Tagline: “Where I think I’ll be in ten years? I don’t think I’ma see it.”
Translation: Possibly like this movie and the majority of the moviegoing population.
The Verdict: During the opening-stills montage, we honestly thought this was just a particularly well-constructed YouTube fan video — until we realized that’s rapper Jamal Woolard (a.k.a. Gravy a.k.a. the guy who got shot in the ass outside of Hot 97), we think, in Biggie’s pin-striped suit. But we already knew Woolard looked like Biggie — that’s presumably why the non-famous Woolard, who has no onscreen experience, got cast. We’ll have to wait to find out if he can act like him too, as this teaser next segues into a bunch of admittedly exciting jump cuts: We see Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace slapping young Big, Derek Luke in a white suit as flashy young Diddy, Naturi Naughton sporting the goods as porny young Lil’ Kim, Anthony Mackie sporting a Thug Life knit cap as bare-chested young Tupac, and, finally, Biggie living the life, sipping Champagne when he’s thirsty. We didn’t love the script, plus Fox is dumping Notorious in January, but we’re still holding out hope.
