearly put me to sleep. The acting was pretty good, but maybe I could not get into it since I did not know the life James Brown lived. This was my parents era. The music was nice, but it had a lot of back and forth from present to past tense occurring events that happened in this movie. This is the type of movie where it would show the dates and time periods on the screen. Would I recommend this movie? No....would I watch it again? No.. Was it worth the free red box movie rental, sure.

"Get on Up" is the type of movie that will probably only appeal to insomniacs. When they've tried every method of getting to sleep, and it's playing at 3 AM on HBO, it just may be their only solution. But oddly enough, on the surface, it seems to have all the right ingredients. With Chadwick Boseman fresh off last year's "42" heading the cast as James Brown, along with director Tate Taylor from "The Help" fame, you would think there isn't much that could go wrong. But unfortunately, there's plenty.

Jumping back and forth from Brown's childhood to his days in absolute fame, it never quite settles. In some moments it wants to be a dark and gritty drama showing his often scary battles with his father, and in others a lively musical featuring the character directly interacting with the camera and talking to the audience throughout.

Obviously deriving from movies like "Dreamgirls" and "Ray", it isn't able to keep a steady (or original) tone that will keep the audience's attention. There's the occasional quick editing trick that may add flare for a second, but none of it is sustained, and it leaves a bland taste in the viewer's mouth.

One of the only redeeming qualities is Boseman's interesting performance, but after two hours of referring to himself in third person, his charm wears off as well. Not to mention the ghastly makeup to show his age, and the unfunny jokes that seem to be slipped in during the most inappropriate moments.

At it's core, it's meant to be a soundtrack, not a film. The characters have no room to be fleshed out properly in the PG-13 atmosphere and the end product feels watered-down and uneven.

James Brown was a superstar. An artist well ahead of his time, who still tops the list of most sampled musicians to this day with music he made 40-50 years ago!! I mean you play "Sex machine" at any party and it still rocks a quiet audience.

The point of all this is, that when you are making a movie about such a great artist, a music icon, the movie should aim at being at least mildly good. But this movie was far from that. It's mediocre at best! I am not sure whether it is a personal thing, but there was something I just disliked about the actor who impersonates him and that didn't help. I just didn't feel the guy was James Brown. Ali was portrayed beautifully by Will Smith for instance and he made the character believable. But this guy, I don't know… Plus, on several occasions he stopped to look at the camera to "speak to us". That was unnecessary, an absolute pain and a pace breaker. But the one thing that I disliked the most was the constant going back and forth in time. We start in the eighties, then we are in the sixties, then we find ourselves in the thirties, then the seventies again, back to the thirties. An absolute mess that went on throughout the movie. What was the point of all that?

In any case, I love James Brown, and to me his music is what really matters. I wasn't expecting a mind-blowing cinematographic experience, and it sure wasn't one. So, I guess I'll just go home and play some of his songs and that'll help erase the movie from my mind.

This movie is so fabulous, I'm definitely going to see it again. The acting is brilliant, with a tour- de-force performance by Chadwick Boseman as James Brown. The singing, the music, the dance moves are all so right and entertaining. Seeing JB way back when made me realize how other artists were influenced by his genius...Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson to name a few. Besides all the on-stage performance thrills, the movie has real heart and makes you care. Through Chadwick Boseman's eyes, expressions and emotional outbursts, you can easily see the boy inside the man James Brown. There are memorable scenes between JB and his Mama (Viola Davis) his Aunt Honey (Octavia Spencer), his muse Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis) and his music agent (Dan Ackroyd). Add in great camera work and sharp editing, and you get to feel like you were actually there for JB's evolution from boy to man, his creative journey from gospel to funk, and all the passion, drive for excellence and energy it took to take him soaring to the top and stay there for so many years!

The James Brown biopic, Get on Up, is an okay movie that paints enough of a picture to give those who don't know who James Brown was an idea of the man, but not enough to really satisfy or make this movie feel like it had to be made. The movie is constantly jumping back-and-forth in time, going from old James Brown, to little kid James Brown, to Sixties' James Brown, and then to teenage James Brown, back to kid James Brown again. It's a confusing plot device that I guess they used to try and tell the emotional story rather than a straightforward linear story, but it often detracts more than it adds. While a lot of the musical numbers are very lively, and there are some humorous scenes here and there, the movie itself feels disjointed and confused on what it really wants to be, rather than feeling like a window into the life of James Brown. The thing that saves this movie, for the most part, is the performance by Chadwick Boseman as James Brown. He gives it his all and should get an Oscar nom for his work.

I give Get on Up a 6 out of 10!

All the time, effort and money that went into making this movie represents nothing more than a lost entertainment opportunity. There probably won't be another movie made about James Brown and his unique music, and instead of using all those resources to tell a story that celebrates the origins and making and performance of his incredible music, we get a beginning-to-end mish-mash of rank stereotypical negativity: angry black-man abusive father, absent uncaring mother, obligatory scenes of racism, and the ever present non-stop bickering.

Even worse, this whole sad story is told via the ridiculous overuse of senselessly jumping back and forth from time period to time period. The movie begins in 1988 with one of the worst opening scenes (and dialog) in movie history. Another cheap and senseless effect was to have our lead actor (whose vocal inflections often channeled Chris Rock) repeatedly look into the camera and speak directly to the audience.

The performance scenes, which should have been the highlight of the movie, had visual production value (he did a reasonable facsimile of JB's dance moves), but were musically weak (even though I believe they were JB's original tracks) because they never lasted long enough to capture nor portrayed the repetitively driving funky "groove" that was THE signature sound of James Brown and his kick-ass band.

One bright and intriguing performance was the brief scene by the actor who played Little Richard. One can only hope when and if a movie about HIS life is ever made, the screenplay will be written featuring and celebrating the music, not simply the gimmicky, amateurish editing of cheap, stereotypical drivel, as was done here.

If you've seen 'Ray', 'Walk the Line', 'Temptations', 'Cadillac Records', 'The Buddy Holly Story', even, you'll know what to expect - Chad Boseman admirably does the pop icon impersonation honours as James Brown, with a few cameo impersonations of Bobby Bird, Little Richard, the Rolling Stones, etc, etc, and you get your money's worth of period recreation, and harrowing recreations of terrible racial/spousal/child abuse which were normal for the times (WWII-late 50's). Dan Aykroyd doesn't work for me at all, and the narrative is choppy to say the least. One day they'll do one about Mick Jagger, and it'll be even more vapid.

It's OK. Not as good as the four music biopics mentioned above, but better than most country music movies (bar Altman's 'Nashville'). Watch for it on a free movie channel in a year or three. You're still better off just listening to JB's music. And dancing to it. Get up offa that thing, huh?

Chadwick Boseman plays James brown throughout as strong-willed and highly aggressive egocentric, with no emotional developments or any emphatic insights - the personality of real life James brown has been a lot more complex I'm certain. the real man was quite deep, just watch an original video an focus his facial expressions - this is very different to what boseman played, he shows us someone who acts like he was a stupid and aggressive teenager hiding his personality behind playing strong forever - the movie pervertedly interprets James life as supposedly heartless profit machine. why is it that currently incredibly stupid movies about black music are issued, is there a plan behind this, or did the supposedly "American way of life" marchiavellism infected all film people to the full and made them stupid and ill at heart? strangely enough, many facts of James life are highly changed, probably to enheighten James life to a more heroic level - for what? the way he was, as a real human being, he was great enough - and better than the proto-fascist monster he is depicted as the movie. or is the trouble just that Mick Jagger, who financed the movie, thinks that everybody in music business has the same kind of personality type like he has..??

Super Glossy and Glossing Over most Things, this Biopic of the "Godfather of Soul", James Brown, is a Hit and Miss Missed Opportunity Packaged and Paraded out as another Tame African-American "Success" Story.

The Movie's Groove comes from the Good Interpretation of the Soul Singer (by Chadwick Boseman). Mr. Brown, who came from the Dirt Poor South and His Style became Infectious to White-Bread Teen-America, as it Crossed Over from the Soul and R&B to the Pop Charts bringing a Unique Sound and a Dynamic Stage Presence.

But the Movie is a Suffering. It Strains to be "acceptable" with all aspects of the Icon's Personality. His Struggles with Ego, Women, Money, and Drugs are Presented in a "People Magazine" Coating of Gloss without any Deep Consideration just Mention.

The Music is Interesting for Newbies to Explore and Fans to Revisit, and the Onstage Mr. Brown is a Believable Recreation. But the Director is frequently Inconsistent with Awkward Time-Shifting, Fourth Wall Breaking, and a Desire to make it all so Palatable. Truth Is, James Brown, the Man, was Hardly Likable Like this Treatment.

He was Raw and Routinely Rowdy and when the Movie Ventures into the Violence or the Flamboyant Ego, or the Tyranny Towards His Band-Mates it Never Penetrates it just Cuddles Uncomfortably.

The Signature On Stage Slow Exit and Return Donning and Removing His Cape Endlessly while Singing His First and Fan Favorite Hit "Please, Please, Please" is presented so Quick and Thrown Away, it becomes a Glaring Gap in the Understanding of its Power and Newness.

The Opening "Shotgun to the Ceiling" Scene is so Cringe Worthy it is Embarrassing, much like the Ending "Police Chase". In Fact, These Bookends are So Bad it is a Wonder that the rest of the Movie Holds Up as Well as it Does.

Overall, Not Awful, but Nothing Approaching the "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud" Feel the Film should Have Felt. As is, it Feels Ironically, Not Fully, but Frequently, Soul Less.

The James Brown biography "Get on Up" is a very long movie. It stays slightly under 2.5 hours, but did like it needed to be shortened at any point at all. It's very entertaining and worth a watch from start to finish. The director Tate Taylor, originally an actor, you may not know too much about other than that he was also responsible for "The Help" not too long ago. You will find Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in smaller roles here too. Davis plays Brown's mother and shines in her small screen time. Spencer is his aunt, but does not really have very much to work with. She is okay with what she is given.

It is yet to be determined if this film will go completely under the radar during awards season or possible be as successful as the likes of "Dreamgirls", "Ray" or "Chicago". Chadwick Boseman absolutely deserves lots of credit for his performance here. He makes the film from start to finish. Another highlight was Nelsan Ellis playing Brown's best friend. You may know him from "True Blood". Quality performance he delivers here.

The writing is pretty good too. Let me emphasize two scenes that depict Brwon's development as person very well: 1) When he slowly rises to stardom and gets a limousine from his record label, he says he won't need a chauffeur as he is gonna drive himself. Later on, we see he has one. The music industry quickly managed to devour him.

2) It seems he became almost exactly his father. When his mom and dad argue aggressively early on, they reunite right away afterward and have makeup sex without really talking about the problem. When James is grown up, there is a scene where he completely loses his temper and destroys a telephone. He and his wife don't get along so well, but they "solve" the issues just like his parents did. We also see several scenes where we witness him being as aggressive as his dad.

As a whole, it is a nothing truly great, but a film that makes certainly a good watch if you are interested in James Brown's life. Of course you get some grand music and interesting references (Rolling Stones, Martin Luther King...) and even if it is not a comedy, you will find occasionally some humor in here. I smiled a lot.

would've been a much better film if they didn't jump around the story. Some facts were changed, inaccurate, or ignored. I was hoping to see more of his 1969-1974 years. only 1971 was shown. Key points in his career were ignored such as his decline during disco and his comeback in the 1980s with "Living in America". His second comeback in the '90s after his prison stint was ignored there's just a lot of stuff they didn't mention. I'm figuring it would've made the film too long. The film's story looks rushed at times. they're trying to squeeze in 50 years into a 90min film. so I guess I can understand that. Chadwick is an excellent actor and showed his chops in the film. overall, he came out clearly a winner. he nailed JB's cockiness, swagger, attitude, ego and footwork. NO one can dance like JB so u can't expect him to be exactly like his, but he did his very best. the best concert scene by far is the Paris concert scene even though that was inaccurate as far as the staging of the show, but casual fans won't know the difference only die hards will notice that. Hopefully, a future DVD release will have a lot of extras, deleted scenes, extended scenes and more concert footage. Mr. Boseman is an actor to keep an eye out for.His performance was a 10 while the storyline and direction of the film was a 5.