‘Biker Boyz’ revs up audiences
When motorcycle clubs come to mind, most people think of tattoo shop veterans on Harleys. “Biker Boyz” moves to add color to the common view of bike clubs.
The predominately black cast reveals that bike culture is the same regardless of race.
Lawrence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Kid Rock, and Larenz Tate team up with a cast of other familiar, but not-so-mainstream, faces in this reality-based drama.
Fishburne plays Smoke, an undefeated motorcycle racer dubbed the”King of Cali.”
His posse moves in unison as they lower their kickstands and Soul Train, played by Orlando Jones, plays hype man preparing the crowd for his grand appearance.
Following the procession, Smoke’s race against Terrence Howard ends in two fatalities.
Howard loses control of his cycle and is thrown from it at nearly 150 mph. The bike slams into several parked bikes and is propelled into Smoke’s mechanic, played by Eriq LaSalle.
The son of LaSalle’s character, Kid (Luke), witnesses the entire event and retires from the race scene for six months.
He returns during a scene where model Tyson Beckford makes hiscameo in a race against Brendan Fehr.
Kid appears on the race track out of nowhere and blazes past the duo, distracting Beckford and allowing Fehr to win the race and $500.
From this point forward, the movie slows into showing Kid’s desire for respect on the race circuit.
He starts his own club, the Biker Boyz, a colorful group of young riders that do tricks and are notorious for breaking the rules of the race circuit.
It’s not all smoke and burning rubber as the story exposes romantic relationships, a coming of age and a life away from the culture. For example, Soul Train is an attorney by day.
The story is based on a New Times Magazine article under the same name written by Michael Gougis.
It’s not quite as flashy as “The Fast and the Furious,” but the fact that it’s grounded in reality makes it interesting.
The race scenes are by far the best, with Kid Rock as Dog and his dirty racing techniques.
Other stars include Djimon Hounsou, Lisa Bonet, Megan Good, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Kadeem Hardison.
‘Biker Boyz’ revs up audiences
