 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
In the Mix
- Review Date: March 20, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Drama
- 2005
Common Sense Media says
The irresistibly talented Usher is wasted here.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie includes shootings, beatings, and references to other forms of "mob violence" (one character says his car was blown up). A body appears in a car trunk. The movie features reductive stereotypes: ignorant Italian gangsters; a white boy who acts "hip-hop"; a sexually aggressive black woman; a precocious child (who uses sexual slang); bling-blingy cigar-smoking buddies for the DJ; and a "Big Mama." Characters drink and smoke; women at the dance club wear revealing clothing and dance provocatively.
What's the story?
IN THE MIX centers on DJ Darrell (Usher), who works at a dance club with his aspiring music production partner Busta (Kevin Hart). While Busta is interested in women, Darrell is looking for the "right" girl. He finds her in gangster's daughter and childhood friend Dolly (Emmanuelle Chriqui). When they fall in love, it upsets her father, Frank (Chazz Palminteri), who likes Darrell but doesn't think he's good enough for his daughter. Frank insists he is not classist or racist, his attitude suggests otherwise. When Darrell saves Frank from an assassination attempt, Frank hires him as a bodyguard/driver for Dolly. At first, she resents Darrel, but eventually she falls for him despite her father's objections and the fact that she has a boyfriend.
Is it any good?
A conventional and distressingly inept intercultural romance, In the Mix wastes the talent of Usher. The film is bogged down by awkward scene transitions, ridiculous dialogue ("I heard black men can dance," "If growing up in the hood is so dangerous, then why is it I only get shot by white people?"), and drearily one-dimensional supporting characters, like Frank's too-eager gunsel Jackie (Matt Gerald), and his son, Frank Jr. (Anthony Fazio), the white boy who acts "hip-hop." Part comedy, part romance, part violent gangster flick, In the Mix never pulls its many pieces together.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether or not their kids think the characters are stereotypes. They also might want to talk about all the branded products in the movie. does seeing them in a movie make them more or less appealing?
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AGE
Usher has a big nose.
His nose is big but his talent is the oppisite to the size of his nose.
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Ron Underwood |
| Cast: | Chazz Palminteri, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Usher |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 95 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 23, 2005 |
| DVD release date: | March 21, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual content, violence and language. |
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