Set It Off (1996)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Writers (WGA):

Takashi Bufford (story)
Takashi Bufford (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Deal with this. The only breaks you get are the ones you take.

Plot:

Four Black women, all of whom have suffered for lack of money and at the hands of the majority, undertake to rob banks...

Plot Keywords:

Robbery | Shot In The Head | Human Relationship | Lesbianism | Tattoo

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Lida 'Stony' Newsom (as Jada Pinkett)
Queen Latifah	...	Cleopatra 'Cleo' Sims
Vivica A. Fox	...	Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton
Kimberly Elise	...	Tisean 'T.T.' Williams
John C. McGinley	...	Detective Strode
Blair Underwood	...	Keith Weston
Vincent Baum	...	Jajuan
Van Baum	...	Jajuan
Chaz Lamar Shepherd	...	Stevie Newsom (as Chaz Lamar Shepard)
Thomas Jefferson Byrd	...	Luther (as Thom Byrd)
Charles Robinson	...	Nate Andrews (as Charlie Robinson)
Ella Joyce	...	Detective Waller
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Ms. Wells
Samantha MacLachlan	...	Ursula
Samuel Monroe Jr.	...	Lorenz

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence, pervasive language, some sex and drug use.; Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sex and drug use. (director's cut)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:X | UK:15 (new rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2008) | USA:R (certificate #45339) (director's cut) | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Ireland:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:R(A)

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Kimberly Elise was discovered by producer Dale Pollock at a restaurant where she waitressed at the start of her career.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Numerous errors in gun visual/sound effects and operation. During the final bank shootout, Stony's gun runs out of ammunition (evidenced by the slide locking back). However, she continues to pull the trigger generating a "click click" sound. Modern semi-automatic pistols such as the Glock Stony is using do not return the trigger to a ready-to-fire position until the slide closes and another round is chambered. Therefore, it is impossible to generate several audible clicks with an empty weapon.

Quotes:

Detective Strode: [after Frankie is unexpectedly thrust into a bank robbery while working] Okay, okay. Let's take this from the top.
Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton: I thought we covered everything.
Detective Strode: How well did you know the perpetrator?
Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton: I've just known Darnell from around the way, is all. We live in the same projects.
Detective Strode: Frankie, will you do me a favor? Just tell me one thing, and we'll get out of here.
Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton: Sure.
Detective Strode: What's the procedure when you're being robbed?
Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton: Look, sir, I kn...
Detective Strode: Stop! Stop! Stop! Now... what's the procedure when you're being robbed?
Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton: You pull the money clip from your right-hand drawer. And then you signal with your left hand.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

I'll Be Missing You

A Well Done Sleeper

"Set it Off" is another brilliant little B sleeper by the talented F. Gary Gray. What sets this film apart from your routine crime caper/heist flick is that it features some very impressive and strong performances by Jada Pinkett-Smith (one of her very best roles) and Quen Latifah. Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise and the underrated John C. McGinty were also quite effective in supporting roles. Blair Underwood, who I lilke, was sort of wasted as reverse eye candy. The love story sub plot was a bit if a distraction, only in a minor way. But at the core of this film was the bond between these ladies, all driven to rob banks for various reasons. What they all shared was their desperation. Instead of cliched cardboard characters, we are served pretty well fleshed out characters with as much depth as time allows. Some have mentioned they didn't like the ending, but I rather did. Queen Latifah was outstanding as a hardened career criminal. There is one scene where Jada's character stands up to her and it's tasty.

All in all, a pretty dang good thriller film that should be seen. The performances are what elevates it above the norm for this genre.