'Resurrection' brings Tupac back

By Mayka Mei

What other movie premiere would a club-worthy blasting of "Thug in Me" be for, but "Tupac: Resurrection"?

The MTV/Paramount film, scheduled to release tomorrow, is a documentary about the life of the late Death Row rapper, Tupac Amaru Shakur, known professionally as "2Pac." (Say "too-pock" if you don't want to be snickered at). The articulate rapper with intense obsidian eyes was the martyr of west coast rap. Loved and hated, villainized and idolized, Tupac is still the best-selling rap artist of all time.

As a biography, "Resurrection" does a good job of exposing unknown facts about Tupac. He was brought up by his mother Afeni Shakur, a former Black Panther, and he first fell in love with the stage after performing at the Apollo Theatre in 1984. The movie moves in chronological order, so...Tupac lands a spot with the L.A. rap group Digital Underground, he attracts the attention of the media, women troubles start to arise, the east coast-west coast rivalry brews, violence erupts-and "Resurrection" starts covering way too much information for a one-and-a-half hour block.

The first half of the movie is a clean and simple biopic reminiscent of the VH1-style reporting in "Tupac Shakur: Music, Money, Makaveli." The second half of "Resurrection" goes into the serious stuff â€" Tupac's sex abuse trial, his beef with Biggie Smalls, and a brief, unsatisfying look at his death. Lacking any smooth transition, the change in subject matter was a major kill to the mood that was set up by the previously upbeat storytelling. The seemingly divided components of "Resurrection" could be easily split into two mutually exclusive movies.

Fans of hip-hop and rap will definitely enjoy and want to hear more of the movie's soundtrack. Tupac's undeniable rhythm, precision and syncopation are irresistible. His signature deep voice alone could be the bass on a track. Hearing Tupac's voice come in over the instrumentals to favorites like "California Love," "Hail Mary," and "Changes" is reason enough to sit through the film's dizzying overuse of zooms and layering tricks.

Even so, Tupac fans may leave "Resurrection" only partially satisfied. Tupac died in September of 1996; yet his latest track, "Thugz Mansion" was released in 2002. Like hip-hop's answer to Elvis Presley and John Lennon, Tupac has been a tabloid favorite for reported sightings and close encounters. Is Tupac freestyling from the grave, or is he really still walking the streets that he grew up on? "Resurrection" tells incredibly little about Tupac's death and does not mention any of these alleged phenomena.

Considering the title of "Resurrection," is Tupac scheduled to return from that "chromed-out mansion in paradise in the sky?" Based on his current radio rotation, he's "Still Ballin'." Check out "Resurrection" and decide for yourself if Tupac's last words in the movie foretell anything about the artist's future, "I'll be reborn."

Grade: B+

Contact Mayka Mei at (408) 554-4852 or m1mei@scu.edu.