
Trying to bootstrap his way out of Brooklyn's mean streets is Diamond, a rap musician. With his long-time pal Gage acting as his manager, he's trying to lay down a demo tape with cut-rate studio time. To pay the bills, he and Gage run drugs for "Mr. B." Inside a week, Diamond's beloved mother dies suddenly, his father appears after an absence of 12 years and wants a relationship, and his girlfriend Kia tells him she's pregnant, asking him if he's ready to be a father. Gage st... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
Trying to bootstrap his way out of Brooklyn's mean streets is Diamond, a rap musician. With his long-time pal Gage acting as his manager, he's trying to lay down a demo tape with cut-rate studio time. To pay the bills, he and Gage run drugs for "Mr. B." Inside a week, Diamond's beloved mother dies suddenly, his father appears after an absence of 12 years and wants a relationship, and his girlfriend Kia tells him she's pregnant, asking him if he's ready to be a father. Gage steals $100,000 in a multiple-felony robbery so that Diamond can record a full album, not knowing it's Mr. B's money he's taken. B wants his money, Diamond wants his music, Kia wants an answer.
Leave your thoughts about Turn It Up.
| Film.comErnest HardyAs both writer and director, Adetuyi doesn't bother bringing any emotional or psychological twists or nuances to these familiar character types; he gives them no depth whatsoever. |
| VarietyRobert KoehlerPatently absurd in both the details and larger aspects, the ultraserious pic is undermined by poor casting. |
| Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSteve MurrayAs soon as an idea worth pursuing pops up, the plot shoots it down in a literal hail of bullets. |
| Kansas City StarRobert W. ButlerNone of this is remotely compelling, and first-time writer/director Robert Adetuyi doesn't develop anything resembling a style. |
| SPLICEDWireRob BlackwelderThe film is little more than an unambitious, well-packaged passel of urban black clichés. |
| Reel.comMarc FortierIt's hard to say if even devoted Fugees refugees will be able to stomach the mediocrity plaguing this loose autobiography of the Ghetto Superstar himself, ex-Fugee Prakazrel 'Pras' Michel. |
| Chicago TribuneVicky EdwardsThe film uses every standard urban drama story line in the book. |
| Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasHits hard and pulls no punches in telling its brutal story. |
| New York PostLou LumenickFeatures less than 10 minutes of music in its mercifully brief 83-minute running time. |
| New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNormally, I'd recommend a movie like this only to diehard fans. But even they may want to wait until it hits cable. |