Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (Full Screen Edition) | 
| Director: Jim Sheridan
Actors: 50 Cent, Joy Bryant, Adewale Akinnuoye-agbaje, Omar Benson Miller, Tory Kittles
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $1.98
You Save: $13.00 (87%)
New (40) Used (49) Collectible (1) from $1.98
Rating:  91 reviews
Sales Rank: 10739
Format: Color, Dvd, Full Screen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: PARD047294D
UPC: 097360472943
EAN: 0097360472943
ASIN: B000E1NXBI
Theatrical Release Date: November 9, 2005
Release Date: March 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
In Get Rich or Die Tryin', rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson presents himself as a rap superhero, encased in muscular flesh like armor, his face impassive as a mask, reaching out to destroy his enemies with his unique talent. The plot, though based on Jackson's life, is standard--a gangster breaks from his youthful life of crime to triumph as a rapper--but there's vitality in the details: Jackson's girlfriend helps him pull free the wires holding his jaw shut when he's recovered from being shot in the face; a startling, brutal fight by naked men in a prison shower. Jackson even has his comic-book moment of transformation when a razor blade is thrown into his cell, encouraging him to kill himself; instead, he uses it to carve his rhymes into the walls. Unfortunately, as an actor Jackson only has two sides, gangster hard or oddly childlike and vulnerable. This second aspect falls away from the movie as Jackson assumes power, leaving only the cold, impassive face of a tough guy. That's the fate of superheroes too--they become the mask they present to the world, which is both their dream and their fate. Terrence Howard (Crash, Hustle & Flow) livens things up as a volatile prison friend. Also featuring Bill Duke (Predator) as a raspy ganglord and Joy Bryant (Honey) as Jackson's girlfriend. Capably directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America). --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
MARCUS ALWAYS KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE A RAPPER: BUT, WHEN HIS MOTHER IS MURDERED, HE TURNS TO DEALING DRUGS FOR NYC CRIME BOSS MAJESTIC. WHEN MARCUS LANDS IN PRISON, HE DECIDES TO QUIT HUSTLING & DEDICATE HIMSELF TO HIS MUSIC. BUT BY TURNING HIS BACK ON MAJESTIC, HE MAY HAVE SIGNED HIS OWN DEATH WARRANT.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 86 more reviews...
 Better than you might think July 26, 2006
Wanda B. Red (Boston, MA)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Very loosely autobiographical, this film tells the story of the rise from hard beginnings of the wildly successful rapper "Fifty Cent," who plays himself. In the hands of director Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In America"), it also becomes a story of a man's struggle to find his father (or whatever his father symbolically stands for, his own identity perhaps) and to learn the value of family in his life. His mother is killed, and his childhood sweetheart taken away. Two characters who may be his father are feuding, and he ends up taking sides, ultimately becoming responsible for the death of one of them. As is usually the case in such hard luck stories, the hero Marcus manages to overcome long odds and win his way back to love and success.
As that plot summary suggests, the general story lacks originality, or a more flattering description would be: it has an archetypal appeal. I prefer the latter interpretation. I liked this filim better than the other reviewers here. To enjoy it you have to enter into the appreciation of rap music and specifically of Fifty Cent's deadpan mumbling style. He's a big overgrown kid, with a luminous bashful smile; at the same time, he is a dangerous gangster, a young man in his physical prime not afraid to trade on his charm. It's a charismatic combination, and Jim Sheridan does a good job of coaching Fifty Cent in the trick of conveying his innocence and his menace.
I also like this movie because it frankly crosses cultural lines, bringing ancient principles of storytelling and family loyalty to African-American gangster culture, interpreting this working underclass both to itself and to the rest of America. I think it's a big-hearted movie.
It's also a well made film. The violent scenes are tough enough to be believable without being gratuitous, and the film editing works effectively to underscore the movie's themes. In addition to Fifty Cent himself, who I think is charming on screen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaie as Majestic (gangster boss and one of Marcus's possible fathers) is riveting. Terence Howard is also excellent in the role of Bama, Marcus's friend and manager, and Marc John Jeffries is well cast as the young Marcus.
50 CENT fans only November 12, 2005
brett (allenville state prison)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
this movie is basically an 8 MILE starring 50 cent. the movie is losely based on 50 cent life and how he became who he is today. if you like 50 cent this is right up your alley. ----brett
 Entertaining July 3, 2006
Joshua Miller (Coeur d'Alene,ID)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I'm not a big fan of 50 Cent. I'm not even, particularly, a big fan of rap. But, I did like Eminem's "8 Mile" so I gave this movie a chance. It's got the same formula basically...Multi-platinum rap star stars in a fictionalized version of his life story, with an uplifting message, and an odd director. "8 Mile" was directed by Curtis Hanson (who has directed L.A. Confidential and In Her Shoes), this film is directed by Jim Sheridan who (in the past) has is Irish and white. You may remember Sheridan as the director of "In America." Anyway, it's hard to say what movie is better; "8 Mile" or this, both films are very different...Both films feature surprisingly superb performances. Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent plays Marcus. We meet Marcus as he and his crew rob a small store; They all escape, but Marcus is subsequently shot on his way back home. The film jumps backwards as we see Marcus grow up with his loving mother, who happens to be a drug dealer, who ends up being killed. Marcus is sent to live with his grandmother, but ends up dealing drugs under the watchful eye of Majestic (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaie). But Majestic is just small time compared to Levar (Bill Duke, who looks like a black mobster), who apparently runs everything. Anyway as Marcus grows up he forms his crew, consisting of Karyl (Omar Benson Miller, who was part of Eminem's crew in 8 Mile), Justice (Tory Kittles), and Antwan (Ashley Walters). But, putting aside the drug dealing and everything; there's gotta be a love interest which comes in the form of a childhood girlfriend named Charlene (Joy Bryant, "London"). When Marcus ends up getting arrested, his life is saved in jail by Bama (Oscar nominee Terrence Howard, Best Actor "Hustle & Flow") who becomes a friend of his and ends up joining the crew.
Roger Ebert said this film was "A film with rich and convincing texture, a drama with power & anger." That pretty much sums it up, but it's not cheap movie anger. 50 Cent is a gifted actor, you can see the pain in his face and in his eyes. Terrence Howard, as Bama, proves he's one of the finest actors around yet again. This guy holds your attention to the screen. Even if you don't like rap or you do like rap and don't like 50 Cent; This is a powerful, honest, and very entertaining movie.
GRADE: A
Good for what it is April 24, 2009
Indiana Brown (Fort Lauderdale)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Amazon reviewers are real sheep. Everybody is bashing 50 Cent but very little of these rants posing as reviews actually speak about the actual movie. Let's get one thing straight. If you hate 50 so much that you cant even write a partial review on this movie don't review it. Im not fond of 50 as a rapper and as a person but that is a lousy reason to give this movie bad reviews.
Get Rich Or Die Trying is loosely based on the life of Curtis Jackson and based on that reason its pretty good. 50 plays himself and there are good performances from Terrance Howard as well as Joy Bryant who plays Charlene, Marcus's girlfriend in the movie. Bill Duke is pretty good as Levar the boss of the organization Marcus links up with. Adewale Akinnouye Agbaje is excellent as the ruthless Majestic. The movie covers Marcus childhood as well is how he became to be a rapper. One might question the authenticity of the story being told in this movie(this being the movie's real flaw) but as far as entertainment goes I enjoyed myself.
Its a shame when people allow the hapless trendies that run amok on Amazon, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes dictate to you what qualifies as quality movies. These weirdos think that defending awful movies that were rightfully panned like Freddy Got Fingered, Nothing But Trouble, Batman and Robin, The Musketeer and The Black Dahlia makes them hip and cool and not pathetic posers in dire need of a life. And as far as acting goes the last time I checked Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad "Musty Arm" Pitt(overrated beyond belief), Casper Van Diem, Chuck Norris were not real actors! To all of you reasonable people out there do not allow the circus freaks on Amazon, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes to tell you what counts for good cinema because you will be disappointed every time. There are a lot of great movies that never made the Top 250 or gotten Fresh Tomatoes. Just goes to show you the bandwagon mentality of these pseudo intellectual rodents. And as far as the overly sensitive sheep go, I wouldn't waste time trying to reason with your schizophrenic a**es. Go fawn over the ever-so-overrated Quentin Tarantino like the spineless groupies you are.
BRING ON THE UNHELPFUL VOTES!!!!
Very Good!! October 20, 2008
John M. Roberts (Kansas City, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I loved this movie which was based on the life of the rapper 50 cent.
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