Biker Boyz (2003)

A son of the leader of a legendary group of an urban biker gang tries to retain his championship title.

Director:

Reggie Rock Bythewood

Writers:

Michael Gougis (article), Craig Fernandez

Stars:

Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Orlando Jones

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Fishburne	...	Smoke
Derek Luke	...	Kid
Orlando Jones	...	Soul Train
Djimon Hounsou	...	Motherland
Lisa Bonet	...	Queenie
Brendan Fehr	...	Stuntman
Larenz Tate	...	Wood
Kid Rock	...	Dogg
Rick Gonzalez	...	Primo
Meagan Good	...	Tina
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Half & Half
Vanessa Bell Calloway	...	Anita
Dante Basco	...	Philly
Dion Basco	...	Flip
Tyson Beckford	...	Donny

Storyline

A mythic motorcycle tale of father and son", this is the story of Manuel Galloway, also known as "the King of Cali", the president of a motorcycle club whose members are all African-American men, mostly white-collar workers who exchange their suits and ties at night and on weekends for leather outfits and motorcycle helmets. The focus of this story takes place at an annual drag-racing event in Fresno, as Manuel tries to retain his championship title.

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Plot Keywords:

motorcycle | african american | helmet | biker gang | rural setting | 

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Taglines:

Survival of the fastest.

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Baikeriai

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,106,992, 2 February 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$21,701,045, 23 March 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks,3 Arts Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The second Laurence Fishburne movie to contain the word 'Boyz' in its title. The previous one was Boyz n the Hood (1991)

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Goofs

At the end of the final race between Smoke and Kid, the motorcycles are presumably going very fast. Given that the finish line as an overhanging sign at a T-intersection, there is no way the bikes would be able to slow down fast enough to avoid collision with the fence once crossing the line, especially on a dirt road with street tires.

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Quotes

Smoke: You still think you got enough heart to race me?
Kid: Shit I got enough heart to prove you aint half the man you think you are.
Smoke: Why don't we do that then. One thing though... If I win, you quit. No hustlin'. No racin'. No bullshit.
Kid: Now why would I stop racin', you seen what I can do.
Smoke: Don't mean shit without the crown. I'm the King of Cali, baby. Me. Smoke. These are my terms; I win, you quit. You want the ride or you scared?
Kid: I want the ride.
Smoke: Good.
Kid: But I don't wanna do it here. Let's do it in front ...

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Crazy Credits

Ending credits roll with pictures of motorcycle clubs that were on the set. Credits end with the quote "Burn rubber not your soul."

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Connections

References Soul Train (1971)

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Soundtracks

Say Goodbye To Yesterday (remix)
Written by John Fuentes, Mitchell Manzanilla & William Braunstein
Performed by Non Phixion
Non Phixion appears courtesy of Uncle Howie Records

User Reviews

Half-decent plot buried under a squidfest

I'm sure there's a Greek tragedy or Shakespeare play with the same basic premise: Son aspires to be one of the great princes instead of a courtier, son loses father, son disappears, only to return as the heir apparent to the Prince's crown and all that.... such a plot has such promise.

But when you bury it under a bunch of expensive sportbikes, T&A shots, and juvenile stunts... blech!

As a moviegoer, I thought this was barely worth the matinee price. As a Shakespeare fan, I thought it overdone, washed out. As a motorcyclist, I thought it shameful (Passengers in shorts, spaghetti-strap tops, and heels? Racing w/o helmets? Stunting on a public freeway, in traffic, at night? These are NOT the role models you were looking for...) I will point out that a FEW lines in the movie did hint to the dangers of riding, especially 'extreme' riding. The crashes were definitely hopped up (not sure if a 500 lb superbike would sail spinning thru the air like a frisbee...) but no punches were pulled as to how badly you can get hurt on these things if you're not careful and FOCUSED. And Fishbourne's character, although definitely the most bad-ass in the whole bunch, showed how far skill, finesse, and restraint will go beyond blind luck, guts, and adrenaline. That is to say, he was on top the whole time, even to the last frame.

With the budget this film had (pretty much, the bikes alone are each worth 20G's or more) they COULD have made something with more emotional impact, more story, and a LOT less gratuitous teenage hormone inducer. So, if you see this movie, resist the impulse to go out and get a bike. The real world ain't like this at all. Riding like this in the real world will get someone (probably YOU) killed.