X
  • 1993
  • R
  • Columbia Pictures
  • 1 h 49 m
  • 1993
  • R
  • Columbia Pictures
  • 1 h 49 m

Summary A mismatched pair pushed together on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland, Justice (Jackson) and Lucky (Tupac Shakur) have only one thing in common: they can't stand each other. But as their friends Lesha and Chicago (Regina King and Joe Torry) fight and make up in the back of the van, Justice and Lucky find themselves reluctan...

Directed By: John Singleton

Written By: John Singleton

  • 1993
  • R
  • Columbia Pictures
  • 1 h 49 m
  • 1993
  • R
  • Columbia Pictures
  • 1 h 49 m

Poetic Justice

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 20 Critic Reviews
51
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 18 User Ratings
7.4
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary A mismatched pair pushed together on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland, Justice (Jackson) and Lucky (Tupac Shakur) have only one thing in common: they can't stand each other. But as their friends Lesha and Chicago (Regina King and Joe Torry) fight and make up in the back of the van, Justice and Lucky find themselves reluctan...

Directed By: John Singleton

Written By: John Singleton

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 20 Critic Reviews
51
40% Positive
8 Reviews
55% Mixed
11 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 20 Critic Reviews
51
40% Positive
8 Reviews
55% Mixed
11 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Often graceful, sometimes brilliant, Poetic is an absorbing, amusing symphony of sound and image; it also gives equal weight to its male and female characters.
FULL REVIEW
67
Subtitled “A Street Romance,” writer-director Singleton's sophomore effort touches the heart more when it's on the street than when it's making romance.
FULL REVIEW
63
If Singleton, 25, stumbles, it is over ambition and not the complacency of a new Hollywood hotshot riding a trend.
By Peter Travers FULL REVIEW
60
Although its aspirations are high, the film works only fitfully when Mr. Singleton exercises his gift for vernacular speech, for finding the comic undertow in otherwise tragic situations, and even for parody.
By Vincent Canby FULL REVIEW
50
Overall, this is a fuzzy, unfocused drama that bites off more than it can chew, or viewers can digest.
FULL REVIEW
42
With Poetic Justice, John Singleton has (at least temporarily) lost his way, but he may have found an actor [Shakur] who can help lead him back.
By Owen Gleiberman FULL REVIEW
10
What must be said is that the new movie is simply awful: poorly structured, vulgarly written, insipidly directed, monotonously performed.
By Richard Schickel FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 18 User Ratings
7.4
61% Positive
11 Ratings
39% Mixed
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 18 User Ratings
7.4
61% Positive
11 Ratings
39% Mixed
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Columbia Pictures, New Deal Productions, Nickel
Release Date Jul 23, 1993
Duration 1 h 49 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline 1 Woman. 1 Man. 1 Journey 2 Love.
View All Details

Awards

Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
MTV Movie + TV Awards
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations

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