Jason's Lyric is a very violent story of crime and love. Jason and Joshua are two brothers who have grown up in a crime-ridden town in Texas, and have also had to contend with a mentally ill father. Joshua can't seem to follow the straight and narrow path, while Jason is torn between his family and his love for Lyric. It is suppose to be heart-wrenching . but the story is not told in a way that really carries any emotional weight. I think they could have taken time to develop the brothers' characters a little better, and the writing was definitely lacking. There is a reason why this movie is not in the same league as Boyz in the Hood, Lean on Me, etc. Not recommended.

A love story born out of the rough side of a neighborhood Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Forest Whitaker, Bokeem Woodbine, Eddie Griffin In Houston, Texas ‘Mad Dog’ played by Whitaker has two sons, he used to be loving and joyful but seemed to have lost his mind after losing his ability to walk Years later Jason grows up to be a respectful guy but his brother chooses the criminal life After getting out of jail Joshua plans to rob a bank with more street thugs This could get in the way of Jason wanting a normal life but also a potential romance with a woman named Lyric She spends her time dreaming and fantasizing so she doesn’t have to deal with the rough toughness on the streets Jason also holds a heartbreaking secret about what happened to his family Maybe some souls are beyond saving, is anyone actually redeemable?, sometimes heroes have to walk away There’s actually some deep emotions going on in this one with a hip mix of music playing in the background By the time it reaches its conclusion it feels very melancholy but not at all downright depressing Great romantic leads and a good supporting effort by Woodbine as a sibling stuck doing what he only knows how

This was a pretty thorough movie from beginning to end. I'd say it ranks as a cultural-classic!

A love story born out of the rough side of a neighborhood Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Forest Whitaker, Bokeem Woodbine, Eddie Griffin In Houston, Texas ‘Mad Dog' played by Whitaker has two sons, he used to be loving and joyful but seemed to have lost his mind after losing his ability to walk Years later Jason grows up to be a respectful guy but his brother chooses the criminal life After getting out of jail Joshua plans to rob a bank with more street thugs This could get in the way of Jason wanting a normal life but also a potential romance with a woman named Lyric She spends her time dreaming and fantasizing so she doesn't have to deal with the rough toughness on the streets Jason also holds a heartbreaking secret about what happened to his family Maybe some souls are beyond saving, is anyone actually redeemable?, sometimes heroes have to walk away There's actually some deep emotions going on in this one with a hip mix of music playing in the background By the time it reaches its conclusion it feels very melancholy but not at all downright depressing Great romantic leads and a good supporting effort by Woodbine as a sibling stuck doing what he only knows how

This was such a lovely movie. It had the typical elements of a 90s black romance, laced with gangstas and violence, but it was so much more than that. It had moments of such beauty, tenderness, and raw emotion. The acting overall was very good as well. Worth seeing.

Beautifully filmed and well-knit story. Whitaker was his typical powerful presence. Love ALL his movies.

Entertaining and well acted.

good drama the acting was a good relation to real drama going on in the world!

18 years and I still love it

a down 2 earth love story. great cast.

another awsome movie.... :)

1 of my all time favorite movies.

I absolutely love this movie! The end was kind of insane, but this movie is very realistic! Also, the romance was scenes was incredible!!!

still loving this movie

This film pretty much came out at a time when more and more films featuring blacks in positive images were coming out. However, this film tries to be three films at once. First its a story about the tragic events in the brother's past. The second story is almost an urban version of "Romeo and Juliet". The third plot revolves around how Jason's brother constantly gets into trouble leading to his tragic end. The love story would have been enough. Unfortunately, in the end it turns into a typical bloody shootout, but it does have a twist ending and that helped to save it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sweet and well acted

A man falls in love while attempting to curtail his brother's criminal behavior. If I recall correctly, this is John Singleton's fault. Though it's unfair to judge an artist based on his imitators, Singleton's <i>Boyz 'n the Hood</i> began a rash of "hood" films that eventually culminated in the Wayans brothers' parody of the genre. <i>Jason's Lyric</i> "feels like" an imitation, stuck in a particular time, fitting all the generic requirements in, unable to breathe on its own. The abusive father, the aspirations of escape, and the burgeoning love are all things we've seen from Singleton, and there's nothing radically new here. What is more, the love story plot, which, during the first hour of the film, is evenly interspersed with the "hood" plot, is so excessively sappy. Every elevator song you ever heard underscores Jason's courtship of Lyric, and the idyllic landscape gives the plot a maudlin feel. He washes her feet for Christ's sake! Then, the film tries to be realistic in the "hood" plot, and when the two plots converge, I couldn't shake the feeling that the film had multiple personality disorder. Forest Whitaker's performance during the film's first ten minutes as the damaged Vietnam vet was fantastic; Whitaker set the bar so high that it's no wonder the rest of the actors could only disappoint. Jada Pinkett is alluring and beautiful, but there's not much of a character here. It doesn't help her that the script gives her the most expository lines, especially before Jason reveals the truth about his dreams. Overall, this is a poor imitation of John Singleton; see <i>Boyz 'n the Hood</i> and you can tell everybody that you saw <i>Jason's Lyric</i> too.

This film pretty much came out at a time when more and more films featuring blacks in positive images were coming out. However, this film tries to be three films at once. First its a story about the tragic events in the brother's past. The second story is almost an urban version of "Romeo and Juliet". The third plot revolves around how Jason's brother constantly gets into trouble leading to his tragic end. The love story would have been enough. Unfortunately, in the end it turns into a typical bloody shootout, but it does have a twist ending and that helped to save it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Very Romantic Movie. Great Storyline with action and doesn't leave any detail out. One of my favorite movies.

sweet and well acted